February 22, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2023

University of Alaska Board of Regents to discuss system’s economic impacts, goals and measures during
February meeting

(ANCHORAGE, AK) - The University of Alaska’s (UA) impact on the economy will be a prominent theme during Friday’s Board of Regents Meeting on the UAA campus. Regents will hear updates on UA’s efforts to empower Alaska through workforce and economic development, access and efficiency for students, and Arctic policy and research. The meeting is the first for the new members of the board, and UA President Pat Pitney will also highlight growth areas and strengths across the system as the board discusses and refines Goals and Measures.

“We have fiscal stability for the first time in nine years, and as of this spring, a growing student body,” President Pitney highlighted. “Our universities provide Alaska the highest-impact strategy to develop and retain a quality workforce. They provide access and choice, and meet people where they are, which keeps students in state and qualified for careers Alaska needs.”

The Board will be briefed on the UA economic impact report conducted by the McKinley Research Group. In total, the university generated $2 for every $1 received in state UGF - and its programs and services resulted in nearly $1 billion in total economic activity in FY2022.

“The university is a key economic driver for the state,” Pitney said. “More than 80% of the vendors we do business with are classified as small businesses.”

In the afternoon, Regents will take an in-depth look at the 40+ programs related to the state’s construction industry during the “Did You Know” video presentation and panel discussion. Regents will also receive a briefing on the university’s Land Grant. Thanks to federal legislation passed in December, UA can finally work with DNR and BLM to triple our current land holdings to over 500,000 acres. The acreage will be added to UA’s current land portfolio, much of which is monetized to support student scholarships.

“We are most grateful to Senator Lisa Murkowski for her tireless work on this,” said Pitney.

Regents will also hear reports on the Alaska Native Success Initiative, Title IX, and the UA Foundation, and vote on approval of the Crafts & Trades Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Committees will meet Thursday, with academic and student affairs at 8:30 a.m.; facilities and land management at 10 a.m.; and audit and finance at 1 p.m.

The full board meeting is Friday, Feb. 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Lee Gorsuch Commons, room 107 on the UAA campus; the agenda is available online.

All meetings, except any executive sessions, are public and will be livestreamed. 

The University of Alaska Board of Regents is an 11-member volunteer board, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alaska Legislature. Members serve an eight-year term, with the exception of the student regent who serves a two-year term. The Board was established through the Alaska Constitution and is responsible for University of Alaska policy and management through the university president.

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For more information, contact Jonathon Taylor, director of public affairs at 907-350-0168 (cell).