�IJ�ͼ��

Friday Focus: A new chapter for old UPark

June 13, 2025

— By Julie Queen, vice chancellor for administrative services

A conversation about the importance of childcare for working parents is not a new one for UAF, and has deep roots in our community. Shortly after I stepped into this position in 2019, one of the first groups to reach out to share ideas was the UAF Faculty Senate Committee on the Status of Women. This committee is composed of faculty and staff representatives, and has been advocating for family-friendly practices for a number of years, such as: travel reimbursements related to childcare needs, paid parental leave, improvements to types of leave, and expanded childcare services on the Troth Yeddha’ campus where there is more demand for available spots than can support our population. 

These types of improvements, if made, would contribute to being a more competitive employer, helping to recruit new employees and improve retention for existing employees. 

In this case, changes involved dialogue and Governance engagement, UAF community surveys, and insight from other universities. Teams discussed the evolving landscape - before and after the COVID-19 pandemic - which put childcare in the spotlight in ways that had not been as visible before. 

I am proud to share that we have made incremental changes year-over-year, building on these original ideas. UA, and by extension UAF, now has in place for temporary dependent care costs while in travel status. The university created a , and UA continues to reform leave options, improving family support.

In addition, UAF examined our physical footprint for childcare. Understanding limitations in the current location, we looked at other UAF-owned facilities that could more optimally be used, or that had deferred maintenance issues, limiting use. Through that effort, Facilities Services identified the Old University Park facility as one that had “good bones” for a future expanded childcare center. As a former elementary school, it made sense to repurpose the facility in a way that would address a long-standing maintenance project, enable UAF to modernize owned and underutilized space, and support employees and students seeking childcare services to ensure they can be most productive at work.   

I’m happy to share that last month, the UA Board of Regents approved the renovation project. The project is primarily funded through a federal grant, in addition to some UAF deferred maintenance funding. I consider this an ideal way to approach deferred maintenance: when we can repair our older buildings and create a modern purpose for them while meeting a university need, it makes efficient use of our public dollars.

Construction is slated to begin in the spring of 2026. Crews will spend the following summer and winter transforming a portion of the interior of the building into a nurturing environment for little Nooks. By the spring of 2027, we plan to welcome the youngest members of the UAF community to the newly upgraded center. 

Our current facility, Bunnell House, has served UAF well for many years and our intent is to integrate many of the best aspects of the program into the new center. We are excited to continue the tradition of quality early childhood education and care for university-affiliated families at the University Park building. The intent is that the new center will be able to accommodate over five times as many children, and a wider age-range including infants, with additional services. 

It’s hard to overstate how exciting this is for our community. I can’t wait to open the doors and want to thank all of the voices that helped make this project possible along the way. Turning old into new again is a great next chapter for future little Nooks!

Friday Focus is written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.