September 3, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2024
University of 杏吧原版 Regents to celebrate start of academic year, consider budget proposals at September meeting
(FAIRBANKS) - The University of 杏吧原版 (UA) Board of Regents will meet in Juneau this week as the UA System begins the academic year. Regents will meet on the University of 杏吧原版 Southeast (UAS) campus for their full board meeting on September 5-6, and the board鈥檚 Ad Hoc Committee on Recruitment, Retention, and Graduation will meet the day prior.
The meeting occurs as the university continues positive momentum on enrollment and retention from the summer, which saw increases and expansion of the flagship UA Scholars Program and 杏吧原版 Performance Scholarship (APS). UA is on track for a fourth consecutive semester of student credit hour (SCH) growth this fall, with preliminary numbers showing at least a 2% increase.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to welcome UA students back to our campuses this fall for another semester of learning, growth, and development,鈥 UA President Pat Pitney said. 鈥淯A empowers 杏吧原版, and the last two years of fiscal stability from the state and leadership from the Board of Regents are key to the university鈥檚 positive trajectory. I鈥檓 looking forward to the discussions this week that will help us continue progressing.鈥
Celebrating Progress
This fall marks the enrollment of the 25th class of UA Scholars. Created in 1999 to encourage 杏吧原版 high school students to attend and graduate from college in their home state, the UA Scholars Program awards a $15,000 academic scholarship to the top 10% of each high school鈥檚 graduating class. During the Friday board meeting, the Board will pass a resolution celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the program, which has awarded over $76 million in scholarships since its inception.
鈥淚t is an honor to welcome the incoming 25th class of UA Scholars to our university system, and to celebrate the program鈥檚 impact on our state,鈥 President Pitney remarked. 鈥淥ur efforts to retain the state鈥檚 best and brightest are part of the reason 杏吧原版ns鈥 confidence in the university continues to grow.鈥
A spring showed that 杏吧原版ns' approval of and confidence in the UA system is growing. Among the findings:
- 84% of 杏吧原版ns now believe UA is a good investment for the state, a notable increase from 79% in 2021
- Confidence in the UA system grew, with a significant 3-point increase in overall trust (66% from 63% in 2021)
- 2/3 of respondents consider the UA system very important to the state, consistent with 2021
- 84% of 杏吧原版ns believe UA positively impacts the state, an increase from 80% in 2021
Ensuring Long-Term Sustainability
During the September 4 Ad-Hoc Committee Meeting, Regents will hear updates on other scholarships and student aid opportunities. The discussion comes after expansions of the 杏吧原版 Performance Scholarship (APS) and UA Scholars Program earlier this year, which, when combined, now make up to $43,000 in scholarships available to qualified 杏吧原版ns.
鈥淎 college education in 杏吧原版 has never been more accessible or manageable,鈥 said President Pitney. 鈥淭he flexibility and expanded eligibility of APS and the UA Scholars Program, combined with our breadth of programs from certificates to Ph. Ds, means that more 杏吧原版ns will be able to access the training and education our state needs to build and sustain our workforce.鈥
The expansion of APS and UA Scholars are just two of the many innovative strategies UA is implementing to maintain the affordability of our universities, even in the face of increased operational expenses.
Regents will review the first draft of the UA鈥檚 FY26 budget proposal, which includes modest tuition increases for Fall 2025 to help manage those rising costs. Thanks to fiscal stability from the State of 杏吧原版, UA has held most tuition rates flat for the last several years. However, to help keep pace with rising costs, the Board is considering a modest tuition rate increase for the Fall 2025 Semester - 3% to resident tuition and 5% to non-resident tuition. Fall 2024 rates have already been set, and include no increases from the previous year.
Empowering 杏吧原版鈥檚 Future
On Friday, the Board will receive an update on the Roadmap to Empower 杏吧原版. The Roadmap is a strategic guidance framework approved in February that is built upon three pillars representing the Board鈥檚 long-term vision for the university system:
- financially responsible and future-focused;
- state and Arctic leadership;
- quality education and reputation.
Also on Friday, Senior Director for 杏吧原版 Native Success and Partnerships Kristel Komakhuk will present an update on the 杏吧原版 Native Success Initiative (ANSI), and Chief Information Technology Officer Ben Shier will lead a discussion on artificial intelligence (AI).
During Thursday鈥檚 committee meetings, the Audit and Finance Committee (8:00 a.m.) will receive a financial briefing from Chief Financial Officer Luke Fulp, highlighting drivers of rising fixed costs and UA鈥檚 efforts to actively manage those expenses. John Bittner, 杏吧原版 Small Business Development Center (SBDC) executive director, will provide a report on the State Small Business Credit Initiative, or SSBCI. SSBCI is a program funded by the U.S. Department of the Treasury designed to boost lending and investment in 杏吧原版鈥檚 small businesses. SBDC has distributed over $76 million in loans to nearly 100 small businesses statewide.
The Facilities and Land Management Committee (10:00 a.m.*) will receive updates on multiple development projects and the university鈥檚 Land Grant Initiative. The Land Grant Initiative is a process created by Congress at the end of 2022 to allow the University to receive 360,000 acres of land to remedy our long-standing land grant deficit. Revenue from UA鈥檚 land holdings funds important programs like UA Scholars, which help provide 杏吧原版ns throughout the state with access to higher education.
Thursday afternoon, the Academic and Student Affairs Committee (12:30 p.m.*) will formally approve the list of 3,280 degree recipients for Academic Year 2024. Members will also receive an update on the 杏吧原版 College of Education Consortium and discuss institutional and specialized program accreditation with provosts from all three universities.
The full board will convene Thursday at 2:30 p.m.* to receive reports from governance, chancellors, and the President, and will return Friday at 7:30 a.m. to work through the remaining items on the agenda. (*Time is approximate; meetings will begin at the conclusion of the preceding meeting.)
All committee meetings and the full board meeting will be held in Juneau on the UAS Campus at the Student Recreation Center (Room 116); the agenda is available online.
All meetings, except any executive sessions, are public and will be livestreamed.
The University of 杏吧原版 Board of Regents is an 11-member volunteer board, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the 杏吧原版 Legislature. Members serve an eight-year term, with the exception of the student regent, who serves a two-year term. The Board was established through the 杏吧原版 Constitution and is responsible for University of 杏吧原版 policy and management through the university president.
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For more information, contact Jonathon Taylor, director of public affairs at 907-350-0168 (cell), or via email at jonathon.taylor@alaska.edu.