August 06, 1997

Board of Regents to Meet in Valdez

August 6, 1997  NR 14-1997

The University of Alaska Board of Regents will meet Wednesday through Friday, August 13-15, 1997, in Valdez.

The meetings will begin with a meeting of the Planning and Development Committee on Wednesday, August 13, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of the Valdez City Hall. Other committees of the board will be meeting all day Thursday at the City Hall or in the Valdez Consortium Library which is adjacent to City Hall.

The full board will meet in the Valdez City Council Chambers beginning at 8 a.m. Friday with public comment. The meeting is scheduled to adjourn at 5 p.m.

The following agenda items for this board meeting are listed by committee of origin:

Planning and Development
The Planning and Development Committee will continue its discussion about the purposes, principles and priorities of the university, and will review material submitted by University President Jerome B. Komisar and the chancellors on the role and scope of the three major campuses.

President Komisar will discuss with the committee the status of his plan to have the following members of his executive team develop and present recommendations for the committee's consideration on their assigned issues:

  • UAF Chancellor Joan Wadlow: Structure and costs of the system office.
  • UAA Chancellor Lee Gorsuch: Resource allocation model.
  • UAS Chancellor Marshall Lind: Costs and organizational structure of the extended campuses.
  • Vice President for Finance and Planning David Creamer: Streamlining of administrative functions and reduction of expenditures on routine paperwork.
  • Systemwide Academic Council and the University of Alaska Learning Cooperative: Investment needed in instructional equipment, and development of the first draft of a university "white paper" as a basis for further planning and discussion. Prior to the end of November, the committee plans to further develop the white paper, then disseminate it to the public, the governor's office and the legislature for comment and revision.

Academic and Student Affairs

  • Report on observance of University of Alaska Civil Rights Day. In 1994, the Board of Regents declared the third Monday of January would be observed by the university as University of Alaska Civil Rights Day in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Alaska Natives and Alaska Native organizations, and other Alaskans who have led civil rights initiatives in the 49th State. The board also stipulated that the academic calendar not be shortened in giving this additional holiday to students. Because actions to accommodate the holiday in the instructional schedule have not satisfactorily met the board's stipulation, the committee asked that the university remedy the situation.The committee will consider asking the board to waive its stipulation for the 1997-98 academic year because the chancellors have proposed the development of a common academic calendar for the university, but it cannot be developed and implemented in time for the next academic year.
  • Review of student affairs policies; review of matrix for future discussions on the general themes of quality and student experience; and a discussion of plans for the development of the International Arctic Research Center at UAF.

Finance, Facilities and Land Management

  • Consider approval of a revised Special Funds Policy regarding the university's land-grant endowment trust fund. The policy has been revised because the legislature transferred management responsibility for the fund from the state to the university during the last legislative session.
  • Consider approval of $5.4 million in FY98 capital funds for deferred maintenance, code compliance and renovations. UAF projects include the Duckering Building ($500,000) and the Rasmuson Library ($4.592 million). At UAS, a total of $150,000 will be spent on projects involving the Hendrickson Building, Egan Library, Ziegler Building, Whitehead Building, Auke Lake Parking Lot and the Soboleff Building. • Receive reports on the coal-water project at UAF, on student housing and food service projects at UAA, on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration project near Juneau, on the status of various capital projects, and on design standards for installation of underground piping at UAA.

Human Resources

  • Consider approving policies on the prohibition of discrimination and the prohibition of sexual harassment.
  • Consider approval of a retirement incentive program (RIP) for university employees next year.
  • Receive reports on the salary survey project, replacement of the leave share program, benefits and labor relations.

Committee of the Whole

  • Consider approval of the University of Alaska accepting students from states that are not participating in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE). The WUE was created as a program under the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) to enable qualified residents of other participating states to gain admittance in selected programs at a special tuition rate of 50 percent more than the institution's regular resident tuition. At present, colleges and universities in 12 states participate in the program, including the University of Alaska. Arizona, California and Washington do not currently participate in WUE, but WICHE has said that participating states may accept students from those three states at the WUE tuition rate while work continues to resolve issues related to those states and WICHE. President Komisar has recommended that the University of Alaska endorse the WUE motion by resolution, and agree to accept students under the WICHE plan. In 1996 there were 69 students from WUE states attending the University of Alaska, and 794 Alaska students attending other WUE state programs.
  • Discuss the preparation of the university's FY99 operating and capital budget requests, but no action is scheduled on this item.
  • Receive reports on the proposed closure of the Brooks Building at UAF, and on the economic consequences and other impacts as a result of cuts in the UAF groundskeeping budget. UAF Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Mike Rice will report on these items to the committee.

All meetings of the Board of Regents and its committees, except for executive sessions, are open to the public.

During the board meeting, telephone messages may be left at 907-835-5893. The fax number is 907-834-1611.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Bob Miller, 907-474-7272