December 3, 2002  NR 21-02

University of Alaska regents will consider matters involving student employee pay rates, women’s athletic programs, acquisition of land in Homer, a new linguistics degree program at UAF, receive reports on programs in rural Alaska and elect new officers when they meet this week in Fairbanks.

The regents will meet Thursday and Friday, December 5-6, at the Butrovich Building on the UAF campus in Fairbanks. On Thursday, the full board will meet at 8 a. m. for President Hamilton’s report, and presentations by the College of Rural Alaska and Commonwealth North, which has just completed a report on the university. Public testimony is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.

The board will elect new officers on Friday. The current officers are Chancy Croft, chair; Elsa Demeksa, vice chair; Fran Rose, secretary; and Brian Rogers, treasurer.

Committee meetings will be held Thursday afternoon and Friday, with the full board meeting again Friday at 10 a. m. for public testimony. Following committee meetings that are scheduled from 11 a.m. until 2 p. m., the full board is scheduled to meet from 2-4 p.m. An executive session is planned for the latter part of the meeting and is anticipated to last about an hour and a half.

Agenda items are listed here by committee of origin:

Academic & Student Affairs Committee

• In joint session with Finance & Audit Committee, members will receive reports on the College Savings Program, the FY02 external audit report, and the FY02 audited financial statements.
• Consider approval of a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics Degree program at UAF.
• Consider approval of Women’s Swimming & Diving as a new intercollegiate sport at UAF.
• Consider approval of Women’s Indoor/Outdoor Track and Field as a new intercollegiate sport at UAA.
• Consider approval of change in NCAA level of competition (from Division II to Division I) for Women’s Gymnastics at UAA.
• Receive reports on educational effectiveness, the external review of UA Student Services, accreditation activities and the Rasmuson Endowed Chair in Economics at UAA.
• Meet in executive session to discuss regulatory issues.

Facilities & Land Management Committee

• Consider the acquisition of land adjacent to the Kenai Peninsula College’s Kachemak Bay Branch in Homer.
• Discuss proposed methods for project changes in UA’s six-year capital plan.
• Discuss focus items for strategic planning.
• Receive status report on university investments in capital facilities, construction in progress and other projects.
• Receive an update on information technology issues.
• Consider project approval and approval of schematic design for UAF’s Tanana Valley Campus space relocation to the old Fairbanks  Courthouse.
• Consider approval of a budgetary increase to the schematic design for UAF’s West Ridge Utilidor Extension.
• Consider approval of revised schematic design for UAF’s Bristol Bay Campus addition.

Finance & Audit Committee

• Consider approval of revision to policy regarding the Postsecondary Education Savings Program. This would change the name of the Alaska College Savings Trust to the Education Trust of Alaska.
• Review recently completed audits the audit status report and the status of the university’s external audit contract Request for Proposals.

Human Resources Committee

• Consider approval of revisions to the student employee pay grid. The changes are necessary because the minimum wage increases from $5.75 to $7.15 per hour on Jan. 1, 2003.
• Receive reports on the university’s health care program and on the job classification project.

Planning & Development Committee

• Consider approval of a revised mission statement for UAA.
• Discuss the development of the university’s strategic plan for the university.

All meetings of the Board of Regents and its committees, except for executive sessions, are open to the public. On the days of the meeting, messages can be left at the Board of Regents’ office, phone 907-474-7908, FAX 907-474-6342. Messages should indicate that they are for participants in the Board of Regents’ meeting.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Bob Miller, 907-474-6311