April 10, 1998  NR 10-1998

The Board of Regents of the University of Alaska will meet Wednesday through Friday, April 15-17, 1998, at the Westmark Baranof Hotel in downtown Juneau. Prior to the meeting, on Tuesday, April 14, the Planning and Development Committee of the board will meet from 2 to 5 p.m. in the chancellor's conference room in the administration building on the UAA campus in Anchorage.

On Wednesday, the presidential search evaluation committee, composed of representatives of the Board of Regents, university faculty, staff and students, will meet from 8 a.m. until 12 noon. Members of the board will meet as the presidential search committee from 1 to 5 p.m. The majority of both of these meetings will be held in executive session. The meetings will be in the Gastineau Suite of the Westmark Baranof.

Committees of the board will meet Thursday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. All the committee meetings will be held at the Westmark Baranof Hotel. The Nominating Committee will meet from 7 to 8 a.m. on Friday, prior to the full board meeting which will begin at 8 a.m. with the regents hearing public testimony. The board meeting is expected to end at 5 p.m.

Highlights of the agenda are listed here by committee of origin:

Planning & Development
Progress report on the redesign of the University of Alaska administrative system and the creation of administrative service centers.
Reports from President Jerome B. Komisar's committees on the university's extended campuses, on the resource allocation model and from the Systemwide Academic Council on instructional equipment and distance education needs.

Academic and Student Affairs
Reports from each of the main campuses on the status of the development of assessments necessary to determine the effectiveness of educational programs.
Discussion on the role of regional and professional accreditation of instructional programs in monitoring program quality.
Report on the accreditation review of the UAF School of Education.
Review of regents' policy on student affairs: recreational and intercollegiate athletics.
Report on tuition paid by international students.
Consider approval of microcomputer support specialist certificate and associate of applied science degree program at UAF.
Consider approval of a policy regarding employment of students, and of a policy revision to change the program
Discussion on the feasibility of a uniform course numbering system for the University of Alaska.

Human Resources
Consider approval of temporary re-employment for several Retirement Incentive Program participants.
Report on labor relations activities.
Review of draft policy and university regulation on head athletic coaching jobs.
Finance, Facilities & Land Management
Consider approval of a $600,000 project to redesign and construct the on-campus intersection of Tanana Loop/East Tanana Loop, which ultimately will enable UAF to open a College Road entrance to campus once the state completes work on the College Road/University Drive intersection.
Consider authorizing the sale of revenue bonds in the amount of $1.6 million for the university's library computer system, $4.5 million for coal-water project costs at UAF and $1.7 million for the design costs of the fisheries research facility planned jointly by the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at Lena Point near Juneau.
Status reports on the UAA residence hall project, the UAF housing deferred maintenance projects, UAF's Brooks Building and on all university capital projects.

Committee of the Whole
Jeff Davis, executive director of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alaska, will make a presentation on health care cost trends in the nation and in Alaska. He will also discuss efforts being made, in partnership with Alaska health care providers, to establish provider networks and health care cost agreements.
Dr. Stephen C. Ehrmann, vice president of the TLT Group, the Teaching, Learning and Technology Affiliate of the American Association for Higher Education, will address the regents at their request on the use of technology in the delivery of educational programs. During his four-day visit to Alaska, Dr. Ehrmann will discuss issues related to distance education and the use of instructional technology with faculty and staff on the Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau campuses and, by videoconference, with faculty and staff at the systemÕs extended campuses.
Consider approval of the budget development and planning assumptions to be used in the preparation of the FY99 actual budget and the FY2000 operating and capital budget request to be submitted to the governor and the legislature.
Wendy Redman, vice president for university relations, will update the committee on the status of legislation of interest to the university and also provide a status report on public information activities.
The board's ad hoc committee on UAF business offices will provide an update on the committee's March 25 visit to the business offices.

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

During the meeting, messages can be left at the Westmark Baranof Hotel, 907-586-2660; FAX is 907-586-8315.

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