Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
02/08/2017 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Overview: University of Alaska | |
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 8, 2017
8:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Shelley Hughes, Chair
Senator Gary Stevens
Senator Cathy Giessel
Senator John Coghill
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JIM JOHNSEN, Ph.D., President
University of Alaska (UA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented information about the University
of Alaska.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:00:24 AM
CHAIR SHELLEY HUGHES called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Begich, Giessel, Stevens, and Chair Hughes.
Senator Coghill arrived shortly thereafter.
^OVERVIEW: UNIVERSITY OF Alaska
OVERVIEW: UNIVERSITY OF Alaska
CHAIR HUGHES announced that the only order of business would be
an overview of the University of Alaska system. She said there
has been a lot of work going on led by President Johnsen to
improve education and control costs. Included in these efforts
is the Strategic Pathways Initiative, where the ultimate goals
are to improve graduation rates and meet the demands of workers
in industries that keep Alaska's economy growing.
8:02:09 AM
JIM JOHNSEN, Ph.D., President, University of Alaska (UA),
presented information about the University of Alaska. He began
with the mission statement: "The University of Alaska inspires
learning and advances and disseminates knowledge through
teaching, research, and public service, emphasizing the North
and its diverse peoples." He commented that it is a standard
mission statement typical of land grant universities. It
emphasizes teaching, research, and service. Unique to Alaska is
the emphasis on the North and the diverse peoples of Alaska.
8:03:33 AM
SENATOR HUGHES noted the arrival of Senator Coghill.
DR. JOHNSEN continued with the three areas of the University's
mission. The education component takes place in academic
classrooms, laboratories, and shops across the state. Research
happens, not only in laboratories, but also in the field, on the
waters, and in the mountains. The service mission reaches out to
Alaskans to share the fruit of what the faculty and staff do
every day to address community needs.
8:04:21 AM
DR. JOHNSEN shared the University's proud history. He related
that in July of 1915, Territorial Delegate James Wickersham and
some people from Fairbanks laid the cornerstone for the Alaska
Agricultural College and School of Mines. He noted that Mr.
Wickersham also met with the Tanana Chief that day where they
discussed the importance of education. He said it was a proud
day for Alaska that these two cultures came together.
DR. JOHNSEN said in July 2015 the state celebrated the 100-year
commemoration of the founding of the university and this year is
the 100-year anniversary of the Territorial Legislature's
adoption of the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines.
He discussed the construction and opening of the University in
1922 and the first graduate, John Shanley, in 1923.
8:06:52 AM
DR. JOHNSEN stated that it takes a great university to create a
great state, a simple universal truth. He said the University of
Alaska is committed to make it happen in Alaska and it must
happen if Alaska is to have a bright and prosperous future. He
advised to keep that idea "front and center."
8:07:24 AM
He contrasted the University's growth from one campus in 1922 to
15 statewide campuses today; one graduate in 1923 to 4,600
graduates in 2016. He said the University is very proud to be
the number one higher education institution in Alaska, and first
in the U.S. for affordability.
8:08:09 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked whether the average household income for
Alaskans or the national average is used in the calculation.
DR. JOHNSEN said the comparison is to Alaskans' income. He noted
that the University is the number one research university on the
Artic in the world. That fact is critically important to
Alaskans because they are doing the important research. It also
attracts graduate students from all over the world. It improves
the quality of what happens in the classrooms and helps solves
state problems and determines how infrastructure, climate, and
political impacts are managed. He called the University's
research program "a real treasure."
8:09:28 AM
DR. JOHNSEN stated that the University is here to meet Alaska's
needs. It needs to broaden access to higher education for
Alaskans. He said Alaska has relatively low rates of college
completion. As the economy changes, the quality of the future is
a function on the quality of the talent Alaska has. He stated
that talent is the competitive advantage and Alaska must invest
in it.
He said the University needs to focus research on issues of
importance and potential commercial application in Alaska. He
used the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), the
Alaska Center for Energy and Power, the Center for Alaska Native
Health Research and the Institute of Northern Engineering as
examples of research that is important and practical.
He said the University must prepare Alaskans for high-demanding
jobs. He maintained that 70 percent of teachers are imported to
Alaska every year. He opined that teachers are the single most
important job in the state.
The University must develop the capacity to meet Alaska's
increasingly diverse, knowledge-based economy. He shared the
University's great experience with natural resource economy, but
said there must be more work done in the areas of IT,
engineering, finance, and liberal arts.
He added that they must also build a strong education pipeline
from K-12 to the workforce, diversify revenues, and moderate
reliance on state general funds.
8:12:54 AM
DR. JOHNSEN showed a map of Alaska and how the University serves
all Alaskans with many campuses under one integrated system with
three universities, twelve community campuses, as well as
outreach centers and distance delivery. The map does not show
the research or service provided to Alaskans, nor distance
education students.
8:13:57 AM
DR. JOHNSEN reported on the Alaska-sized benefits the University
provides. It is a major economic engine in Alaska, generating
direct and indirect benefits. About 16,000 jobs result from
University activities and there are more than $1.1 billion in
annual economic/employment impacts statewide. In rural Alaska
there are $43.7 million in economic impacts.
8:14:23 AM
SENATOR BEGICH inquired if the University has quantified the
impacts research has had on jobs.
DR. JOHNSEN said he could get back to him. He asked if Senator
Begich is referring to the impact on the workforce, itself.
SENATOR BEGICH clarified that he wished to quantify the impact
that research has on jobs.
DR. JOHNSEN offered to look at workforce impacts and the
economic value of spending, as well as the numbers of start-ups
and jobs that have been created in the private sector directly
from the commercialization of intellectual property. He said it
is a top priority for the University.
8:16:07 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked for an update on the number of direct and
indirect jobs.
DR. JOHNSEN continued with an organizational chart that showed
the structure of the University. He explained that the Board of
Regents are the 11 bosses of the UA President. He spoke of the
University's two major responsibilities; one is to ensure that
the state's needs for higher education are met in the most cost-
effective way, and the second is to provide cost-effective
administrative services to the campuses. He said they don't have
general counsel or lands offices on campus; there are no
redundant bureaucrats on campus.
He pointed out that over the last couple years, the campuses
have taken 14 percent budget cuts due to general fund reductions
and at the statewide office the reductions have been 29 percent.
They have been looking hard at reducing statewide
administration.
CHAIR HUGHES asked if the 29 percent reduction is over 2 years.
8:18:53 AM
DR. JOHNSEN said yes.
He presented data on the student profile. He said that students
come first at the University of Alaska. He noted the peak year
was 2011 with about 35,000 students. Enrollment has not kept up
with the state population growth and the university population
percentage has declined from 6.3 percent to 4.3 percent.
In fall 2015, 30,496 students enrolled for credit at
the University of Alaska
In fall 2015, 18,852 students attending UA declared a
primary major leading to a degree or credential, while
3,190 students enrolled as pre-majors
In FY15, UA students earned 4,678 degrees,
certificates, and endorsements
The majority of students attended UA part-time in fall
2015, accounting for 59 percent of the total student
population
Graduate students accounted for 8 percent of all
students attending
Students reporting a minority racial background
accounted for 27 percent of all UA students in fall
2015, with 15 percent of UA's student population
identified as Alaska Native and American Indian
8:19:50 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked how to account for the enrollment decline.
DR. JOHNSEN said rest of country is pulling out of the recession
and Alaska's economy is declining. He has asked the McDowell
Group to research that information. He noted another factor is
the rise in online, high quality programs from outside of
Alaska. Outside advertising and marketing has been very
aggressive.
8:20:59 AM
DR. JOHNSEN shared graduation rates. He said 60 percent of
students are part-time, only about 8 percent are graduate
students, and 27 percent of students come from minority
populations, with 15 percent Alaska Native. The University of
Alaska is the number one destination for Alaska Native students.
There are 115,000 Alaskans with some college in their degree who
did not attend UA.
8:22:43 AM
SENATOR BEGICH spoke of a recent article regarding the increased
amount of remediation needed for unprepared college students. He
asked if the university is struggling with that and is working
toward a solution.
8:23:17 AM
DR. JOHNSEN said they have been struggling with that for years
since they are an open admission institution. He listed positive
innovations they are using to improve that problem. He mentioned
work with dual enrollment - collaboration between the university
and high schools, the Mat-Su Middle College School, and the UAA
Math Emporium. He said a recent study looked at each high school
and GPA's. It examined how many students with high GPA's are not
ready for college. He concluded that he and Commissioner Johnson
choose to take that data as a challenge and as an opportunity to
work to strengthen readiness and produce the best teachers.
8:25:23 AM
CHAIR HUGHES also took it as a challenge. She commented on the
transcript study that showed students with high GPA's who were
having difficulty in college. She emphasized the need to remedy
the situation. She asked if some of the students under the
scholarship program need remediation.
DR. JOHNSEN thought that was probably the case, but he did not
have specific numbers. He agreed it is part of the problem when
a student who has been recognized as a scholar must take
developmental courses.
SENATOR STEVENS agreed it was an enormous problem and said it
has been around for years. He asked if they have considered on-
line classes and summer workshops prior to attending college.
8:27:26 AM
DR. JOHNSEN said yes. He mentioned the Alaska Native Science and
Engineering Program (ANSEP) and Rural Alaskans Honors Institute
(RAHI) as programs that work. He suggested that the Math
Emporium in Anchorage needs to be expanded. He noted that UA
faculty are interested in working on this issue. He concluded
that remediation is expensive for the University in financial
and non-financial ways to the students.
8:28:58 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked if there has been any effort to have students
take 100-level courses with extra support. She pointed out that
students who must take remedial coursed have poor rates of going
through to graduation.
8:29:51 AM
DR. JOHNSEN agreed that the ultimate success rates are in the
single digits. He said the University is considering providing
extra support within regular classes. This issue is
controversial across the country, but it is the direction
universities are heading.
8:30:26 AM
DR. JOHNSEN turned to the economic power of research:
University research infuses dollars into the state
economy and supports and expands the economy by paying
the salaries of Alaskan workers and supporting sales
to Alaska business and industry partners.
UA generated 81 percent of its research revenue from
non-general fund sources. In FY15, each state dollar
appropriated to UA research generated an average of
$4.1 in revenue from other sources.
Increased invention disclosures can lead to
commercialization of technologies valuable to Alaska;
working to move "science to services"; building
partnerships with business and private sector on real
world applications.
He stressed that the University must do a better job of
encouraging and supporting businesses. It is a high priority.
8:32:35 AM
DR. JOHNSEN spoke of UA's research diversity and service. The
University houses more than 60 research centers and institutes
across the state, plus faculty and undergraduate research at
every campus. He provided a list of examples:
Geophysical Institute (GI)
Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP)
Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO)
Geographic Information Network of Alaska (GINA)
Ocean Acidification Research Center
Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER
Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies (ICHS)
Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services
(CBHRS)
Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center
He added the Institute of Arctic Biology, the Institute for
Marine Science, and the Arctic Domain Awareness Center. He
stated that many are very important to Alaska. He added that UAF
is the leading research university.
8:33:48 AM
SENATOR STEVENS added the Fishery Industrial Technology Center
(FITC) in Kodiak. He thanked Dr. Johnsen for the development of
that facility and the impact it has had on Kodiak. He said the
production of surimi has changed the industry.
8:34:30 AM
DR. JOHNSEN said the University is committed to the ongoing
success of that facility. He commended the community of Kodiak
for working with the University. There is a team of UAF leaders
who will be heading to Kodiak to ensure that the applied
research center continues to serve the industry.
8:35:14 AM
DR. JOHNSEN spoke of looking forward regarding key research
initiatives. He provided examples:
Build upon our well-established reputation as the
powerhouse in high latitude and Arctic research
Serve our state and nation by addressing critical
issues related to our strategic global position
Assist our military in developing the domain awareness
to function capably and safely in the Arctic
Expand economic development and diversity in Alaska by
increasing discoveries, patents and business
partnerships
Improve the lives of Alaskans through research in
health and social sciences
He provided an example of world class research on hibernation
with bears and Arctic ground squirrels. He emphasized the
important of that research and said that that the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and Defense Department are interested
in the research.
8:37:11 AM
DR. JOHNSEN turned to the University's service mission of
sharing knowledge with Alaska. He used the Cooperative Extension
agents work in communities as an example.
8:38:02 AM
He spoke of challenges the University faces:
Geography - location, size, regionalism
Students - low high school graduation rate, low
college going rate, low college completion rate, half
require developmental education
Economy - high in natural resources - low in new
economy, historically high wage to education ratio,
industry workforce gaps
Structure - 4 administrative structures, 3
institutional accreditations, geographic spread
Budget - heavy reliance on resource-dependent state
funding, 3rd year of budget reductions
Revenue - private giving, comparatively low tuitions,
land grant deficit
8:38:31 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked if employers look for degrees when hiring
today or for a motivated person with other skills. She voiced
concern about graduation rates versus job hire rates.
8:39:49 AM
DR. JOHNSEN said it is a complex issue. Employers do look for
skills, and degrees and certificates do represent skill
attainment, but not all the time. However, employers in Alaska
are also looking for skills such as adaptability, teamwork,
honesty, ethics, and the ability to learn. Traditionally, a
degree has been the way to attain those traits. The degree
itself is becoming less and less important and a certificate or
some post-secondary education of value is important. He said if
a person wants to move from one industry to another, it is often
an advantage to have a degree or the room for growth is capped.
8:42:28 AM
DR. JOHNSEN asked if students are tracked for employment after
graduation.
DR. JOHNSEN said they partner with the Department of Labor and
Workforce Development (DOLWD) and Department of Education and
Early Development (DEED) to track that information. He stressed
the importance of the changing economy. He suggested that in the
past Alaskans have been able to get high paying jobs that do not
require high educational attainment, but is probably not
sustainable for the long term. The University opines that there
must be an increase in educational attainment to maintain high
income trends. He stated that 80 percent of the variance in
income across the country is a function of educational
attainment. Alaska, as a resource development state, is
currently an outlier, but the economy is changing.
8:44:31 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked for current and historic data on students
leaving campus, graduating or not, and jobs.
DR. JOHNSEN offered to provide that data.
8:44:58 AM
He continued to discuss the challenges; structure, budget, and
revenue, as related to the land grant deficit. He explained that
the University did not get the land they were promised, which is
part of the reason they rely so heavily on the state for
funding.
8:45:58 AM
SENATOR GIESSEL shared her personal background with the
University of Alaska and said it is a jewel. She voiced concern
about the land grant deficit and asked what the barrier was to
get the land grant back.
8:47:04 AM
DR. JOHNSEN explained that the Alaska Constitution prohibits the
dedication of funds, including land. The Supreme Court ruled in
2009 that that was the case. In 2005 the legislature gave the
University 250,000 acres to remedy the land grant deficit and
land started being transferred. The issue was re-litigated
asking the question whether land is subject to the non-
dedication clause, and the answer was yes, so the University
started to return land back to the state. There is an exception
to the provision of the state constitution, "except as required
for participation in a federal program." Currently, the
University is working in Washington, D.C. to create that federal
framework. After that happens, the University will come to the
legislature with a request for state participation in that
federal program. He concluded that he is optimistic, but it will
take time.
8:48:49 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked whether the federal program will remedy all
the acreage that was awarded.
DR. JOHNSEN did not know what the land selection would look
like. He explained that it is a partnership; the University is
due about 360,000 acres and they received 110,000 acres.
8:50:03 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked about accreditation expenses for three
campuses. He asked if one university is the way to go.
8:50:36 AM
DR. JOHNSEN noted it is an important question. He clarified that
there are two types of accreditation; programmatic and
institutional. The regents asked that question last year, so he
requested a study of the advantages and disadvantages of
combining campuses or remaining the same. The regents analyzed
the report. He said it is a complex issue and uncharted
territory to "go to one campus" and there is fear of loss from
many. There is concern that one set of standards would diminish
excellence at each campus.
He said, at this time, there is no plan to combine campuses. He
said he agrees with that decision and wishes instead to work
through the Strategic Pathways to gain efficiencies within the
current structure. On the administrative side, the accreditors
do not care about the administrative structure. He noted that
they are working with colleagues in Maine, that have been doing
administrative consolidation within multiple institutional
accreditations.
8:53:46 AM
SENATOR STEVENS requested a copy of the study.
8:54:00 AM
SENATOR BEGICH wondered if he could get the legal citation for
the land grant suit. He asked who litigated it.
DR. JOHNSEN said Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC)
in 2009. He offered to provide the citation and an information
packet.
SENATOR BEGICH asked if SEACC did it for timber reasons.
DR. JOHNSEN did not know.
8:55:06 AM
DR. JOHNSEN returned to the issue of revenue challenges. He
spoke of a higher education income tax credit which sunsets in
December of 2018. He said it has been very valuable to the
University and has strengthened their relationships with
businesses across the state. He emphasized that renewing that
credit is a priority.
8:56:00 AM
DR. JOHNSEN discussed Alaska's brain drain due to students
leaving to attend college in the Lower 48. He stressed the need
for a strong relationship between the University and high
schools, strengthening college readiness, working closely with
employers, and understanding workforce needs.
He showed a national graph of high school graduation decline of
7 percent between 2010 and 2015. He explained a graph on the
percent of residents aged 25-64 with an Associate's Degree or
higher, born in Alaska, in 2010. It was at 16.5 percent. He
showed a graph of the same population with college degrees in
2013. It was at 37.4 percent. He concluded that going forward to
2025, the economy will require a rate of 65 percent college
graduates.
8:58:09 AM
DR. JOHNSEN showed the relationship between wage and education.
He said the concern is whether Alaska will move up.
8:58:57 AM
DR. JOHNSEN highlighted graphs of how education attainment and
income are related. He asked the question whether Alaska will
move up through increased educational attainment to protect
income or not.
He addressed state budget reductions. He showed a graph of the
University's general funds from FY15 - FY18. The high was $375
million in FY15 and the Governor's FY18 request is at $325
million. The Regents have requested $341 million on the
operating side and $50 million on the capital side for deferred
maintenance. He did not think there was anything in the
Governor's budget for deferred maintenance.
8:59:58 AM
DR. JOHNSEN addressed the impacts of budget reduction:
Jobs impacted
Cumulative FY15-FY17 headcount reduction: more
than 900
More than 250 reduced assignments or increased
workload
Academic program reductions
Since January 2016, 50 academic programs
eliminated or suspended
Fewer sections and larger class sizes
Increases in faculty instructional workloads
Administrative function consolidation and service
reductions
Closed Galena, McGrath, & Shishmaref Learning Centers
Reduction of faculty travel and professional
development funding
Reduced research faculty start-up/seed availability
Telecommunications contract cost reduction
Reduced owned & leased space; defeased & refinanced
debt
9:02:04 AM
He discussed how the University is looking forward. By 2025, 65
percent of Alaska jobs are expected to require some
postsecondary education; current attainment is 37 percent. UA's
long-term goal is to support Alaska's evolving workforce needs
by providing more graduates and developing a stronger culture of
education.
9:03:29 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked about specific action steps to meet that
goal.
9:03:41 AM
DR. JOHNSEN replied that one step is to attract more Alaskans to
the University, especially the population of Alaskans with
partial degrees. They have a privately-funded public awareness
campaign to "lift up" higher education and the University of
Alaska, in particular, in the eyes of Alaskans. Another step is
more aggressive recruiting. They plan to increase convenient,
online courses for the partial-degree market.
CHAIR HUGHES said she saw one of the commercials during the
Super Bowl.
SENATOR STEVENS noted, as a former University faculty member, he
has concerns about the recent vote of no confidence. He said he
understands the challenges the university faces due to budget
cuts. He believed the Regents are supportive of the Strategic
Pathways, and applauded moving the School of Education to
Juneau. He asked how Dr. Johnsen plans to bring the faculty into
the Strategic Pathways process.
9:06:08 AM
DR. JOHNSEN thanked Senator Stevens for the question. He said he
respects the faculty senates and the diversity of viewpoints. He
pointed out that the Strategic Pathways process already has
included 250 faculty, staff, students, and community leaders, -
89 faculty - served on the teams. There have been constructive
suggestions made by faculty in terms of improving the Strategic
Pathways process and a number have been incorporated. For
example, in Phase I of Strategic Pathways, in addition to having
faculty on the teams, he opted to have public forums. On several
campuses, roughly 400 showed up. However, instead of talking
about educational topics, they talked about sports at both UAA
and UAF.
He announced that going forward there will be two rounds of
consultation with every affected organizational unit in Phase
II. He plans to meet with every faculty/staff/student in those
specific areas before meeting with the Board of Regents in
March, and again after the March meeting. In addition, he is
scheduling time with the faculty senate. He concluded that
change is difficult and there is a sense of urgency. Budgets
have changed, and decisions need to be made expeditiously. He
noted there is a lot of support by the faculty across the
university system who are seeing progress and positive movement.
He said at the March meeting there will be a focused session on
shared governance.
9:09:18 AM
SENATOR STEVENS shared a joke. He voiced appreciation for what
the faculty senate has done and what Dr. Johnsen is doing. He
opined that "we can get beyond this."
9:09:37 AM
CHAIR HUGHES added that at a recent town hall meeting students
and staff all spoke in support of the Strategic Pathways
process.
DR. JOHNSEN said he respects the faculty, however, "it hurts,
and we will absolutely do better." He emphasized that it is a
learning process. He said he aims to ensure that the faculty are
engaged and contributing.
9:10:27 AM
DR. JOHNSEN shared his work with the Department of Education and
Early Development (DEED) and Commissioner Johnson. He stressed
the importance of working together and aligning K-12 with higher
education and the workforce. Research says the single most
important factor in a K-12's student success outside of the
school is whether there is a job in the home. The goal is to
create jobs in homes, students who are ready to learn, and great
teachers in classrooms. He summarized that the University is all
about building a culture of education in Alaska.
9:11:34 AM
He shared examples of ways the University is aligning for
Alaska's future. He highlighted the goal to increase the number
of Alaska educated teachers to 90 percent by 2015. It is
currently at 30 percent.
9:12:19 AM
CHAIR HUGHES spoke of conversations around virtual education
opportunities, particularly for rural students. She asked about
teacher training and the virtual model.
DR. JOHNSEN shared that they are doing a lot of work in that
area. They do faculty development on the use of IT. One teacher
training program, the Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT),
requires an undergraduate degree and students take online
courses while working in supervised classrooms. He said they
need to produce more programs of that nature.
9:13:50 AM
SENATOR GIESSEL brought up the [Recruitment and Retention of
Alaska Natives into Nursing] RRANN program and asked if there
are similar programs in education.
9:14:28 AM
DR. JOHNSEN responded that there is a Future Educators of Alaska
(FEA) program that reaches out to 7th graders and they have
talked about an Alaska Native Teacher Education program, based
in part on the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program
(ANSEP). He stressed the importance of reaching out to future
teachers. He noted that he has announced a teacher scholarship
program, to help raise the prestige of the profession.
9:15:59 AM
SENATOR BEGICH drew attention to the work Former-Commissioner
Covey and Dr. Armstrong have done in the EQQ study that
addressed findings related to growing Alaska teachers.
9:16:34 AM
DR. JOHNSEN noted that Mr. Covey was a member of the Strategic
Pathways team on teacher education and continues as a
consultant.
DR. JOHNSEN talked about Alaska scholarships; UA Scholars, which
are paid by the land grant and the Alaska Performance
Scholarships, which the legislature funds. Both have made a
difference at the University.
9:17:35 AM
DR. JOHNSEN discussed strategic investments suggested by the
Board of Regents: student success, workforce development,
facilities maintenance, research, economic development and
diversification, and K-12 partnerships.
9:19:27 AM
DR. JOHNSEN shared the 10-year glide path framework showing
moderate state general fund support. The University's 10-year
framework uses benchmarked goals to incorporate gradual,
sustainable reductions in state general fund appropriations
while increasing University revenues through enrollment and
diversified revenue. He suggested that gradual reductions in
funding is the responsible thing to do for Alaska. He listed
ways the University will increase revenues: increase tuition,
which is currently 19 percent of the Western States average;
step up private giving; increase research. He emphasized that
the bottom line is increased enrollment, which is tied to the
"65 by 2025 model."
9:21:54 AM
CHAIR HUGHES requested more information about the 30 percent
higher national average.
9:22:19 AM
DR. JOHNSEN shared enrollment strategies and planning. He listed
the processes started in the fall of 2016 and the upcoming
spring of 2017:
Process started Fall 2016
Enrollment Summits at each university
McDowell Phase 1 enrollment analysis
Fiscal framework shared with BOR and University
leadership
SDM (Structured Decision Making) process started
Enrollment Planning document
Initial strategic enrollment investments funded
Upcoming Spring 2017
McDowell Phase II
High school survey
Employer analysis
9:23:32 AM
DR. JOHNSON addressed what is needed to transform enrollment:
Emphasize retention and graduation
Investment in predictive analytics to help
universities target and provide information and
resources to students when they need it
A cadre of advisors trained in the use of cutting edge
technology will be required
Focus on Alaskan adults with some college, but no degree
Invest in a fast, friendly and efficient "intake"
process through a sophisticated web site or portal
application
Have technology and staff dedicated to helping adult
students with transfer of credit and credit for prior
learning and experience
A major investment in on-line learning
DR. JOHNSEN showed data on the adult education profile in
Alaska. He shared strategies to target Alaska's adult market. He
discussed the needs for students with some college, or no
degree.
9:24:41 AM
DR. JOHNSEN concluded that Strategic Pathways is the framework
the University is using to improve its service to the state. He
noted it is not a plan, per se, nor is it a vision; it is a
discovery process. The framework was adopted by the Board of
Regents last January. He showed a table that summarizes the plan
and identifies areas of distinctiveness and focus for each of
the three universities. The upside of the process is that it is
open, inclusive, transparent, and a lot of people are involved;
the downside is the same. It is complex.
9:25:30 AM
DR. JOHNSEN related the initial pathways outcomes:
Consolidation of 3 research administration offices
into 1;
Consolidation of 3 procurement offices into 1;
Consolidation of information technology (IT) functions
at each of the universities, with governance at
Statewide;
Collaboration and efficiencies between the two schools
of engineering;
Collaboration between the UAA and UAF management and
business programs;
Consolidation of the UAS management programs into the
School of Arts and Sciences;
Consolidation of three schools of education into one
at UAS, serving all of UA
He noted one of the big values of this process is bringing
people together to talk.
9:27:01 AM
The creation of one College of Education at UAS will be a
couple-year process. He emphasized that there will be education
faculty at UAF and UAA; the administration will be consolidated.
Superintendents did their own poll and over 90 percent concurred
with one school of education. The goal is to balance
accountability, cost effectiveness and access.
9:27:57 AM
DR. JOHNSEN thanked the committee. He concluded that the
University of Alaska is "leaning forward" and leading, making
difficult decisions and listening. The bottom line is to serve
Alaska and its students.
9:28:40 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked members to submit questions to her office.
She thanked Dr. Johnsen for his leadership. She stated that Dr.
Johnsen is turning challenges into opportunities that will
improve the quality of, and attract more students to, the
university. She asked the faculty to get involved in a greater
degree.
9:29:55 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Hughes adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
at 9:29
a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| FY18 Senate Education Overview- Final.pptx |
SEDC 2/8/2017 8:00:00 AM |