Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106
04/26/2021 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
Note: the audio and video recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
Audio | Topic |
---|---|
Start | |
HB164 | |
HB21 | |
Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= | HB 164 | TELECONFERENCED | |
*+ | HB 21 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 21-ADD FACULTY MEMBER UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS 9:28:50 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 21, "An Act relating to the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska." 9:29:31 AM REPRESENTATIVE ADAM WOOL, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, presented HB 21, which he said would add another position to the University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents for a tenured faculty member, which would carry a two-year term. He said the term would be identical in length to that of a student regent, and that the additional member would provide both parity and fairness. He characterized the proposed legislation as a move that would give the faculty a voice on the Board of Regents. With regards to possible conflicts of interest, such as salary decisions, he pointed out that members may recuse themselves. He said conflicts of interest affecting a faculty member on the board could be handled the same way they've been handled for the student regents since 1976. 9:32:36 AM ASHLEY CARRICK, Staff, Representative Adam Wool, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Wool, prime sponsor of HB 21, presented a PowerPoint titled "HB 21: UIVERSITY OF ALASKA FACULTY REGENT." She presented slide 2, "UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA BOARD OF REGENTS MEMBERSHIP," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: ?10 Regents serve 8-year terms ?1 Student regent: ? Serves a 2-year term ? Has full board powers ? Must have 2.5 cumulative GPA ? 2 students are elected by their campus and then a nominee is selected by the Governor ?Current Role of Faculty with the BOR: ? Faculty Alliance makes a report at each BOR meeting ? Speaking rights MS. CARRICK presented slide 3, "STATE BY STATE COMPARISON," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: ?16 state Universities have a student regent ?6 state Universities have a faculty regent ?4 state Universities have both a faculty and student regent ?15% of private institutions also have a faculty regent MS. CARRICK noted that when student or faculty regents are mentioned, the reference is specific to boards that include such regents as full voting members who also participate in executive session and travel with the board. She then presented slide 4, "EXAMPLES: OREGON AND PENNSYLVANIA," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Oregon State University and University of Oregon: Trustees Board has 15 members, including 11 at-large members, 1 faculty member, 1 student member, and 1 staff member all appointed by the Governor. Pennsylvania State University: Trustee Board has 38 Members, including 6 at-large members, 9 alumni-elected members, and 6 agriculture members. In addition, the Board elects 6 members- one of which is a faculty member. MS. CARRICK presented slide 5, "EXAMPLES: FLORIDA, KENTUCKY, AND TENNESSEE," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: State University system of Florida: 17 members total including 14 at-large members appointed by the Governor, the Chair of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates, the Commissioner of Education, and the Chair of the Florida Student Association Kentucky State University: 11 voting members, including 8 at-large members, 1 faculty and 1 staff regent elected by their respective governing councils, and 1 student regent. Tennessee University System: 18 members total, including 12 at-large members, 1 faculty member, 1 student, and 4 exofficio members. 9:37:27 AM MS. CARRICK presented slide 6, "HB 21: HOW IT WORKS," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: ? Increases the number of Regents from 11 to 12 ? 2 nominees from the Faculty Senate of each of the three main campuses are put forward ? Governor selects one appointee ? Faculty must be tenured ? Serves a 2-year term ? Has the full powers of a regent for voting, travel, and entering executive session ? Majority vote needed for a motion of the Board to carry MS. CARRICK presented slide 7, "BENEFITS OF A FACULTY REGENT," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: ? More than a "seat at the table" ? Faculty can enter executive session, travel for Board meetings, and can vote ? Improves the ability for faculty to provide stakeholder interest ? Held to a standard of professionalism- they can recuse themselves from a conflicted vote ? Ensures that faculty, like students, are given a voting interest in University affairs 9:40:21 AM REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY asked how tie votes would be negotiated, since there would be an even number of board members. REPRESENTATIVE WOOL replied that previous iterations of HB 21 had the university president as the tie-breaker; however, he said, there was some resistance to that idea. Since a majority of votes would be needed for a measure to pass, he said, a tie vote would mean the measure failed to pass. 9:41:35 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND opened public testimony on HB 21. 9:41:53 AM HEATHER BATCHELDER, Chair, Faculty Alliance, University of Alaska, testified in support of HB 21. She said Faculty Alliance feels that having the faculty voice be an active part of UA Board of Regents' discussions would be beneficial, and she expressed that the addition of a faculty member would be well- received by the accrediting agency, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). She noted concerns from legislators regarding adding a faculty position to the board, and she said faculty members are committed to collaboration. Regarding conflict of interest issues, she said the faculty members would recuse themselves, if necessary. Regarding voting to defund programs, she said the essence of programs are the students and faculty creating the mutual cycle of teaching and learning through interactive experiences, and programs are often studied and restructured. Educators abide by a strict code of professional conduct, she said, and would abide by all policies governing the Board of Regents. She said HB 21 has been deliberated within the Faculty Senates at each campus, and they all firmly support the proposed legislation. 9:44:58 AM SEAN BLEDSOE, Student, University of Alaska Fairbanks, testified in support of HB 21. He expressed the need for a faculty voice on the Board of Regents, and stated that he is concerned about the loss of tenured faculty and their replacement with adjunct professors. 9:46:31 AM NALINAKSHA BHATTACHARYYA, Faculty, University of Alaska Anchorage, testified in support of HB 21. He discussed educators' deep respect for knowledge, and said that by excluding tenured faculty from the Board of Regents, the members are getting every perspective except for that of an academic. He said the business of a university is threefold: production of knowledge (research), distribution of knowledge (teaching), and service. He expressed that it is always faculty "on the chopping block" when considering budget issues, and he noted that only 20 percent of the budget goes to faculty. He said the Board of Regents would benefit from having a faculty member. 9:50:42 AM JULIE MAIER, PhD, President, Faculty Senate, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), testified in support of HB 21. She informed the committee that the UAF Faculty Senate passed a resolution fully supporting HB 21, stating that faculty and students are the "core" of the university, so having a faculty member on the Board of Regents is imperative. She said the lack of a faculty voice and perspective on the Board of Regents has been damaging to the university, resulting in ill-informed decisions, particularly in recent years. The current structure of the board, she said, allows a single faculty member seven minutes at the beginning of the meeting to present a report; no faculty member is allowed to speak again unless questioned. When the board is presented with questionable information and faulty data, she said, the faculty member is not allowed to speak; when discussing dismantling a crucial program, she said, no academic experts are allowed to speak. She characterized these exclusions as a "huge disconnect" from the reality of a university, and she said they damage the ability of a university to lead the way into the future. A board in any other industry, she said, would have members who are full-time professionals in that industry, which ensures a deep and thorough understanding of the matter overseen by the board. 9:54:06 AM MARIA WILLIAMS, Faculty, University of Alaska Anchorage, testified in support of HB 21. She said she has been teaching at University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) for 10 years, and that most of her family has attended the university. She characterized the Board of Regents as "fastidious" about conflicts of interest. She said faculty comprises approximately 18 percent of the budget, including salaries and benefits, and she expressed agreement with Dr. Maier's assessment that the Board of Regents has made damaging decisions due to its disconnect from the faculty and curriculum. 9:56:51 AM SANDRA WILDFEUER, President-Elect, Faculty Senate, University of Alaska Fairbanks, testified in support of HB 21. She expressed having observed many occasions on which a faculty position on the Board of Regents would have been beneficial. 9:58:50 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND, after ascertaining there was no one else who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 21. 9:59:10 AM REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked whether any current Board of Regents members have expressed an opinion on the proposed legislation. REPRESENTATIVE WOOL stated that no current regents have expressed an opinion. He said the issue of exclusion of a faculty member on the Board of Regents has been in discussion for some time, and that the issue of the possibility of a conflict of interest has arisen many times. He said, "I just said, 'I don't really think this conflict of interest thing really holds water. You have a student on there. If you didn't have a student on there, then you could maybe legitimately say ... but why do you bring a student regent on? Because you want the student's perspective.'" He said the university is filled with students with the goal of education and graduation, so it's important to have the voice of a student on the board; however, he said, faculty is needed to educate and graduate students, so you need that voice as well. He pointed out that any hospital board is not only accountants and business owners; there will always be doctors on the board. 10:02:22 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that HB 21 was held over.
Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
---|---|---|
HB 21 Backup Faculty Alliance Support Letter.pdf |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 21 |
HB 21 Backup Intro Presentation.pdf |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 21 |
HB 21 Committee Packet 4.26.2021.pdf |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 21 |
HB 21 Bill.PDF |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 21 |
HB 21 Sectional.pdf |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 21 |
HB 21 Sponsor.pdf |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 21 |
CS for HB 164 Sectional Analysis for Sections 14 and 35 4.23.2021.pdf |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 164 |
CS for HB 164 Version I Sectional Analysis 4.23.2021.pdf |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 164 |
HB 164 Supporting Document - Educational Opportunity Timeline for the past 25 years 4.23.2021.pdf |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 164 |
HB 164 Supporting Document Nome Public Schools Pre-K Information 4.23.2021.pdf |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 164 |
HB 21 FN UA.SS 4.26.2021.pdf |
HEDC 4/26/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 21 |