February 19, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2025

UA Board of Regents to adopt plan to boost recruitment, retention, graduation at February Board Meeting

First board meeting in 10 years at a community campus will also address fiscal outlook, future planning

(FAIRBANKS) - The University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents will meet at the University of Alaska Anchorage’s (UAA) Kenai Peninsula College Kenai River Campus (KRC) for its February 20-21 full board and committee meetings. This is the first board meeting to take place at a community campus since 2015, and will showcase how integrated UA is throughout Alaska’s communities. During the meeting, Regents will adopt a new framework to accelerate recruitment, retention, and graduation, capping a months-long process led by the board’s AdHoc Committee. 

“‘I’m pleased the Board has decided to restart the practice of holding meetings at our community campuses,” UA President Pat Pitney said. “I look forward to our time at Kenai River Campus, and the actions on the Board’s agenda that will advance UA’s ongoing efforts to empower Alaska.”

KRC is one of three UAA community campuses that form Kenai Peninsula College (KPC). More than 4,500 students find their place at KPC each year and pursue unique academic goals in various disciplines and degree programs. Students can study at one of KPC's three locations—beautiful Soldotna, Homer, or Seward—or take courses through KPC's expanding virtual college. More information about KPC, KRC, and all of UA’s community campuses is available here.

Federal Funding, Fiscal Outlook, & UNAC

During her opening remarks Thursday, President Pitney will update the Board on the status of UA’s federal funding and its potential implications for the university’s overall fiscal environment. UA’s broad base of federal contracts in areas ranging from oil and gas to fisheries positions it well to weather some of the current federal turbulence.

Regents will also vote to conditionally approve the recently negotiated collective bargaining agreement between the university and United Academics (UNAC), the bargaining unit that represents most of UA faculty. The approved agreement would be conditioned on subsequent ratification by UNAC membership expected next week and approval by the State’s Department of Administration (DOA) and the Legislature.

Systemwide Framework to Boost Recruitment, Retention, and Graduation

As part of its “Roadmap to Empower Alaska,” a board ad hoc committee has been developing a systemwide strategy to boost UA’s student recruitment, retention, and graduation efforts. The Committee retained education consultant EAB to lead the effort and was presented with a suite of findings in January. Based on those findings, in consultation with university leaders, the AdHoc Committee made key recommendations for priorities and action that the full board will review and adopt at the meeting.

“I applaud our faculty, staff, governance leaders, and the ad hoc committee for the hard work they’ve done over the last year to advance our recruitment, retention, and graduation efforts,” President Pitney said. “The recommendations and strategies in the report build on ongoing actions already underway at the universities, and the additional funding and support called for will help us sustain our current trajectory of enrollment growth and strong educational outcomes for Alaska.”

Committees

During Thursday’s committee meetings, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee (8:00 a.m.) will consider approval of a new Master of Science in AI, Data Science & Engineering at UAA, as well as new programs in climate and atmospheric sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), and integrated health at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS). Regents will also be updated on UAA’s work in AI education, workforce development, and research.

The Audit and Finance Committee (10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.*) will receive an update on the university’s finances and fiscal health from Chief Financial Officer Luke Fulp. Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC) executive director Jon Bittner will provide an update on the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), and Education Trust of Alaska Executive Director Lael Oldmixon will share the Trust’s calendar year 2024 update.

Thursday afternoon, at the Facilities and Land Management Committee (12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.*), UA Land Management Director Adrienne Stolpe will update the board on the status of UA’s Land Grant Initiative, UA’s ongoing effort to receive all of the lands it was promised from the federal government as a land-grant institution. 

The full board will convene Thursday at 2:30 p.m.* to receive reports from governance, chancellors, and the president, and will return Friday at 8:00 a.m. to work through the remaining items on the agenda,

(*Time is approximate; meetings will begin at the conclusion of the preceding meeting.)

All committee meetings and the full board meeting will be held in Soldotna at Ward Building (Room 106)  on the UAA Kenai River 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), or via email at jmtaylor9@alaska.edu.