Legislature(2019 - 2020)BUTROVICH 205
03/19/2020 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| 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
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 19, 2020
9:01 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair
Senator Shelley Hughes, Vice Chair (via teleconference)
Senator John Coghill
Senator Mia Costello (via teleconference)
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Cachet Garrett - Fairbanks
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
CACHET GARRETT, Appointee, Student Regent
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the University of
Alaska Board of Regents.
SHERRI BERRETA, Regent
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Eagle River, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported confirmation of Cachet Garrett.
ACTION NARRATIVE
9:01:46 AM
CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 9:01 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Coghill, Begich, and Chair Stevens. Senator
Hughes and Costello joined the meeting via teleconference as it
was in progress.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): University of Alaska Board of Regents
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
University of Alaska Board of Regents
9:02:03 AM
CHAIR STEVENS announced the confirmation hearing of Cachet
Garrett, the Governor's Student Regent Appointee to the
University of Alaska Board of Regents. He asked Ms. Garrett to
introduce herself.
9:02:40 AM
CACHET GARRETT, Appointee Student Regent, University of Alaska
Board of Regents, Fairbanks, Alaska, introduced herself and
stated that she has been serving as the student regent for the
University of Alaska (UA) for almost one year of a two-year
term. When she started last May, she came ready to deal with the
challenges at hand. The governor appointed her after she was
elected by students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)
to be a nominee. The regents' main task presently is to create a
university system that aligns with the new budget while
preserving the university's values and mission.
MS. GARRETT said the regent workload her first year has been
about five times that of an average year. She has gained
experience and expertise that she is not sure she would have
gained after two years of a normal regent term. Her main role is
as a conduit of communication from the students to the board.
She has met regularly with students, both physically and
telephonically. The students feel heard and honored at this
time, during a difficult process of reducing programmatic
offerings and services. The regents have accomplished a lot this
year and she looks forward to the work ahead.
MS. GARRETT said she is comfortable with the unknown ahead. Her
experience, education, and leadership skills have prepared her
for this position. Her background is in health and wellness. She
is a licensed massage therapist in Alaska.
CHAIR STEVENS noted that this appointment runs through the end
of May 2021 and asked if she would still be a student at the end
of May 2021, the term of the appointment, because that is a
requirement.
MS. GARRETT said the student regent is a unique position.
Statute says there must be an election for the student regent
and then names be submitted to the governor's team for a
nomination. Up to two regents from each campus can be presented.
Then the regents make a recommendation to the governor. The
governor typically appoints the student regent in late May and
the student begins service June 1 and the following April the
student regent is confirmed by the legislature.
CHAIR STEVENS noted that Senator Costello and Senator Hughes
were online. He asked if she would still be a student when her
term ends.
MS. GARRETT answered yes; her term as student regent will end in
May 2021 and she will finish her graduate studies in December
2021.
CHAIR STEVENS asked what her goals are as regent for the next
year.
MS. GARRETT responded that the main thing to accomplish is to
attend to the declining budget. The university has a $25 million
cut this fiscal year and next, followed by $20 million cut the
third year. Her significant duty now is to support the board in
the work of eliminating, reducing, and restructuring to match
the budget that is presented to the university.
9:12:15 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said he has talked to Regents Parker and Perdue,
who have said good things about her service. He asked about her
take on the Anchorage School of Education accreditation failure
and how she would address the absolute decline in teachers being
trained at the university.
MS. GARRETT replied the issue with the School of Education arose
before her term and she is striving to understand how that came
about. It is very much in her mind as the board moves forward.
She would like to see if she can have an impact for the teacher
education system to be highly functional. It is an unfortunate
situation.
SENATOR BEGICH noted that since spring 2017, enrollment has
fallen by 1,419 to 872, and said he looks forward to the Board
of Regents taking action on that. He asked her opinion and
response to the president initiatives to consolidate the three
campuses.
MS. GARRETT responded that she honored Senator Begich for his
passion for teacher education in the state. The board shares his
concern and wants to rectify the situation as quickly as
possible. She talked to many students, faculty, and staff about
consolidation. The overwhelming response was no interest in
moving to a single accreditation and there was no proof of
financial savings. The regents have paused that conversation
until 2021. She does not know if that conversation will return
during her term of service. She personally has not been in
support of that idea, but in this rapidly changing environment,
if new information supports that, the board will be open to
considering it.
SENATOR BEGICH asked for her general thoughts about the regents'
responsibility regarding COVID-19.
MS. GARRETT answered that she cannot really speak to it because
so much is unknown, but it is a major disruption to student
lives. She said the safety and well-being of students is her
priority. During a difficult time for the university, COVID-19
is an unexpected complication in all regards. The role of the
board is to ensure student needs are met and questions are
answered and to empower the faculty and staff who are acting
marvelously in spite of these recent complications.
CHAIR STEVENS said attracting teachers to the state has always
been a major focus of the legislature, so it was a shock to
learn of the loss of accreditation in Anchorage. He asked
whether there should be one School of Education in three
locations or one school in Fairbanks and one in Juneau providing
services in Anchorage.
MS. GARRETT replied she does not have an answer about the
direction, but it is a huge priority to have a strong teacher
education program in the state. She said she is confident the
university will be able to reestablish a highly functional
teacher program.
9:23:32 AM
SENATOR COSTELLO said the university presentations to the
legislature show that declining enrollment preceded budget
constraints. She asked what specific steps are being taken to
increase student enrollment.
MS. GARRETT answered that declining enrollment is happening
across the nation. It is not going away because of issues that
are beyond Alaska and the Board of Regents. She said the
university will see impacts from COVID-19 and the budget
situation. Recruiting and boasting about the university is
tricky when programs are being dismantled and enrollment is
declining. The board, legislators, and the governor all need to
be innovative, collaborative, and creative to have strong,
successful universities that have different trends in student
enrollment. Everyone wants Alaskans educated and is working
together on the same mission.
CHAIR STEVENS expressed concern about declining enrollment and
asked how potential students view the university's reputation.
MS. GARRETT responded that due to her heavy workload and
studies, she has not gone to high schools and does not know how
those students feel. She does know that UA is an accomplished,
world-class university with many offerings to attract students
of all ages. She would like, if things settle down, to get to
high school audiences to talk about her personal experiences.
She would still, in the midst of chaos, choose the University of
Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) rather than any other university in any
other state. She has a lot of pride in her university. She is an
alumna from the University of Alaska Southeast and is looking
forward to being an alumna from UAF.
9:31:13 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said thank you for being willing to serve. She
recapped the previous statement and response about enrollment
decline and noted the university's work on increasing middle
college enrollment, which allows high school students to earn
college credits and potentially an associate degree by the time
they graduate from high school. She said that is a tremendous
opportunity for the university to keep students in state and it
is also a savings to school districts. She asked Ms. Garrett to
carry that to the board to help combat the enrollment decline.
SENATOR HUGHES pointed out that UA is not at the top of the U.S.
News and World Report rankings, despite Ms. Garrett calling it
world class. Some programs, particularly at UAF, are ranked
higher, but in general the university is not. Because high-
achieving high school students want to go to higher quality
schools, the university generally is not drawing in students
nationally or globally. UAF draws some and some come to Alaska
to enjoy the great outdoors, but she does not think these
students come because the university is world class. She offered
her belief that a university becomes world class because it has
particular programs that are superior to similar programs in
other universities. But UA cannot be all things to everyone and
all programs. A few programs must be picked where Alaska can
shine. She asked Ms. Garrett if she has thought about focusing
on a few programs that could draw students from around the globe
and keep Alaska students in state.
MS. GARRETT said she attended a celebration of a middle college
launch at UAF and the board is excited about such opportunities.
It is a reflection of changing trends nationally. Middle college
looks like a wave of the future, educating high school students
to a higher level and enabling them to graduate with an
associate degree and diploma. She shares Senator Hughes' concern
about the declining enrollment. Some of the programs that will
be key are STEM programs. Science and climate research and
social and economic studies are key for Alaska. She and the
board want to hear from state leaders about what programs to
prioritize. She said that as a regent and Alaskan, she invites
ongoing conversations. She personally believes that the world is
undergoing so much rapid change that it is difficult to
concretely answer questions like that. Everyone needs to step
back to look at the overall picture to see what will emerge as
gems to safeguard. The changes are unprecedented, so it is
important to continue to communicate.
SENATOR HUGHES observed that things like Arctic studies and
climate change make sense for Alaska because the University of
Oklahoma probably will not face those issues. She said she isn't
sure what particular programs shine, but she hopes the regents
focus on that because that is how the university will draw
students and improve the reputation of the university.
CHAIR STEVENS added that he would also like biology and
fisheries research and wildlife management to be stressed
because they are important to Alaska.
SENATOR HUGHES said the state is trying to turn the ship for K-
12 students regarding reading proficiency and Senator Begich has
a bill on that subject. She noted that in the past when
legislators asked the university about its reading instruction
methods to train teachers, the university seemed somewhat
defensive saying they were doing it correctly. If that were the
case, the results would be apparent in the classrooms where
those UA graduates are teaching, but the state is not seeing it.
She offered her belief that it will take effort to teach
teachers how to effectively teach reading and suggested the
university monitor the progress of its graduates in the
classrooms. She asked Ms. Garrett to take that to the board. She
also asked Ms. Garret what her second priority would be.
9:42:46 AM
MS. GARRETT answered that her second priority is to get students
through the current budget and pandemic situation with a lot of
love and compassion. For the long haul, her priority is for
strong, state education. She would like to invite more
communication going forward. If she were in charge of the state,
reading would be taught to younger students by older students.
She would have most subjects presented to younger students by
older students. That is a model of education that is missing,
more mentorship and tutorial from older students for younger
students. She wishes she had a mentor to guide her through her
graduate program.
CHAIR STEVENS said the committee has spent a lot of time on
Senator Begich's bill and learned a lot. The university must
produce teachers who are adept at teaching reading to children,
but the university must help teachers who are already in the
field to bring them up to best practices.
SENATOR BEGICH shared that he had a last thought that may be
uncomfortable for Ms. Garrett. He said he supports her
nomination, and he values the endorsements that she received
from Regents Parker and Perdue. He relayed that one of the
reasons that the committee asks a wide range of questions is
because members want to know the temperament of the people who
serve on boards and commissions and how they will work with
other public leaders. He said this is not a question and she
does not need to respond because he will still support her
appointment, but the text she recently sent to a number of
people that another senator ought to be reprimanded for asking
hard questions in the Finance Committee raised questions about
her temperament and ability to work in situations where there
may be criticism. He said legislators have tough jobs too and
their job is to ask questions that get to the heart of an issue
and help determine whether the person can comport him or herself
in a position of public trust. He said he and she have known
each other for a decade and he trusts that she will continue to
do a fine job on the Board of Regents, but he would suggest that
as hard as those questions may have been, it is the role of a
senator to ask those questions. He said he hopes she understands
that. He asked the record to reflect this.
MS. GARRETT replied she was grateful that he brought it up
because it has been on her mind. She said her first Senate
confirmation hearing caught her off guard primarily because she
serves on the same team as the senator on a mission in support
of individuals in the same state. As a leader, she also expects
exceptional leadership. She apologized if she was out of line,
but she offered her belief that legislators can speak to people
off the record to ascertain the nature of a situation before
exposing it in a public manner. As she grows in her leadership,
she said she hopes that she will grow more respectful of others
and lead with an intention to serve.
SENATOR BEGICH thanked her for the response. In addition to
Northern studies, he would include anthropology and history,
which are necessary for Alaskan programming. He thanked her for
her comments about the need to learn and grow in these positions
and the nature of discovering humility in going through these
processes.
MS. GARRETT expressed appreciation to the committee.
9:54:11 AM
CHAIR STEVENS opened public testimony on the confirmation
hearing for the Board of Regents.
9:55:01 AM
SHERRI BERRETA, Regent, University of Alaska Board of Regents,
Eagle River, Alaska, said Regent Garrett has been through a
challenge. She answered committee questions with a great deal of
thought and composure. In the meetings that she has had with
Regent Garrett, she has been professional and thoughtful.
Everybody has different reactions to situations. She is an
emotional person, but she cares deeply. She puts representing
students at the forefront. In this time of uncertainty within
the university, state, and world, having stability with her term
would be helpful for the Board of Regents. The board looks to
student regents as future leaders. In the five years she has
served on the board, she has viewed amazing young people in the
community and she looks for great things from Regent Garrett.
The University of Alaska has real challenges and the board hopes
it can get through this current crisis so it can deal with the
big issue of education. That is on the agenda with all the other
challenges. She said she supports Cachet Garrett as the student
regent.
9:58:14 AM
CHAIR STEVENS closed public testimony and solicited a motion.
9:58:33 AM
SENATOR COGHILL stated that in accordance with AS 39.05.080, the
Senate Education Standing Committee reviewed the following and
recommends the appointments be forwarded to a joint session for
consideration:
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Cachet Garrett - Fairbanks
Signing the reports regarding appointments to boards and
commissions in no way reflects individual members' approval or
disapproval of the appointees; the nominations are merely
forwarded to the full legislature for confirmation or rejection.
9:59:05 AM
At ease
9:59:55 AM
CHAIR STEVENS reconvened the meeting.
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Stevens adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
at 9:59 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmations_UABOR_Garrett_19March2020.pdf |
SEDC 3/19/2020 9:00:00 AM |
UnivAK Board of Regents - Confirmation Hearing - Cachet Garrett - March 19, 2020 |