Last academic year, UAA added an emphasis in logistics to its Bachelor of Business Administration degree at the urging of the Municipality of Anchorage and private logistics firms. The Anchorage Assembly is providing $125,000 per year for three years if matched by industry. Already, Alaska Airlines, CSX Lines, Lynden, Inc., United Parcel Service, FedEx, and Totem Ocean Trailer Express have agreed to contribute. The total pledge to date exceeds $900,000. Aided by a strategic location relative to Europe, Asia and the continental U. S., globally oriented logistics operations are the fastest growing sector of the Anchorage economy.

UAA Chancellor Lee Gorsuch said most master degree programs in logistics are on the east coast, where only one, new this year and offered from an engineering perspective, has a global orientation. No program in the western United States specifically targets working middle to senior level logistics managers. In addressing a specific niche, Gorsuch said, the UAA program is already attracting the interest of both students and faculty, nationally and internationally.

In other academic action, the regents approved the formation of a community-based service, learning and research center at UAA, with the exact name of the center to be determined later. At UAF, regents approved a Master of Arts degree program in Rural Development, and an Accounting Technician Certificate program in UAF's College of Rural Alaska.

Deferred maintenance and renovation of UAF's Rasmuson Library was approved at a cost not to exceed $18 million, and the project will be before the regents again in October for schematic approval and authorization to bid and award. UAF officials plan to have the project completed in August 2002.

The Geist Road/Loftus Road entrance to the UAF campus was given project approval by the regents. The state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities will fully fund the design and construction of the project. The university will provide the necessary right-of-way at no cost to the state but the university will maintain ownership of the property. In addition, the university will provide maintenance for the new road and railroad overpass. Construction is expected to take two to three years, and be completed no later than the end of September 2004.

Regents reiterated their support of the Hutchison Career Center renovation and addition in Fairbanks. They approved the university's participation in the project at a cost not to exceed $9.6 million. The Fairbanks North Star Borough anticipates selling bonds to fund the borough's $14 million portion of the project.

The University of Alaska's mission statement was re-drafted into a concise, one-sentence declaration by the Planning & Development Committee, and approved by the Board of Regents for purposes of public review. The statement:

The University of Alaska, with its Land, Sea and Space Grant institutions and international research centers, inspires learning, advances and disseminates knowledge through teaching, research, and public service, emphasizing the North and her diverse peoples.

The revised draft mission statement is accompanied by value statements, which were also approved for public review:

The University of Alaska values:

• Excellence in programs and services;
• Leadership for Alaska's people and institutions;
• Accountability to students, faculty, staff, and the citizens of Alaska;
• Stewardship of resources;
• Diversity in response to the cultures of Alaska;
• Unity in promoting communication and collaboration;
• Accessibility for all Alaskans.

In other action, regents designated the third Monday in January as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday. . .

postponed until October any consideration of tuition rate adjustments for the year beginning in the summer of 2001. . .

authorized the administration to proceed with implementation of the Alaska Higher Education Savings Trust and modification of the Advance College Tuition program to form an integrated college savings program.

Chair
Michael J. Burns (1997-2005)

Vice Chair
Elsa Demeksa (1997-2005)

Secretary
Mary Jane Fate (1993-2001)

Treasurer
Brian D. Rogers (1997-2007)

Chancy Croft (1995-2003)
Joshua B, Horst (1999-2001)
R. Danforth Ogg (1993-2001)
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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Regent Michael J. Burns was re-elected as presiding officer of the Board of Regents. Regent Elsa Froehlich Demeksa was re-elected as vice chair; Regent Mary Jane Fate was re-elected secretary, and Regent Brian Rogers was elected treasurer.

Regents also gave project approval to the UAA consortium library project, including authorization to bid and award contracts for the library parking garage and walkway, and to proceed with the design of the library renovation and addition. Construction of the parking garage and walkway is scheduled to begin in October, and the library addition design will be up for regents' approval at the October meeting. The parking garage and walkway project is estimated to cost $9,268,000; total project cost is estimated at $43,980,000.