For Immediate Release
Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The University of Alaska Board of Regents will tackle a hefty agenda at a two-day meeting in Fairbanks June 2 and 3. Distribution of operating and capital funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1; numerous construction projects around the UA system--including projects in Kenai, Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks; two new graduate certificates through the University of Alaska Anchorage; a reorganization of health programs at UAA; and a revised mission statement for the University of Alaska Southeast are all up for board action.

Board members will accept public testimony at 10 a.m. Thursday and again at 9 a.m. Friday.

Other activities associated with the June meeting include a tour of the Poker Flat Rocket Range, managed by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. President Pat Gamble will announce this year’s recipients of the annual Make Students Count award, which recognizes staff members throughout the system who are known for putting the needs of students first. This meeting will be the first for the new student regent, Mari Freitag, a junior majoring in political science.

The board also will receive a presentation on eliminating paper agendas in an effort to reduce costs and consumption.

In other business, the board will hear from Anand Vadapalli, president and chief executive officer of Alaska Communications (ACS) regarding a gift to the university of off-site computer server space in Oregon. The gift from ACS, first announced in late 2009, is critical to UA’s ability to continue student and financial data systems in the event of a major disaster. Hardware and software installation was completed in January, with the next phase to incorporate a switchover of critical business functions to the off-site facility within 24 hours. »The project’s final phase will result in a seamless, real-time transition between UA’s Data Center, housed in the Butrovich Building, to the Oregon facility.

The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in Room 109 of the Butrovich Building on the West Ridge of the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus and continues at 8 a.m. Friday.

A complete agenda with reference materials is available online at www.alaska.edu/bor.

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For more information contact Kate Ripley, 907/450-8102 or klripley@alaska.edu.

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