Thomas H. Wardleigh, chairman of the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation, told the regents the program was needed in order to train Alaskans as professional pilots. "As it is now, about 200 pilots come up here each year from Outside, and as soon as they can get a couple thousand hours in the air, they move on in their careers, generally to jobs in other states."

The program, which will begin with the fall term this year, was also endorsed by the Aviation Technology Industry Advisory Council, the Alaska Region of the Federal Aviation Administration and FedEx.

All but one of the lower-division courses required by the four-year program is also required by the associate degree options at UAA, and a majority of the aviation technology program at UAF’s Tanana Valley Campus will be directly applicable to the requirements of the UAA baccalaureate program.

Universities apply for re-accreditation every ten years. In the Alaska system, UAA, UAF, UAS and PWSCC are separately accredited. UAA and UAF are now involved in self-studies, and an evaluation team will visit UAA this year and UAF next year.

Laraine Derr, executive director of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association, told the regents of the importance of expanding nursing and health care education opportunities for Alaskans. Her association supports the university’s initiatives in health care programs, and also works with high schools to urge students to seek health care careers.

"We’re working on these programs because it’s vital that Alaska start growing its own nurses and health care workers." Now, she said, hospitals, clinics and nursing homes have to import workers from Outside, even for temporary positions.

This year the university has added faculty and new course offerings in nursing and health care in Anchorage, Kodiak, Fairbanks and Juneau. Nearly 300 new students enrolled in the programs this spring.

UAA Provost Dr. Daniel Johnson reported that the U. S. Air Force has approved UAA’s request for the establishment of an Air Force ROTC Detachment on campus. In joining the 143 major universities in the U. S. that currently offer this program, UAA will provide the opportunity for students seeking an Air Force career to take courses in the state for the first time. Johnson said the program also supports the university’s growing academic programs in logistics and aviation. The program will be in the Community and Technical College and is expected to start next fall.

Regents unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement with one of the university’s faculty unions, United Academics- AAUP/AFT after union members overwhelmingly ratified the three-year pact. The agreement was reached well in advance of the expiration of the current agreement, and will go into effect on January 1, 2001.

New policies on Residence Life and Student Housing and Information Resources were unanimously approved. A revised Student Health policy is slated to come before the board for action in April.

While they were in Juneau, regents and President Hamilton met individually with legislators to press for full funding of the university’s general fund request for $191,931.8 million this year, an increase of $16,957.7 million over last year. Fairbanks Rep. John Davies reported that the university subcommittee of the House Finance Committee unanimously supports full funding for the university. University students from around the system and other university supporters also met with legislators.

Fairbanks Sen. Gary Wilken appeared at the regents’ meeting to present a Legislative Citation honoring the UAF School of Management’s Student Investment Club. Starting with $100,000 in 1991, the club now has an investment portfolio valued at more than half a million dollars. Students participating in the fund have donated $8,000 in scholarships to UAF students.teachers with math and science professionals at UAF. The program is a partnership between UAF and the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District...

Chair
Michael J. Burns (1997-2005)

Vice Chair
Elsa Demeksa (1997-2005)

Secretary
Mary Jane Fate (1993-2001)

Treasurer
Chancy Croft (1995-2003)

Joshua B, Horst (1999-2001)
Robert Malone (1999-2007)
R. Danforth Ogg (1993-2001)
Brian D. Rogers (1997-2007)
Frances H. Rose (1999-2007)
Joe J. Thomas (1995-2003)
Joseph E. Usibelli, Jr. (1999-2007)

Board of Regents Office

Jeannie Phillips
202 Butrovich Building
P.O. Box 755300
Fairbanks, AK 99775-5300
(907) 474-7908

Homepage:
http://www.alaska.edu/bor

The University of Alaska Board of Regents is the governing body responsible for university policy and management through the president. Regents are appointed by the governor for eight year terms, subject to legislative confirmation. A student regent is appointed for two years from cantidates nominated on each campus. (Regents' terms of office shown in parentheses)

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University President Mark R. Hamilton told the regents he has initiated an internal review of the university’s fee structure because fees have proliferated through the system without much scrutiny. "We have to get a handle on fees and make sure students know about them so they can plan for dealing with the real cost of going to college," he said.

The president and the chancellors will review the fees to make sure they are relevant to the actual cost of classes.

Hamilton said the University of Alaska is financially attractive when only tuition is considered, but when fees are added in, "we start to paint a different picture."

Tuition rates for academic year 2002, which begins in the summer of 2001, have not been set yet. Regents will discuss the rates again in April. The policy is that tuition rates increase only by the rate of inflation each year unless the regents take some other action. They try to set tuition rates two years ahead of time to give students more time to plan their college budgets.

The re-accreditation of UAS and the commendations received by Prince William Sound Community College on its interim re-accreditation evaluation were reported to the regents by UAS Chancellor John Pugh and PWSCC Campus President Jo Ann McDowell.

Pugh reported on the re-accreditation of UAS by the Commission on Colleges of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. He said faculty and staff spent more than a year preparing the self-study that’s required for the re-affirmation of accreditation. "Receiving word that we have been successful was a most satisfying way to start the year 2000," Pugh said.