The University of North Dakota (UND) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota.
The university has the only schools of law and medicine in the state of North Dakota. The John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences was the first in the country to offer a degree in unmanned aircraft systems operation. Several national research institutions are on the university's campus including the Energy and Environmental Research Center, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral universities – very high research activity".
History
Founding UND was founded in 1883, six years before North Dakota became a state. UND was founded with a liberal arts foundation and expanded to include scientific research. Grand Forks native George H. Walsh submitted the bill to the Territorial Legislature of Dakota Territory that called for the new state of North Dakota's university to be in Grand Forks. The first classes were held on September 8, 1884. The first building at UND, Old Main, housed all classrooms, offices, dorm rooms, and a library. In the 1880s, UND consisted of only a few acres of property, surrounded by farms and fields, nearly two miles west of the city of Grand Forks. Students living off campus had to take a train or a horse and carriage bus, dubbed the "Black Maria", from downtown to the campus.
20th century
As the university grew, more buildings were constructed on campus and a trolley system was built to connect the growing university to downtown Grand Forks. However, there were several major interruptions in the life of the university. In 1918, UND was the country's hardest-hit single institution by the flu epidemic that killed 1,400 people in North Dakota alone. Later that year, classes were suspended so the campus could become an army base for soldiers during World War I. During the Great Depression, UND provided free housing to students willing to do manual labor on campus. "Camp Depression," as it was called, consisted of railroad cabooses that each housed eight male students. "Camp Depression" students did not get regular meals from the cafeteria and had to be satisfied with free leftovers. However, Grand Forks citizens often opened their homes and kitchen tables to many of these young men.
After World War II, enrollment quickly grew to more than 3,000. A large amount of housing and several academic buildings had to be built on campus. The 1950s saw the rise of the Fighting Sioux hockey tradition. In the 1960s and 1970s, many student protests occurred at UND. The largest was in May 1970 when over 1,500 students protested the Kent State shootings. In 1975, enrollment swelled to a record 8,500. The 1970s also saw the establishment of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at UND. During the 1980s and 1990s the university continued to grow. However, the devastating 1997 Red River flood inundated numerous buildings on campus and forced the cancellation of the remainder of the school year.
21st century The start of the 21st century was marked by the opening of two major venues for UND athletics. The Ralph Engelstad Arena, home of men's and women's hockey, and the Alerus Center, home of UND football, both opened in 2001. The Betty Engelstad Sioux Center opened in August 2004, and serves as home to UND volleyball and men's and women's basketball.
Millions of dollars' worth of construction and renovation projects have dotted the campus landscape. As part of a plan to improve student facilities on campus, UND constructed a Wellness Center, a parking garage, new Memorial Union, renovated library, renovated Gershman Center for graduate students, and an apartment-style housing complex. Other construction projects around campus have included a new LEED Platinum-certified alumni center, a renovated and expanded College of Education and Human Development, and an expanded Energy and Environmental Research Center. In 2016, a $124-million Medicine and Health Services building was built on the north end of campus.
In 2015, UND's economic impact on the state and region was estimated to be more than $1.4 billion a year according to the NDUS Systemwide Economic Study by the School of Economics at North Dakota State University. It was the fourth-largest employer in the state of North Dakota, after the Air Force.
In August 2021, UND became the first participant in the United States Space Force's University Partnership program.
Campus
The University of North Dakota's main campus sits in the middle of Grand Forks on University Avenue. The campus is made up of 240 buildings (6.4 million square feet) on . The campus stretches roughly one and half miles from east to west and is divided by the meandering English Coulee. The western edge is bordered by Interstate 29, the eastern edge is bordered with University Park, the Grand Forks railyards sit on the south side, and the north side is marked by U.S. Highway 2 which is called Gateway Drive in Grand Forks.
At the heart of campus sits the Chester Fritz Library, the largest library in North Dakota. There are also northern and western campuses. The western part of the UND campus has modern styles of architecture. The Gorecki Alumni Center on campus is North Dakota's first LEED Platinum building. A combination of geothermal and solar panels are used to power the building.
Academics
UND offers more than 250+ fields of study, including 108 undergraduate majors, 69 minors, 81 master's programs, 37 doctoral programs, and two professional programs (medicine and law). UND also has an interdisciplinary program that allows students to obtain a degree in virtually any course of study. A collection of online classes and degree programs are offered for students around the nation and world. This online program has been highly ranked by US News and other leading online college rankings. On campus, academic classrooms range from smaller rooms capable of seating around 20 students to large lecture bowls capable of seating hundreds at a time. All areas have wireless access for laptops and technologically equipped classrooms enable professors to offer interactive lectures. Sanford Health, Altru Health System and Essentia Health partnered with the University of North Dakota to further medical education and simulations in a fleet of 4 trucks for North Dakota, allowing continued medical education all across the state.
The university has ten academic divisions: John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences College of Arts & Sciences Nistler College of Business & Public Administration College of Education & Human Development College of Engineering & Mines School of Graduate Studies School of Law School of Medicine & Health Sciences College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines
Libraries
UND has three major libraries which, together, form the largest system of research libraries in the state of North Dakota. The Chester Fritz Library is the largest library in the state. It houses 1.6 million volumes, provides access to approximately 28,000 electronic journal subscriptions, and owns over 20,000 electronic books. It also serves as a U.S. patent and trademark depository and a government document depository. UND's special collections department is known for its genealogical resources, including Norwegian Bygdeboker, or Norwegian farm and town records. Branches of the Chester Fritz Library include the Energy and Environmental Research Library, the F.D. Holland Geology Library, and the Gordon Erickson Music Library. The School of Law operates the Thormodsgard Law Library and the School of Medicine operates the Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences.
Research
UND is classified among "R1: Doctoral universities – very high research activity". This level of research activity is shown in UND's research statistics which, in fiscal year 2006, included program awards that reached $94.3 million, sponsored program expenditures that reached $81.2 million, and an overall research portfolio that included $315 million in total ongoing and committed accounts. Research activity at UND focuses on health sciences, nutrition, energy and environmental protection, aerospace, and engineering. As a major component of the Red River Valley Research Corridor, UND operates many research units including the Energy and Environmental Research Center, the School of Medicine, the Institute for Energy Studies, the Center for Rural Health, the Center for Innovation, the Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium, the Bureau of Governmental Affairs, the Bureau of Educational Services and Applied Research, and the Social Science Research Institute. The Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC), on the eastern fringes of the UND campus, has been recognized as a leader in researching cleaner, more efficient forms of energy. The EERC operates a number of research units at UND including the National Center for Hydrogen Technology.
Student life Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023 Race and ethnicityTotal White Hispanic Two or more races International student Black Asian Native American/Alaska Native Unknown Economic diversity Low-income Affluent
+ Historic enrollments: 1890 24 1900 124 1910 490 1920 1,124 1930 1,765 1940 1,757 1950 2,653 1960 4,491 1970 8,129 1980 10,217 1990 11,885 2000 11,031 2010 14,194 2020 13,615
Student body Over 14,000 students attend classes on the UND campus each year. About 34 percent of the student body is from North Dakota and the other 56 percent is made up of students from other states and 99 nations. Students can live on or off campus. On campus, there are 14 residence halls and 700 student apartment units; there is also as 13 fraternities and seven sororities. There are over 275 student organizations at UND as well as an intramural sports program.
Greek life The fraternity and sorority community has a rich history at the University of North Dakota. There are approximately 20 Greek houses on campus.
Culture The North Dakota Museum of Art, the official art museum of the state of North Dakota, is in the heart of campus and offers exhibits throughout the year. The Burtness Theater and the Chester Fritz Auditorium regularly feature theater and concert events. The Ralph Engelstad Arena also features non-athletic events including concerts. The nearby city-owned Alerus Center hosts several concerts each year as well as other events. Each year, UND hosts the University of North Dakota Writers Conference with prominent American and foreign writers.
Media The Dakota Student is UND's student newspaper.
North Dakota Quarterly, a literary journal, is edited at UND.
The North Dakota Law Review, published by the School of Law since 1924, serves as the journal of the State Bar Association of North Dakota.
The Alumni Review is published by the UND Alumni Association and Foundation.
Athletics
North Dakota's 17 athletic teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Teams compete in the Summit League, except men's hockey, which is in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, and the football team, which is in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (within the FCS subdivision). The men's ice hockey team has won eight national championships, has been runner-up five times and play in the Ralph Engelstad Arena.
The football team won the Division II national championship in 2001 and was the runner-up in 2003, and play at the Alerus Center. The basketball and volleyball teams play in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The women's basketball team has won three national championships in 1997, 1998, and 1999 and was runner-up in 2001.