For Immediate Release
Monday, June 5, 2006       
Members of the University of Alaska Board of Regents will consider an associate of applied sciences degree in construction management at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Tanana Valley Campus when the board meets Wednesday and Thursday, June 7-8, 2006, in Kodiak.
 
The construction management program, a collaborative effort with industry and construction professionals in conjunction with university faculty, was approved for the Anchorage campus two years ago. It has proven so successful that university officials wanted to make the program available to Fairbanks students.
 
Over the last five years, the state has seen a growth in construction jobs at a rate of 5.5 percent annually, according to the May 2005 issue of Alaska Economic Trends.  The industry anticipates needing 1,000 new construction workers across the state per year, the majority in the areas of oil, gas and mining related construction.
 
Other academic programs on the docket for consideration include a bachelor of arts in biology at the University of Alaska Southeast; a graduate certificate in port and coastal engineering at UAA; a graduate certificate in special education at UAA; and a certificate in automotive technology at UAF.
 
Public testimony will be accepted at approximately 10 a.m. Wednesday and again at 9 a.m. Thursday.  The meeting will be held at Kodiak College. The public is also invited to a community reception at 6:30 Wednesday night at the Comfort Inn in Kodiak.
 
In other business, the board will consider:
 
. Operating and capital budget distribution plans amongst the campuses for the fiscal year starting July 1;
 
. Schematic designs and total project costs for two ongoing projects, the Integrated Sciences Building at UAA ($87 million) and the second phase of code corrections at UAF's physical plant ($6 million);
 
. A resolution of appreciation for Joe Beedle, who recently stepped down after nearly six years as UA's vice president for finance to resume his career in private sector banking;
 
. And a new mission statement for UAF.
 
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For more information, call Kate Ripley, 907/450-8102. To view the board agenda, go to www.alaska.edu/bor.
 
NR8-06