President Johnsen was joined by Chief Information Officer Karl Kowalski, Chief Finance Officer Myron Dosch, General Counsel Mike Hostina, Vice President University Relations Michelle Rizk, Vice President Academic Affairs and Research Dan White, Chief Human Resources Officer Keli Hite-McGee, and from Anchorage, UA Foundation President Susan Foley, for a discussion forum with Statewide staff on March 10. The forum was video-conferenced with Anchorage-based employees.

The president discussed the university budget, Strategic Pathways, staff morale, Title IX and legislative issues. Conversations also covered the role employees play in being ambassadors for the university, suggestions for better relaying the role that Statewide employees play on behalf of the university system, and positive discussion about the important role the university plays in Alaska. Each member of the executive leadership team presented an update on significant accomplishments in their area.

As follow-up to the discussions, staff were sent a summary on Statewide's�budget and comparisons with the Oregon system from Myron Dosch and a summary from Susan Foley on the community meetings hosted by the UA Foundation.

The Public Affairs office offered to share spotlights, interviews, events and milestones big and small on UA social media in order to better tell the Statewide story. Contact Monique Musick to request that she come take pictures or take video of Statewide offices or activities to help make Statewide better understood by campus and community partners.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Jerry Lymburner at (907) 488-3700.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of the Arctic are pleased to announce The Arctic Broadband Forum 2017 which will be held in Fairbanks, Alaska, May 8-9, 2017.

The Arctic Broadband Forum will bring together educators, researchers and industry from across the world to discuss the challenges, successes and potential of telecommunications and broadband deployment in the Arctic. Specific emphasis will be placed on the role of broadband and digital technologies on the cultural preservation and self-determination of indigenous populations throughout the Arctic.

A wide range of presenters from across the Arctic, including Canada, Finland and the U.S. will provide presentations and lead discussion on topics relating to broadband. The sessions are as diverse as the Arctic itself and run the gamut from how broadband is changing lives in the Arctic to the challenges of implementing telehealth in northern Canada, to public-private partnerships to the continued role of satellite technology in the Arctic. The Forum will also feature several panel discussions: How Broadband is Changing Lives in the Arctic, Indigenous Perspectives and The Government’s Role in Broadband Development in the Arctic. We are still confirming panel membership, but attendees won’t be disappointed.

The Forum will also highlight several businesses throughout the Arctic that have risen to the challenge of delivering Broadband in such a remote isolated region.

A keynote of interest is Elizabeth Pierce, CEO of Quintillion, the Alaska-based company leading the London to Tokyo fiber project through the Northwest Passage.

Due to generous sponsorships, registration is only $50.00 and includes 2 days of sessions, all forum materials, continental breakfast and lunch both days.

Don't wait, register today.

Visit http://tabf2017.alaska.edu for more information and to Register.

The Forum is one of the key activities that will take place during of the Week of the Arctic, May 8-12 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The Statewide Administration Assembly held a regular business meeting on Wednesday, March 15. Below are highlights from the meeting.

March SAA�Highlights:

1. Nominations for the upcoming SAA election opened on March 15. Nominations will close Wednesday, March 29. SW employees can nominate a co-worker (or themselves) at:�https://goo.gl/forms/p4g5stf689ukxI862. Additional information about the SAA elections can be found at:�http://alaska.edu/governance/saa/nominations/
2. SAA collected and donated 154 pounds of food for the Food Bank as part of its February Food Drive. �
3. SAA members discussed morale issues at UA and noted the local SAA Morale Committee and the Staff Alliance Morale Committee were working on next steps to include: a system-wide employee survey to utilize in future years, ways to increase communication and trust, and small events to help create a sense of community.
4. SAA continues to review proposed changes to their Constitution and Bylaws. One of the biggest changes is combining the two documents into one set of bylaws. There is also the removal of proxy voting and a change to the SAA calendar, among other changes. SAA intends to vote on the changes at their April meeting. The proposed changes can be viewed and commented on at:�https://docs.google.com/a/alaska.edu/document/d/1Y_qck58LMxtEHdhD-YU8GaFowHH4pBYbyeMfofG9ZhM/edit?usp=sharing. To comment anonymously, just make sure you aren't signed into your UA Google account (or use Incognito mode on your browser).�
5. SAA members reviewed and approved the recommendations for Outstanding Employee and Department awards. After unanimous agreement, the recommendation was sent to President Johnsen for his final approval.�
6. SAA continues to plan for the Outstanding Employee and Longevity awards taking place on April 25 at 2pm in Butrovich 109 and Bragaw 205.�

SAA�will meet next on Wednesday, April 19 in Butrovich 204 in Fairbanks and Bragaw 210 in Anchorage. All staff are encouraged and welcome to attend. Reach out to�SAA�members to share your ideas and/or concerns. Additional information about�SAA�meetings is available on their�website.

A strong Alaska requires a strong university. By supporting the University of Alaska through your gift, you demonstrate and send a strong message to our legislative leaders and the people of Alaska that you believe that a strong university makes a stronger state. Despite budget cuts, UA has proven itself to be a leader in: �offering affordable, high quality education to all Alaskans; generating research with an emphasis on the Arctic and indigenous peoples of the Far North; contributing to the state’s workforce, and helping to grow the economy for a strong Alaska, now and in the future.

The Statewide Staff Giving Campaign is a tradition where participation is the most important goal. The campaign is only successful with your participation. We invite you to unite with fellow statewide staff members to show your commitment to the University of Alaska. Every dollar that you donate is much more than a gift; it is a statement that you believe the University of Alaska is a strong university.�

Please consider making a gift through payroll deduction or online to support an area of the university that is personally meaningful to you. The goal of the campaign this year is to reach 40% staff giving. That represents a 6% increase over last fiscal year. Together, we can make a difference.

Save the date and watch for more info to come on two events that support the Statewide General Scholarship Fund.

• Friday, April 14 – Souper Scholarship Feed
• Friday, April 28 – Dessert Buffet (no auction this year, just a chance to sample)

Thank you for helping to make the University of Alaska stronger through your investment.

Chief Risk Officer Tim Edwards and�Director of Environmental Safety and Health Ken Walker from Statewide Risk Services participated in the APIP (Alaska Partnership of Infrastructure Protection) meeting conducted by the Department of Homeland Security on March 16. It was hosted by the Blood Bank of Anchorage who gave a very informative briefing and guided tour to administrators and military personnel from a cross section of businesses and agencies in Anchorage.

APIP is a collaborative group for sharing ideas and plans for preparation in case of a disaster or emergency. This is an effort to gain from the knowledge and expertise that every participant brings to the table in terms of resources and capabilities. In the case of the blood bank, it was an eye-opening experience to learn about the valuable resource they bring to the state. They are the central hub for all blood donations and distribution of blood products for 21 hospitals in Alaska. Currently they process over 500-700 donors a week systemwide. Recently they received a mobile collection unit and now can reach out to many smaller communities for donations. The biggest lesson learned is in the event of a major disaster the capabilities they provide are essential to the recovery process when many injuries have occurred. Day to day they provide a service to ensure normal as well as emergency situations have the blood products necessary to save lives.

The April 30^th wellness deadline is next month. If you have not logged-in to your Healthyroads account yet, be sure to do so today! If you still aren’t clear on the program and how to earn your $600 wellness rebate, take a look at the wellness calendar and plan on attending an upcoming overview session—there are several planned up to the deadline. If you aren’t able to make any of those, a recorded presentation has been saved for your convenience on the UA benefits/wellness page.

• Early Completion Drawing Deadline: THIS FRIDAY !
  • What: Any employee, spouse, or FIP currently on the UA Choice Plan who completes all of the FY17 program requirements by March 31^st will be eligible to win one of the following:
    • A $200 Visa Gift Card will be given away per each University of Alaska campus (a total of 15)
    • 40, $50 Visa Gift Cards will be given away to entire population
  • Additional details: Simply complete a Personal Health Assessment, Biometric Screening, and earn 5 points by 3/31/17 within your Healthyroads account. Completion date for everything must be by 3/31; we will allow standard lag times to ensure all items are able to post to accounts before completing the drawing.
  • All winners will be contacted by Sara by early May!
    �
• UPCOMING: On-Site Education Session
  • What: Education session titled ‘Healthy Dinners, Half the Time’, worth an incentive point
  • When: Thursday, April 20^th, from 10am-11am
  • Where: UAF, Lola Tilly 203

Or, register to attend and use the link emailed to join the meeting at the start from wherever you are!

• This will be the last session this year. Recordings for the previous 3 sessions are available for you to access now at your convenience. You can still earn an incentive point for listening to a recording—information how within the presentations!
• Biometric Screenings
  • All remaining on-site biometric events have been scheduled! Take a look at the schedule and how to sign-up on the UA benefits/wellness page under the ‘Biometrics Screening Information’ section (scroll down the page!).
  • RESCHEDULED CAMPUS EVENTS
    • Same scheduler link and instructions apply for making an appointment for these updated events.
    • Kenai Peninsula College
    • Wednesday, April 5^th
    • Ward 116
    • Kachemak Bay Campus
    • Thursday, April 6^th
    • Pioneer Hall 212
    • Prince William Sound Community College
    • Rescheduled date coming soon!
  • Outside of the on-site events, your options for completing the biometrics are:
    • UAF main campus and UAA main campus
    • All other campus’

For anything else wellness-related, please just reach-out! I am happy to help navigate the program and requirements so that you don’t miss out on earning your $600 FY18 wellness rebate—spouses and FIPs on the plan are welcome to contact me directly for questions as well.

Happy Wellness Wednesday,
Sara Rodewald