Legislature(2007 - 2008)BARNES 124
05/12/2007 09:30 AM House HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s)|| 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 HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
May 12, 2007
9:36 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Peggy Wilson, Chair
Representative Anna Fairclough
Representative Sharon Cissna
Representative Berta Gardner
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Bob Roses, Vice Chair
Representative Mark Neuman
Representative Paul Seaton
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
University of Alaska Board of Regents
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous committee action to report
WITNESS REGISTER
WILLIAM A. ANDREWS, JR., Appointee
to the University of Alaska Board of Regents
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the University of
Alaska Board of Regents.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR PEGGY WILSON called the House Health, Education and Social
Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 9:36:04 AM.
Representatives Gardner, Cissna, Fairclough, and Wilson were
present at the call to order.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
^University of Alaska Board of Regents
9:36:23 AM
CHAIR WILSON announced that the only order of business would be
a confirmation hearing for the University of Alaska Board of
Regents.
9:36:46 AM
WILLIAM A. ANDREWS, JR., Appointee to the University of Alaska
Board of Regents, provided the committee with a brief personal
history and explained his interest for serving on the Board of
Regents. He said he thinks a position on the board would
provide him with experience that could be beneficial to his role
as an educator, and what he would bring to the board would be
his experience as a participant in student government at the
University of Alaska Southeast (UAS).
9:38:39 AM
MR. ANDREWS, in response to Chair Wilson, said he will complete
his bachelor's program in one year and, following that, will
complete his Master's in Arts and Teaching (MAT) certification
within the next year.
9:38:57 AM
CHAIR WILSON said she thinks it is important that men go into
teaching.
9:39:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA described the difficulty in attracting
qualified, master and Ph.D. level professors to the University
of Alaska campuses across the state. She opined that this
talent pool needs to be bolstered, and asked how that could be
accomplished.
MR. ANDREWS stated that he is an advocate for expanding programs
and increasing the number of qualified teachers; however, he
said cost is an issue, and the inevitable tuition increases
these changes would bring would create hardships for students.
He noted that UAS suffered a reduction in funding in the last
year.
9:43:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA said there are talented individuals living
in Alaska. She asked Mr. Andrews to consider the cost to the
school and the state that would result from not attracting
"these people" to teach.
9:45:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH suggested that the university focus
different strengths in each location, rather than provide
minimum services on every campus. She described how this might
be modeled.
9:46:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER proffered that Fairbanks has a terrific
marine biology department, perhaps due to the computer resources
available there and the "pooling of talent" at that location.
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH stressed how the southeast campus is
the ideal location for a premier marine biology study center,
and funds could be allocated to focus the program there, rather
than in Fairbanks. She reiterated that each campus could have a
program best suited to its location.
9:48:42 AM
CHAIR WILSON cautioned that reconfiguring the campuses could
start a "turf war." However, she said "specializing" - although
it may be a difficult battle - could be a possibility.
9:50:16 AM
MR. ANDREWS described good leadership as a dynamic process in
which many ideas come to the table. He pledged to keep an open
mind as student regent, and he offered further details regarding
that approach.
9:51:45 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH encouraged Mr. Andrews to be bold and
question the status quo.
9:53:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CISSNA noted that the University of Alaska
Fairbanks is the only campus in the state that offers a
doctorate program, and she said she sees no reason for that.
Furthermore, there are not many master programs available in the
state.
9:55:05 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER underscored the need for Mr. Andrews to
be assertive in asking questions, and she thanked him for
applying for the position of student regent.
MR. ANDREWS assured the committee that he is confident and not
afraid to ask questions.
9:56:25 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER moved to advance the confirmation of
William A. Andrews, Jr., appointee to the University of Alaska
Board of Regents, to the joint session of the House and Senate.
There being no objection, the confirmation of William A.
Andrews, Jr., was advanced.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Health, Education and Social Services Standing Committee meeting
adjourned at 9:57:09 AM.
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