December 7, 2015

Media Advisory
For Immediate Release

Regents to discuss alternative budget development, teacher education at December meeting

The University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents will meet Dec. 10-11 in the Butrovich building on the UAF campus, with public testimony from 9-10 a.m. Thursday, and 10-11 a.m. Friday.

President Jim Johnsen will present on the strategy and principles behind an alternative budget development process he has initiated to ensure the university will continue to deliver quality programs and service in the likely case that the budget request the Regents approved in November is not fully funded by the state. In the coming months he will meet and talk with audiences inside and outside of the university to guide strategic decisions, such as where to make cuts and where to invest in highly successful programs, in order to operate cost-effectively in the face of a potential third year of funding reductions. The goal of the alternative budget is to strengthen core programs unique to each of the three universities, increase cross-campus collaboration and share resources, and improve the student experience through common logistics and practices.

Dr. Dan White, UA Vice President of Academic Affairs and Research, will report on work being done with Alaska school districts and the State’s Department of Education to prepare Alaska students for college, increase postsecondary enrollment, and attract and retain teachers. The board will hear an update on a “Plan for Revitalizing Teacher Education in Alaska” presented in December 2014 that is intended to guide UA in attracting, retaining, and preparing teachers for Alaska schools.

University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Interim Chancellor Mike Powers, faculty, staff and students will give a luncheon presentation on student engagement outside the classroom, including undergraduate research activity and engagement with the business community. They also will provide an update on Arctic initiatives at UAF that have led to its leading position in Arctic research and policy guidance.

For a full two-day agenda and supporting documentation visit www.alaska.edu/bor/agendas/.

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For more information contact:
Roberta Graham
Assoc. Vice President of Public Affairs and Federal Relations
robbie.graham@alaska.edu
907-450-8102

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