University of North Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
University of North Florida
Motto	No one like you.; No place like this.
Type	Public university
Established	1965; 57 years ago
Parent institution	State University System of Florida
Academic affiliations	Space-grant
Endowment	$116.2 million (2019)
President	David Szymanski
Academic staff	600
Students	17,002
Undergraduates	14,801
Postgraduates	2,201
Location	Jacksonville , Florida , United States
Campus	1,300 acres (5.3 km²)
Colors	Blue and gray;
Athletics	NCAA Division I – A-Sun
Nickname	Ospreys
Mascot	Ozzie Osprey

The Thomas G. Carpenter Library which is on the campus

The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public university in Jacksonville, Florida. The university has about 16,509 students. Its campus comprises 1,300 acres amid a natural preserve on Jacksonville's Southside. It was founded in 1969. The current president is David Szymanski.

UNF was established in 1965 and began offering classes in 1972. UNF was initially designated an upper division college for juniors and seniors. It began admitting freshmen in 1984.

The university has 220 clubs and organizations for students as well as an active student government and Greek life. The student-run newspaper The Spinnaker is published monthly. The university's intercollegiate athletics teams are known as the Ospreys, and are currently members of the Atlantic Sun Conference in NCAA Division I.

History

The university was founded in 1969 after 1,000 acres (4.0 km²) midway between downtown Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Beaches were set aside for the campus, 500 acres (2.0 km²) of which were donated by the Skinner family of Jacksonville. Construction on classrooms and buildings began in 1971 and UNF opened in the fall of 1972 with an initial enrollment of 2,027 juniors, seniors and graduate students, supported by 117 faculty and more than 150 staff. Originally, like the other Florida state institutions opened around this time, UNF was designated as a "senior" college, meaning that it would enroll only upperclassmen and graduate students.