Legislature(2009 - 2010)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/10/2010 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB56 | |
| SB206 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 56 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 206 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 206-APPROP UNIV ENGINEERING BUILDINGS
8:24:03 AM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS announced consideration of SB 206.
8:24:34 AM
SENATOR ELLIS introduced SB 206. He said he worked with his
constituent Grant Baker, Chair of the mechanical and electrical
engineering programs at University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), to
understand the shortage of engineers in Alaska and the scale of
industry demand for Alaska-grown engineers, as well as the
important resources required by University of Alaska engineering
programs to meet this demand. The University of Alaska Anchorage
and Fairbanks campuses are working together to increase the
supply of Alaska engineers. He ventured that many of the members
have heard stories about construction and development projects
being staffed by out-of-state workers; what has received less
attention is that Alaska is facing a severe shortage of
engineers at this time. Some companies are resorting to sending
Alaska's engineering design work outside, which is a very
troubling trend. Outside engineering firms don't always have the
technical knowledge or foundation in arctic or northern
engineering that is so critical to the work the state is hoping
to have done in Alaska.
SENATOR ELLIS continued; Alaska is second to last in the number
of engineering graduates it produces per year, per capita. Only
18 percent of the engineers in Alaska have degrees from the
University of Alaska system, and up to 35 percent of the
engineers working in Alaska are not residents. According to the
Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD), the
shortage of engineers is expected to grow, exacerbated by annual
turnover and retirements. Many new outside engineering recruits
to Alaska will move here just long enough to gain valuable
professional experience before eventually moving away to be
closer to their homes and families in the Lower 48. Alaska
industry and recruiters prefer to hire Alaska graduates, as they
are more likely to stay in Alaska over time, and the amount of
trouble and expense in recruiting people outside or
internationally to come help us with our development projects is
something we should take note of and try to reverse.
To respond to the state's need, he said, in 2006 President
Hamilton and the Alaska Board of Regents set a priority to
double the number of annual engineering graduates by 2014. The
legislature needs to take the steps necessary to reach that
worthy goal, and that is what the bill is all about. Since 2006,
the number of students in UAF's engineering program has doubled;
since 2000, enrollment in UAA's School of Engineering has more
than tripled. While the University of Alaska's programs are
ready, willing, and able to train the next generation of Alaska
engineers, they require investment to complete their mission.
Current facilities cannot even accommodate current enrollment;
enrollment growth has resulted in significant space challenges,
leading to overflowing classrooms and crowded labs. The
engineering programs must have adequate instructional and
specialized lab space to double the number of engineering
graduates. The University of Alaska has completed concept
planning for facilities at both UAA and UAF. The appropriations
included in this bill are intended to facilitate design and
construction of the facilities to meet current engineering
demand and to provide the foundation and resources to grow our
own Alaska engineers.
8:28:38 AM
In conclusion, Senator Ellis said engineers are an essential
economic resource, and growing our own Alaska engineers offers
the state an opportunity to invest in Alaska's development. The
University of Alaska's engineering programs are doing what they
need to do, but need the legislature's assistance.
8:29:13 AM
JACK WILBUR, President, Design Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, said
Design Alaska is a professional services firm that employs 65
architects, engineers, and surveyors in Fairbanks. They prefer
to hire entry-level engineers from the University of Alaska
Fairbanks, because they graduate with the skills they need, and
have already adjusted to the climate and community, so they are
more likely to stay with the company. In the last 25 years,
Design Alaska has tripled in size and needs an ever-increasing
pool of entry-level engineers to accommodate that growth. They
support continued investment in the UAF engineering program in
order to ensure that UAF will continue to meet their needs.
Another important benefit of investment in UAF's engineering
program through expansion of their facilities is the increase in
research grant dollars that will be attracted to the community.
This is true economic development, resulting in high-paying jobs
for Alaska residents. He urged the legislature to support
funding and expansion of UAF's engineering training and research
facilities.
8:31:06 AM
SENATOR STEVENS said he appreciates Mr. Wilbur's preference to
hire Alaskans who are adjusted to Alaska and have the skills. He
asked if Design Alaska ever brings in students before
graduation.
MR. WILBUR said they traditionally have four to five engineering
interns working for them; they are almost always from the
University of Alaska Fairbanks.
8:31:41 AM
SENATOR OLSON asked what kind of engineers he employs.
MR. WILBUR answered that they employ the full range of
engineers: civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and
environmental. The University of Alaska Fairbanks is able to
provide them with entry-level engineers for all of those
disciplines.
8:32:22 AM
ANN BROOKS P.E., Brooks and Associates, Anchorage, Alaska, said
she graduated from the UAA civil engineering program in 1988 and
currently serves on the UAA School of Engineering Advisory
Board. She urged support for both SB 56 and SB 206. Life science
is part of the engineering education, so she cannot fail to
support SB 56 as well. She said Mr. Wilbur brought up some very
important points, but one thing she wants to hammer home is the
cost of recruiting and bringing in engineers from out of state.
Her colleagues at the Corps of Engineers, who employ about 700
engineers, say it costs them about $70,000 per engineer to
recruit and move them to Alaska. Typically, they get a three-
year commitment from them, but because they may not be familiar
with the climate here, they often don't stay much longer than
that.
MS. BROOKS said she believes the facilities that the University
of Alaska is using today are the same as those she attended
classes in before graduating in 1988. With the exception of the
Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP™) building,
the laboratories are the same. She said she can't urge the
legislature strongly enough to consider improving these
facilities. Industry needs those graduates, and the students
deserve it. Everything Alaskans do every day is touched by
engineering. As Alaska's infrastructure ages, as the workforce
retires, Alaska needs engineers to replace them; frankly, she
said, she does not think they can afford to bring engineers from
the Lower 48 to fill those positions. If we grow our own, we
will have a committed, consistent and stable workforce. Given
some of the challenges facing the state as the infrastructure
ages, and the state's desire to get the pipeline project going,
she said she does not believe that waiting is an option.
8:35:28 AM
SENATOR STEVENS said she hit on an interesting point; most of
the engineers he knows are about his age. He asked if she thinks
the issue of an aging workforce is going to really be a problem
if the state does not move ahead.
MS. BROOKS said she spoke with Commissioner von Sheben from the
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), who
said that one third of his workforce is at retirement age. Some
of those people will continue to work because of the economy,
but when they retire, the state will be in a world of hurt.
8:36:25 AM
GRANT BAKER, Chair, Mechanical, Electrical and Computer
Engineering Program, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage,
Alaska, said he has lived in Alaska for 30 years and has taught
for about 22 of those years. He is here to support SB 206. If
there is a theme to go with this, he said, it is indeed "Grow
Our Own." A new building in Anchorage is a great project that
will be applauded by industry and the community because there is
a severe lack of facilities in Anchorage. Anchorage has about
one third the space per student that the rest of the states have
for engineering programs. It isn't just about crowded class
rooms; it is about labs that are completely missing,
laboratories that are fundamental to most engineering programs
such as heat-transfer labs, electrical engineering labs, and
material science labs. Those don't exist.
MR. BAKER said over 300 engineering students signed a petition
in March, asking the legislature to support the engineering
program and the new building in Anchorage. Industry supports the
programs at UA because it is in their best interests to hire
engineers trained in Alaska; they stay in Alaska. There are
about 100 companies that hire engineers within four miles of the
Anchorage campus. This is a situation unique within the United
States, and it is important because UAA's students can intern
with the companies all year around, and they do. They get
experience with the companies and build relationships; the
companies like that because they can get to know the students
before hiring them full-time. The students match up with the
companies they like, and the companies get the employees they
want. The strong support of the industry is one reason that the
University of Alaska School of Engineering Advisory Board, which
is made up of CEOs and presidents of engineering firms and those
that hire engineers, wrote a unanimous resolution in August 2008
supporting a new engineering building in Anchorage.
8:40:10 AM
He said the community also supports new facilities. Recently, a
Memorandum of Understanding was written between the state of
Alaska through the Department of Education and Early Development
(DEED) and was signed by the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development, the chancellors of all three University of Alaska
campuses, and Alaska Process Industry Career Consortium (APIC);
it supports establishing engineering academies inside the K-12
schools. The reason this is so popular is that it works, not
just for increasing the number of engineers, but by attracting
students into other areas of science, technology, and
mathematics. A prototype engineering academy started up in
Diamond High School in Anchorage last year with about 115
students; it is at 220 students this year and still growing. A
Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed between the
University of Alaska School of Engineering and the College of
Education in Anchorage. The idea is that the facilities that are
used for teaching and outreach to K-12 are the same as those
needed for university classes and can also be used for teacher
professional development in stem areas. The University sees a
strong and beneficial collaboration between the School of
Engineering and the College of Education, to help provide the
preparation teachers need. He has heard from Bethel, that
teachers come for a day to do a demonstration and leave; that
doesn't really help. They need teachers to come in from the bush
and get trained to go back and teach there.
8:44:20 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER commented that they seem to be having great
success with the Alaska Native Students; he believes that over
100 have graduated from the program so far. He asked if the
demand now is such that UAA has to turn students away.
MR. BAKER said that, because it is an open-enrollment campus,
there is no way to restrict enrollment, and they wouldn't want
to. They aren't turning students away, but that adds to the
overcrowding. He repeated that the lack of labs is a serious
deficiency. It is not about what other schools are able to do;
it is about what industry needs. It is very difficult to turn
out students with the skills industry needs when they don't have
the labs to do it.
8:46:23 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER asked him to comment on the Alaska Native
engineering program and the figures Senator Ellis provided
regarding square feet of space per student. He also asked if,
between the Fairbanks and Anchorage campuses, all of the
engineering disciplines are covered.
MR. BAKER said that there are a few that are not completely
covered, like chemical and biomedical engineering, but the
University of Alaska Anchorage does offer all of the major
disciplines needed in Alaska including civil, mechanical,
electrical, computer, and geomatics or surveying. Anchorage does
not have petroleum engineering, but that is offered in
Fairbanks. The ANSEP and outreach programs have been wildly
successful in getting out to the difficult-to-reach areas
surrounding Anchorage.
8:48:50 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER said one requirements of the governor's
scholarship program is for four years of math, which some people
feel may be too much for students who are not going into
engineering or the sciences. He asked Dr. Baker if he finds
students from Alaska high schools are ready for engineering
courses when they reach college.
MR. BAKER said many are prepared, but there are a large number
of students who still require remedial math before they can
start an engineering program. The first level of math that is
counted toward an engineering degree is calculus; requirements
before that are college algebra and trigonometry. Many students
haven't had the opportunity to take the calculus and
trigonometry that are required prior to starting an engineering
degree. Even in Anchorage and the Mat-Su, many students don't
get to trigonometry, but the engineering academies are already
helping with that.
8:50:54 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked Dr. Baker how many of his students are
from the Alaska Scholars program.
MR. BAKER said he can give an estimate. He has about 1000
students, with about 60 new scholars coming in this year. They
expect many more, but haven't had the opportunity to do any real
recruitment due to the space shortages.
SENATOR HUGGINS asked Dr. Baker what the difference is between
industry demand and the University's ability to graduate new
engineers.
MR. BAKER said the entire University system is graduating about
94 engineers per year right now, and the need is for 200 to 400
per year according to industry sources. Some companies are even
hiring interns out of Russia.
8:52:51 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS said the legislature is working on legislation
that offers tax credits to donors and contributors to
educational institutions. He asked if Dr. Baker thinks that will
help.
MR. BAKER answered that they have strong industry support and
there would be many donors, but not enough of the magnitude that
could actually construct a new building. He observed that if the
industry knew a building was being built, they would be more
likely to contribute than they would if it were just
speculative.
8:54:08 AM
DAN WHITE, Director, Institute of Northern Engineering,
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, said he is
testifying on behalf of himself and the Dean of the College of
Engineering and Mines, Dr. Doug Goering. The University of
Alaska has been graduating engineers since 1926. Engineers are
instrumental to the development of the state's resources,
creating jobs, and increasing Alaska's quality of life. UAF is
one of the only universities in the country that offers mining
and geological engineering as well as petroleum engineering,
engineering areas that are extremely important to the
development of this state.
In 2004, he said, the three engineering units at the University
of Alaska Fairbanks, the College of Science, Engineering, and
Math; the Institute of Northern Engineering; and the School of
Mineral Engineering were combined. These three programs were
consolidated from four buildings into one, the Duckering
Building, which was built in 1964. It was already the home of
roughly half of the engineering on campus and was at capacity at
the time. Since the merger in 2004, applied research and
technology development have grown 300 percent.
MR. WHITE said that applied research and development in
engineering has a direct impact on Alaska's economy; it has
developed more efficient ways of doing such things as extracting
gold from ore, building roads, building buildings, running
vehicles, and finding and developing energy resources. Applied
engineering research and technology development is growing
Alaska's economy. A recent McDowell Group report found that, for
every $1 million in investment by the state in university
research, 149 jobs were created with an estimated $4.8 million
in payroll, and another $1.5 to $2 million in purchases. The
University needs space to do the research, to grow the
opportunity, and to contribute to building Alaska's economy.
Since 2006 the College of Engineering and Mines student
enrollment has increased 40 percent. First-time freshman
enrollment has increased by almost twice that, and they are on
track to meet the president's commitment to double the number of
engineering graduates by 2012. UAF operates with 80 square feet
of space per student, which a recent comparison revealed is
lower than almost all of UAF's peer institutions. The Oregon
system operates with about 170 square feet per engineering
student. There is presently only one class room in the UAF
engineering building that can even accommodate more than 40
students, and that is creating problems as the classes grow.
MR. WHITE concluded that they strongly support the Board of
Regents' budget request and the priorities laid out therein, and
hope that the budget, as well as the efforts of legislation like
SB 206, can contribute to the specialized engineering needs for
engineering programs at UAF and UAA.
8:58:13 AM
ROB LANG, Dean, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage,
Alaska, said he has only a couple of things to add to the
previous testimony. The facilities at UAA, when compared to
facilities at other universities around the country and around
the world, are really in bad shape. He stressed that he has been
at facilities in third-world countries that are significantly
better than the ones the University has. Nevertheless, he is
extremely proud of what the faculty and students are able to do.
UAA's programs are all accredited, which is wonderful, and the
students and faculty make do with what they have. In terms of
nationally-normed exams like the Fundamentals of Engineering
exam, UAA students consistently perform above the national
average, even with the lack of facilities.
8:59:45 AM
FRAN ULMER, Chancellor, University of Alaska Anchorage,
Anchorage, Alaska, said she agrees with Chancellor Rogers that
they are desperate for space. Alaska is a natural resources
state, and if it is to develop the oil and gas and mining and
all of the other resources it has, it needs home-grown
engineers. That is an essential building block for Alaska's
economy and its future. The number of square feet per
engineering student was expanded from 44 to a whopping 58 when
they added trailers and a portable warehouse for lab space, but
that is not enough. The University needs the legislature's help.
9:01:12 AM
BRIAN ROGERS, Chancellor, University of Alaska Fairbanks,
Fairbanks, Alaska, wanted to answer a couple of questions that
were asked earlier in the meeting. The number of Alaska Scholars
in engineering as of Fall 2008 was 103 at UAA and 125 at UAF. On
the GPS, national statistics show that one sixth of U.S. high
school students graduate with enough math to even consider
engineering as a discipline. Anything the state can do to
improve that pathway will make a difference in their ability to
meet their goals in engineering. He said they are competitive
nationally; BP says that the University of Alaska is its first
choice in the nation for hiring engineers. University of Alaska
students regularly win competitions such as the bridge
competition and the electric snow machine endurance competition.
The University has excellence in both the Anchorage and
Fairbanks programs and needs the legislature's help to continue
to provide that excellence.
9:02:37 AM
CO-CHAIR THOMAS closed public testimony and said he would take
motions on both SB 56 and SB 206.
SB 206-APPROP UNIV ENGINEERING BUILDINGS
9:03:46 AM
CO-CHAIR MEYER moved to report SB 206, labeled 26-LS1184\R, out
of committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal
note(s). There being no objection the motion carried and SB 206
was moved from committee.
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