The University of Iowa, in Iowa City, was the first public university in nation to admit men and women on an equal basis, and is the first university in the world to accept creative work in theater, writing, music, and art on an equal basis with academic research. The university was founded in 1847, as the State University of Iowa, only 59 days after the formation of the Iowa State. The present site of the university was the seat of the old capital of Iowa. The first faculty offered instruction in March 1855, to students at the Old Mechanics Building. The university offered its first doctoral degree in 1898. The University of Iowa is situated on a 1900-acre campus and has more than 120 major buildings and additional facilities such as the art museum, music center, art and science center, and the center for career services. More than 90 undergraduate, 170 graduate, and 7 professional degrees in business, dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy, public health, and nursing, are delivered through its 11 colleges. More than 28,000 students from Iowa, adjoining states, and abroad enroll each year. Presently, more than 13,000 staff members serve the university. The university campus houses a number of buildings that are noted for their construction. Among them is the Old Capitol Building; it served as the capitol building during Iowa City’s tenure as the capital of Iowa. Today, the building houses the offices of the school's president. Another notable attraction is the Iowa River, which flows through the campus. The university is also well-known for its network of libraries, which is the largest library system in Iowa and ranks 18th among the public research libraries in the United States and Canada for its collection. The system includes the main library, Hardin Library for health sciences, and 11 branch libraries. The Oakdale Research Park, located a few steps from the university, is housed on the 189-acre campus with national advanced driving simulator and buildings of technical companies. The university is currently home to ISCABBS - an aging public bulletin board system that was the largest internet community in the world prior to the commercialization of the World Wide Web. In addition to being a world-renowned center for education and research, the university stands out for its sports and cultural activities. Cultural events, art exhibitions, athletic events, and numerous conferences and educational programs are scheduled each year. The University of Iowa has been acclaimed for its world-renowned educational and research facilities. It was named as the “21st-best public university” in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report.