Legislature(2023 - 2024)DAVIS 106
03/24/2023 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Consideration of Governor's Appointees: University of Alaska Board of Regents | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 24, 2023
8:02 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Justin Ruffridge, Co-Chair
Representative Mike Prax
Representative Tom McKay
Representative Rebecca Himschoot
Representative Andi Story
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Jamie Allard, Co-Chair
Representative CJ McCormick
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Dan Saddler
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Dennis Michel Fairbanks
Joey Crum Wasilla
Paula Harrison Anchorage
Bethany Marcum Anchorage
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
DENNIS MICHEL, Appointee
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the University of
Alaska Board of Regents.
JOEY CRUM, Appointee
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the University of
Alaska Board of Regents.
PAULA HARRISON, Appointee
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the University of
Alaska Board of Regents.
BETHANY MARCUM, Appointee
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the University of
Alaska Board of Regents.
HERMAN MORGAN, representing self
Aniak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the confirmation hearing
on the nomination of Bethany Marcum.
ALEX BAKER, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to the nomination
of Bethany Marcum.
MIKE GRUNST, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to the nomination
of Bethany Marcum.
ALEX JORGENSEN, representing self
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to the nomination
of Bethany Marcum.
MIKE COONS, representing self
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the nomination of
Bethany Marcum.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:02:14 AM
CO-CHAIR JUSTIN RUFFRIDGE called the House Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:02 a.m. Representatives Prax,
McKay, Himschoot, and Ruffridge were present at the call to
order. Representative Story arrived as the meeting was in
progress. Also present were Representatives Stutes and Saddler.
^CONSIDERATION OF GOVERNOR'S APPOINTEES: UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA
BOARD OF REGENTS
CONSIDERATION OF GOVERNOR'S APPOINTEES: UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA
BOARD OF REGENTS
8:03:05 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE announced that the only order of business
would be the consideration of governor's appointees to the
University of Alaska Board of Regents.
8:04:27 AM
DENNIS MICHEL, Appointee, University of Alaska Board of Regents,
provided a brief background and encouraged the committee to ask
questions.
8:05:06 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE invited questions from the committee.
8:05:15 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked Mr. Michel if he owned and operated
mechanical, construction, and plumbing buildings.
MR. MICHEL confirmed that he did and provided his professional
background surrounding his work experience.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked Mr. Michel what his vision would be
for the university and what needed to be looked at.
MR. MICHEL replied that he was in the process of gathering
information and needed a baseline before making decisions. He
expressed his desire to be part of helping the university into a
positive future, and in reaching out to different entities, he
said he had a better understanding of the issues the university
is facing.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked Mr. Michel about the mechanical
construction business and if he had projects around the state.
MR. MICHEL replied his company had worked in various locations,
and most of the federal reservations with regard to military
bases. He added there are ongoing projects as well.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked Mr. Michel how many people are working
with his company.
MR. MICHEL replied that administratively, there are 14 in the
office but during construction months in the summer, staff may
reach up to 60.
8:09:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY pointed out Mr. Michel's previous comment
of gaining an understanding on issues the university is facing
and asked him to elaborate.
MR. MICHEL explained that he only attended one meeting, but that
he had introductory meetings with the chancellor, department
heads, Native organizations, students, and had asked many
questions. He added that he could not focus on a particular
issue and did not want to make a statement without having enough
knowledge. He said in the near future he could answer many more
questions.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY brought up proposed legislation that
entailed adding a faculty member to the board of regents, and
asked Mr. Michel if he was aware of the bill or had any thoughts
on it.
MR. MICHEL said the issue was brought up at the meeting he
attended, and he stated that he believed that legal council is
researching it. He added there was a thought that it may not be
legal to have staff on the board.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY stated that five other states have a
faculty member on their boards of regents and said she would be
interested to see how Alaska handled it. Additionally, she
asked about his vision for the university.
MR. MICHEL replied that growing up in Fairbanks, he realized the
value of a university campus through the community, as the other
universities likely are in their respective locations. He said
there is value and a benefit to the state for the university to
progress, and training the next generations of Alaskans is
important. He stressed that he believed strongly in education
to keep the state moving forward, and he hoped to be part of it
and be able to apply some of his business knowledge to the
board's decisions.
8:14:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked Mr. Michel why he applied to be a
regent.
MR. MICHEL replied that being born and raised in Alaska, the
state had been very good to him and he is very tied to it. He
stated that he wanted to be part of "paying it forward" and
helping out the next generations of Alaskans, and the university
is a good instrument to do that, he said.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked Mr. Mechel if he served on any
other boards.
MR. MICHEL affirmed he did and provided a brief history.
8:16:05 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked about the village corporation.
MR. MICHEL replied that his mother was born in Tanana, Alaska;
therefore, he registered there and was on their board.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX commented that Mr. Michel's culture within
the Native villages and corporations would bring something to
the board of regents.
MR. MICHEL explained that growing up Native, he realized that a
large portion of the state's Native people did not always have
opportunities to move forward, and he stated that he felt his
background would be valuable in board discussions.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX expressed his belief that Mr. Michel's type
of background would bring a lot to the board of regents and
university with communication and how decisions are made. He
noted that Native corporations bring a lot to the community.
8:19:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY stated he was impressed by Mr. Michel's
resume, and the importance of having a broad experience such as
his would offer a positive perspective to the university. He
added he thought it important to have a vibrant private sector,
and that should go hand in hand with the university.
8:20:37 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE questioned Mr. Michel's relationship with the
university as far as hiring and if he had success finding
students who would be good for his company.
MR. MICHEL replied that early on when he started his
construction company, the need for engineers was a priority. He
stated he went through the university to hire engineers who
moved through his company, and he was pleased with the quality
of staff he hired through the university.
8:22:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY mentioned the issue of the budget for the
university and how important it is to work with many partners.
She brought up a hypothetical scenario about there being a
recommendation that went against the university, or against the
best interest of his employees, and asked Mr. Michel how he
would go about discussing and working through it.
MR. MICHEL said he could not speak to the current budget, but
going forward he would be on a budget and audit committee. He
stressed the importance of budget from his business background
and that nothing remains the same; you move forward, or you fall
behind. He said he is courteous, but he would be vocal about
the information gathered and that he believed strongly in
teamwork.
8:26:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT commented that she would be pleased to
have someone with firsthand university experience be on the
board.
8:26:27 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX noted that the university had many ageing
buildings, and he asked Mr. Michel if the Board of Regents would
focus on a specific role to play for facility maintenance.
MR. MICHEL replied yes, and that he would likely be put on the
Facilities and Land Management Committee because of his
background. He expressed his strong belief that buildings must
be maintained, especially in a climate like Fairbanks.
8:28:15 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE opened public testimony on the confirmation
for Mr. Michel. After ascertaining no one wished to testify, he
closed public testimony.
8:28:58 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE introduced the next nominee, Mr. Crum.
8:29:28 AM
JOEY CRUM, Appointee, Board of Regents, provided his
professional background and noted his deep satisfaction and
motivation when students succeed. He said he is blessed to be a
lifelong Alaskan and raising his family here. He related that
when he spent time on previous boards, he listened, contributed,
and worked hard to be an asset. He briefly went over budget
related topics and wished to bring his past lessons, vision, and
support to the Board of Regents and the university system. In
closing, he assured the committee there would be no conflicts of
interest but that he would know how to handle it should one
arise.
8:33:54 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE invited questions from the committee.
8:34:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked Mr. Crum to elaborate on his
education at Columbia Southern University (CSU) in the Master of
Science Organizational Leadership in 2020.
MR. CRUM replied that he graduated from CSU's online master's
program, and it was focused on exploring ways to build culture,
and to demonstrate good leadership and drive towards a common
goal.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked Mr. Crum if he compared his
experiences with online courses to those here in Alaska.
MR. CRUM replied that he had not personally had that experience,
but he had employees enrolled through University of Alaska
programs online, and he observed that recently there are more
options for online learning in Alaska which he hoped to soon
explore.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY noted the importance of being able to
compare experiences on how universities work. She referenced
another bill that would add a faculty to the board of regents
and asked Mr. Crum if he had any thoughts on it.
MR. CRUM replied it was a very small topic at the last meeting,
and he had not formed an opinion on it due to not researching it
as well as is required.
8:38:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked Mr. Crum if he is still on the
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE).
MR. CRUM replied he served on ACPE but does not have exact
dates, and he cycled out in 2014.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT brought up a resolution passed called
"65 by 2025," and asked if he knew where the state was on that
goal.
MR. CRUM confirmed he is familiar with it and noted an annual
report coming out soon. He added that there are significant
strides being made.
8:40:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY offered his understanding that the
university owns a lot of land in Alaska, and he opined the
university should be more aggressive to develop resources so it
could be less dependent on the state government. He asked Mr.
Crum how he felt about the development of more resources on
university land, and how his membership on the board of regents
could influence this.
MR. CRUM replied that he served on a land management committee,
and said he believed he could add his perspective. He pointed
out the university being challenged in that it had not received
the full land grant it was promised. He further explained that
the land was granted to the university in part to help develop
self-sufficiency and sustainability.
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY stated he thought it would help greatly if
the university could become more self-sufficient.
8:43:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked Mr. Crum if he saw opportunities for
the university to provide partnerships to serve the needs of
industries at the certificate and technician level.
MR. CRUM affirmed that he saw significant opportunities for
organizations to work together moving forward, and it is also a
necessity, he said.
8:45:42 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE opened public testimony on the confirmation
for Mr. Crum. After ascertaining no one wished to testify, he
closed public testimony.
8:46:13 AM
MR. CRUM thanked the committee for the opportunity to serve
Alaska.
8:46:26 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE introduced the next nominee, Ms. Harrison.
8:46:46 AM
PAULA HARRISON, Appointee, University of Alaska Board of
Regents, provided a brief description of her history with
Alaska's universities.
8:47:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked Ms. Harrison why she wants to be
on the Board of Regents.
MS. HARRISON, having a background in human resources, stressed
Alaska's workforce is extremely important, and the university
plays a major role in workforce development.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked if three of Ms. Harrison's
children were graduates from the university system.
MS. HARRISON confirmed three of her daughters were, and she
offered stories of her daughters and their families'
professional backgrounds.
8:51:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX noticed Ms. Harrison's extensive experience
in human and labor relations and asked about success in that
field.
MS. HARRISON replied that the purpose of human resources is to
serve employees. She said managing the paperwork while
employees make the money is key, and making sure employees are
well taken care of.
8:52:08 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY pointed out Ms. Harrison's time as an
adjunct professor and asked her to share what she learned about
working in the university system.
MS. HARRISON replied that she had also served for seven years as
labor relations coordinator at the university, and if there were
issues or concerns, her job was to resolve those issues.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked about the experience and how it would
help her as a Board of Regents member.
MS. HARRISON said that she loved working at the university and
having learned about the way the university worked. She
stressed her support for the University of Alaska System and Pat
Pitney, its president.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked Ms. Harrison to share what she had
learned.
MS. HARRISON replied it is a big system, and she said she had
positive experiences working with the different universities and
different departments. She added she is proud of what the
university had done for her children.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked Ms. Harrison if she had any comments
on HB 9, which would add a faculty member to the board of
regents.
MS. HARRISON said that from her perspective, it is a conflict of
interest. She said the university has faculty governments which
provide the opportunity to have their voices heard through the
faculty senate.
8:57:20 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked if Ms. Harrison saw things that should
not be done within the universities, or other things that should
be focused on.
MS. HARRISON stated that one of her concerns was the deferred
maintenance, and the importance of having the infrastructure.
8:58:44 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY observed that Ms. Harrison spent time in
the many school districts throughout the state, and she offered
her belief that the university should have more linkage with the
K12 system and asked Ms. Harrison her thoughts.
MS. HARRISON said that she had witnessed excellent partnerships
between K12 and the university and gave brief examples. She
offered her understanding that there was a lot of collaboration
happening.
9:01:44 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX reflected on problems with accreditation at
the Anchorage campus, if what went wrong had been identified,
and how it could be prevented going forward.
MS. HARRISON replied that there was a lot of turnover in the
area, and she further explained she did not know exactly what
went wrong being she wasn't there. She expressed her
disappointment, but reiterated she did not know the ins and outs
of what the problems were.
9:03:37 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE asked Ms. Harrison what she thought areas of
growth within the university should be.
MS. HARRISON replied students, and the importance of research at
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), which she opined should be
a university of choice for researchers.
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE asked if there were currently any degree
programs or programs being added to help in the growth.
MS. HARRISON stated she did not know but would like to see more
PhD programs which is currently a limited area.
9:05:56 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE opened public testimony on the confirmation
for Ms. Harrison. After ascertaining no one wished to testify,
he closed public testimony.
9:06:41 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE introduced the final nominee, Ms. Marcum.
9:07:06 AM
BETHANY MARCUM, Appointee, University of Alaska Board of
Regents, provided her background and educational experiences
both nationally and abroad. She said her experiences are what
allowed her to be here today, and she is passionate about making
sure others can receive educational opportunities.
9:09:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX brought attention to Ms. Marcum's prior
position as a senior business systems analyst and asked how the
experience would fit in on the board of regents.
MS. MARCUM replied that the nature of the position was project
management and some information technology (I.T.), and she
opined it directly relates because she had to talk to the users
to find out their needs and ensure the methods were the best for
the products. She said it correlated to the role on the Board
of Regents because there must be the same type of relationship
having the best results for the end users, which would be the
university staff.
9:11:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked Ms. Marcum why she wished to
serve as a regent.
MS. MARCUM replied that it went back to her personal experience
at university and how it changed her life. She wanted to ensure
all people have access to further education in Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT reflected on 2019 when there was a 40
percent cut to the university proposed by the governor, which
led to many struggles within the university, and she noted that
Ms. Marcum was on record for supporting it. She asked Ms.
Marcum what her vision currently is, and how she would respond
to the 2019 decision to come out publicly in support of the
cuts.
MS. MARCUM explained she did not speak of direct cuts to the
university's budget but spoke to general budget reductions. She
noted she was not a policy maker or a decider of where cuts
should be made. She said she could relay what amounts to strive
for, but she does not have the background to make those
decisions that legislators should make.
9:15:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT brought up Ms. Marcum's position on the
Alaska Policy Forum and paraphrased the seven principles of the
forum [Seven Principles of Sound Public Policy]. She noted the
university is a large public system and belongs to all, and
inherently has a large budget, she said. She asked Ms. Marcum
how she would reconcile her job with the forum and its guiding
principles as a board of regents member, being that the
university is a publicly funded institution.
MS. MARCUM replied the university belongs to Alaskans, and she
stated she cared about preserving that and making the university
the best it could be. As an institutional fiduciary, it would
be her responsibility as a regent to ensure the university had a
sustainable future.
9:18:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT noted the bylaws of the Board of
Regents and focused on collective bargaining agreements. She
brought up Ms. Marcum's presence with other entities where she
handed out flyers against collective bargaining and asked her if
there would be a conflict with the board's bylaws and her
activities in her present position.
MS. MARCUM explained her position that unions are an important
part of American society and individuals should have a choice to
be part of a collective bargaining agreement or not. She stated
she would stand up for individuals either way and provided an
example of the outcomes of Janus [the constitutional right of
public employees to decline union membership dues but still keep
their jobs and benefits]. She said she felt it should be an
informed choice.
9:21:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked Ms. Marcum if she would call the
Alaska Policy Forum non-partisan.
MS. MARCUM replied that she would, and mentioned her support for
the policies contained in the Alaska Reads Act as an example.
She said if the policy is good for Alaska, then the party is
irrelevant.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked Ms. Marcum, as executive director
of the forum, how the institution is funded and if it is a
501(c)(3).
MS. MARCUM verified it is funded by private donations and does
not receive government money or grants. In response to a
follow-up question, she affirmed the forum is a 501(c)(3).
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked if it is public knowledge who the
forum's funders are.
MS. MARCUM replied 501(c)(3)s, like churches, do not disclose
donors.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked Ms. Marcum if she could confirm
she is a supporter of public education and what her vision of
public education in Alaska is pre-K through university level.
MS. MARCUM replied that she supported public education 100
percent, and her vision is that it should be the best it can be.
She provided her background in receiving public education, and
she personally recognized the value of it. She offered her
belief that private education providers help to increase the
competition and hold public schools accountable, as well.
9:26:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked Ms. Marcum what role she saw the
university performing in terms of Alaska's overall society and
economy.
MS. MARCUM replied she sees it two-fold, and focused on the goal
of the university being a premier university for academic
research for the things that make Alaska special. She mentioned
the importance of the role of a community presence from the
larger campuses to the more rural and the programs that bring
each unique community together.
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked Ms. Marcum what she saw as strengths
in the university currently and if any new directions would be
worth exploring.
MS. MARCUM replied that the workforce is one. She noted she had
only been a regent for six weeks, and she commented that the
university's playing a role with the pipeline had been very
impressive, as well as the number of different programs and
certificates the university provides. In response to a follow-
up question, she noted that her organization had focused on K
through 12 policy and had not been involved in higher education
policy.
9:31:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY expressed her surprise regarding Ms. Marcum
wanting to be on the Board of Regents. She mentioned the
negativity that the Alaska Policy Forum had towards the
education system. She referred to the information used by the
forum related to the gross domestic product (GDP) and how data
points and comparisons are made and presented. She asked Ms.
Marcum about how she picked her data points while looking at an
organization.
9:34:59 AM
MS. MARCUM replied that she was not involved in creating the
data for the presentation, but she watched it, and she related
that for the slides, they [the forum] used numbers and data from
yearly reports going back to the year a first report is
available. She added they could go further back but the readily
available information only goes back so far.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY clarified that she was speaking of the
gross national product (GNP) and comparing the cost of what
Alaska spends on education. She further stated that her concern
is that Ms. Marcum's view is too narrow, and she is not getting
information from other sources to help have a broad opinion.
9:37:42 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE summarized Representative Story's question
and asked Ms. Marcum if her role at the Alaska Policy Forum and
the data that generates was the only data sets that she looks at
when making decisions.
MS. MARCUM replied the forum had not done data crunching related
to the university. She stated that she would not use forum data
for anything related to her position as a regent. She added
there was only one publication created by the University of
Texas and the forum took the subset of that, which was the
Alaska piece, and published it.
9:39:31 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked Ms. Marcum when she looked at other
sources when making decisions.
MS. MARCUM replied she is always open to more sources, and
regarding the presentation her staff put together, she noted
that there were multiple data sources used for the education
data. She added that she would look for the data that the
university administration would point her to, as well, regarding
higher education.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY mentioned the U.S. Census and the way it
adjusts things with Alaska in mind. She added that the Alaska
Policy Forum kept quoting the Census in reference to Alaska
averages, and her concern was regarding the value that the forum
looked at in terms of Alaska's own universities. As a regent
member, she said, you must trust in your university and use some
of those data sources.
MS. MARCUM replied that she would absolutely study any data
source.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked Ms. Marcum for her comments about her
service on the Alaska Redistricting Board and a conflict with
the Open Meetings Act.
MS. MARCUM replied she had not participated in any conflicts of
the Open Meetings Act.
9:43:35 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY stated he thought Ms. Marcum was extremely
qualified to serve on the Board of Regents, and pointed out her
diverse resume and qualities that he opined would be an asset to
the board. He said higher education is about challenging the
status quo, not a monopoly of one ideology, and the board should
have a variety of viewpoints. He added there must be hard
discussions moving forward on how the state is being funded and
how all the education systems are being funded. He stated that
he endorsed Ms. Marcum's nomination as a regent.
9:46:31 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT brought up the context of data and
provided an example. She offered her belief that there was a
miscommunication about what the forum was postulating, and what
was actually practiced. She asked Ms. Marcum to tell the
committee about the five goals the Board of Regents has set for
the university.
MS. MARCUM replied that she was in favor of the goals but does
not have them memorized. She reiterated her support for the
workforce and pipeline, and being able to ensure Alaska has the
employees that the state needs to be able to fill jobs and
provide academic research.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked what the graduation rate for the
university is.
MS. MARCUM replied that the six-year graduation rate was cited,
and according to her recollection it was in the sixtieth
percentile.
9:51:35 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked Ms. Marcum to describe the Alaska
Native Success Initiative.
MS. MARCUM first followed up on previous discussion and stated
that graduating should not be the only goal for attending
university, and just attending classes can be a game-changer,
she said. In reference to the Alaska Native Success Initiative,
she said she learned about it in orientation and that the
program is to provide the opportunity for higher education and
certificates to Native Alaska communities.
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT recited parts of the Board of Regents
Statement of Expectations and asked Ms. Marcum if she had a
response to any of the expectations.
MS. MARCUM said that during orientation the expectations were
talked through, and she also received them in writing. She
added that she took her role as a regent seriously.
9:55:57 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE opened public testimony on the confirmation
for Ms. Marcum.
9:57:21 AM
HERMAN MORGAN, representing self, testified during the
confirmation hearing on Bethany Marcum. He said that "schools
are failing us out here," and there are some villages that sue
the state for not providing proper education. He said the Board
of Regents needs to be asked some questions. He offered his
belief that the reason students must attend six years of college
is because students in rural Alaska are not being educated and
have to take extra courses at university. He said rural areas
are the lowest ranking in the state in grades, but this is not
heard, and yet "you ask for all this money." He said all board
members should be asking Ms. Marcum these questions, as well as
what role she would play in "all this failing education."
10:00:40 AM
ALEX BAKER, representing self, testified in opposition to the
nomination of Bethany Marcum and offered his belief that her
record as a member of the Alaska Redistricting Board needed more
scrutiny from the committee. He urged the committee to go back
and read examples of her actions and conduct on other boards,
and he opined she is not fit to serve on the Board of Regents.
He also described her actions as partisan.
10:02:29 AM
MIKE GRUNST, representing self, testified in opposition to the
nomination of Bethany Marcum to the University of Alaska Board
of Regents. He said her role on the Alaska Policy Forum, an
organization funded by outside interests, showed that she would
work in opposition to the best interests of the citizens in the
state and at the university. He noted that she advocated for
budget cuts to the university system, and under her leadership,
private vouchers for religious schools were advocated for. He
offered his belief that the education system of Alaska should be
a system, and primary education should (indisc.) into either the
university or vocational education. He said Alaska had $80
billion in the bank and could solve every problem it faces but
needs the intestinal fortitude to do so.
10:06:20 AM
ALEX JORGENSEN, representing self, testified in opposition to
the nomination of Bethany Marcum. He reflected on 2019 when he
learned of the governor's cut to university, which felt like a
"gut punch" that someone would want to devastate the only public
university system that gave him so much. He stated he would not
support Ms. Marcum as a fiduciary responsible for supporting the
university.
10:07:56 AM
MIKE COONS, representing self, testified in support of Bethany
Marcum's nomination, and stated he also supported the governor's
proposed university cuts in 2019. He affirmed he supported
conservative organizations with conservative values. He
reflected on the seven principles of the Alaska Policy Forum and
said the policies are all solid and go back to the nation's
founding, and he observed that Ms. Marcum had a long history of
supporting those views. As regent, he opined, Ms. Marcum would
support conservative values within the university fiscally and
socially. He reiterated his full support of Ms. Marcum to the
Board of Regents.
10:12:26 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE closed public testimony on the confirmation
for Ms. Marcum.
10:12:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT read a quote on an Alaska Superior
Court decision regarding the Redistricting Board.
10:12:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY interposed a point of order and stated he
did not see what Representative Himschoot's comment had to do
with Ms. Marcum's qualifications.
10:13:17 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE noted that Representative McKay could leave
if he wished to do so.
10:13:24 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT continued reciting the quotes from the
Alaska Superior Court.
10:14:47 AM
MS. MARCUM said she appreciated the questions and understood
they were part of the process. She explained she had done her
best to ensure that there was a cohesive process for
redistricting with the military.
10:16:05 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT clarified that her question was more
about the Open Meetings Act as regent.
10:16:12 AM
MS. MARCUM reiterated that she did not violate the Open Meetings
Act. In closing, she said she has nothing to hide and no
special agenda, her obligation is to the university. She said
that when the board is voting or deliberating, she would be part
of the process and act as one with the board.
10:18:11 AM
CO-CHAIR RUFFRIDGE stated that the House Education Standing
Committee has received the qualifications of the governor's
appointees and recommends that the following names be forwarded
to a joint session for consideration: Dennis Michel, Joey Crum,
Paula Harrison, and Bathany Marcum, University of Alaska Board
of Regents. He said that signing the report regarding
appointments to boards and commissions in no way reflects an
individual member's approval or disapproval of the appointees,
and the nomination is merely forwarded to the full legislature
for confirmation or rejection.
10:18:53 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 10:18 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.
10:21:10 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:21 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Crum Resume.pdf |
HEDC 3/24/2023 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Marcum Resume_Redacted.pdf |
HEDC 3/24/2023 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Harrison Resume_Redacted.pdf |
HEDC 3/24/2023 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Michel Resume_Redacted.pdf |
HEDC 3/24/2023 8:00:00 AM |
|
| marcum opposition 3_23_Redacted.pdf |
HEDC 3/24/2023 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Marcum Support 3_23 Redacted.pdf |
HEDC 3/24/2023 8:00:00 AM |