Physical Campus
In 1966, NAU's physical footprint was half its current size. Since then, many buildings have been demolished to make way for new ones, as the campus footprint expanded. The renovation of the Engineering Building (2005) and the construction of the Science and Health Building (2015) represent NAUs commitment to meet the growing enrollment and research agendas in the sciences.
Since the late 1960s, increases in enrollment have resulted in student housing shortages. The construction of new dorms and innovative housing solutions, such as renting out a motel in Flagstaff for male students, and later leasing land to private investors to construct housing, were implemented. Increased student traffic also meant the layout of NAU had to be modified to allow for foot traffic, as well as negotiating a shuttle system and agreement with the Flagstaff bus service, the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (NAIPTA). Perhaps the most significant expansion was the construction of the South [Campus] Academic Center. While the concept of a stand-alone university component only lasted for a year, the new buildings constructed on the south campus provided room to expand program offerings and increase student enrollment. In many ways, the physical campus reflects NAU's history as a whole.
Louie's Legacy: The Mountain Campus QR Code Project is a collaborative effort of the Northern Arizona University (NAU) History department, its Public History classes, and Cline Library Special Collections and Archives. Since 2014, students in the spring Public History courses, their professor, and a digital archivist have identified more than 150 sites on NAU's Mountain Campus. Students researched their histories, and found unique photographs, oral interviews, and original news stories about each site. The students then wrote and installed the data to web sites accessible by using a smart phone or tablet to scan QR codes placed on the historic sites in the district. The result combines history and cutting-edge technology to allow everyone with a smart phone or tablet to create their own personal, self-guided digital tour of north campus.
South Academic Center
