Legislature(2003 - 2004)
02/18/2004 09:07 AM Senate FIN
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
MINUTES
JOINT MEETING
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
February 18, 2004
9:07 AM
TAPES
SFC-04 # 13, Side A
SFC 04 # 13, Side B
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Gary Wilken convened the meeting at approximately 9:07 AM.
PRESENT
Senator Lyda Green, Co-Chair
Senator Gary Wilken, Co-Chair
Senator Con Bunde, Vice Chair
Senator Lyman Hoffman
Senator Donny Olson
Representative Bill Williams
Representative Mike Hawker
Representative Bud Fate
Representative Mike Chenault
Representative Eric Croft
Representative Carl Moses
Representative Richard Foster
Also Attending: SENATOR TOM WAGNER; SENATOR FRENCH HOLLIS; SENATOR
RALPH SEEKINS; REPRESENTATIVE JOHN COGHILL; REPRESENTATIVE DAVID
GUTTENBERG; MARK HAMILTON, President, University of Alaska;
Attending via Teleconference: There were no teleconference
participants.
SUMMARY INFORMATION
State of the University
Presentation by President Mark Hamilton
MARK HAMILTON, President, University of Alaska, introduced the
Board of Regents members and campus chancellors present at the
meeting.
President Hamilton gave the following speech.
Fifty years ago Alaska's Constitution was written on the
University of Alaska-Fairbanks campus. The future was the
topic and the guiding light. Politics were set aside for 75
days and self was subordinate to service. All eyes were fixed
on the horizon, where promises were kept and hope captures the
heart, as no certainty never has. At the close of that
convention, the delegates shared a resolution to Alaska. It
said, "You're Alaska's children. We bequeath to you a state
that will be glorious in its achievement; a homeland filled
with opportunities for living, a land where you can worship
and pray, a country where ambitions will be bright and real,
an Alaska that will grow as you grow."
You can't be at the University of Alaska without focusing on
the future. This fall a remarkable and historical event took
place. This fall for the first time in the history of the
State or Territory of Alaska, more than half of out college-
bound children stayed home. We got 55 percent of all students
in Alaska going to college last year. But it's better than
that. Five years ago, we only had 40 percent of our kids who
even aspired to go to college. Today that's 50 percent. Five
years ago we got 44 percent of that 40, now we've got 55
percent of that 50. That adds up to almost four thousand
students.
Believe it or not, that particular statistic is met in some
places with cynicism. "Well it's no wonder, you're paying them
to go there." I assume people are referring to the Alaska
Scholars Program, and let's just think for a minute: if all of
the people who receive that scholarship came to the
University, simply because we gave them a scholarship, they'd
account for less than one-quarter of our increase. But
frankly, in their defense, I think it's an insult. These are
youngsters who typically have several scholarships and the
overwhelming majority came to the University of Alaska by
choice, as did the other 3,000 students.
The cynics still aren't done: "That's great. Now you've got
more people, train 'em, they can't find a job." I'm a supplier
in this business. And when you look at it from the supply
side, I promise you there are more good jobs in Alaska begging
to be filled by Alaskans than I can possibly deliver: a
hundred percent of my engineers, a hundred percent of my
project managers, a hundred percent of allied health, a
hundred percent of my nurses, and every single teacher who
wants a job. Maybe not one who wants to teach third grade at
that school in Anchorage, but a hundred percent of them who
want a job get one. We're short on the supply side.
These students, the most in our history, taking work courses
and earning more degrees than ever before in our history:
together they comprise a dividend to the State of Alaska. A
dividend. It's a dividend that frees our employers from the
unseen but powerfully felt import tax that's imposed every
single time they try to recruit somebody, transport them from
the Lower 48.
AT EASE 9:15 AM / 9:15 AM
But it's better than just protecting the people from the
import tax. We're importing them for you. We have tripled the
number of students who began their education in the Lower 48,
who have now come home to go to school.
Many of the stories indicate that Alaskan students are tired
of going to a college where their freshman biology class has
more people in it than their hometown. It actually happens -
350, 400 people in a "G.E.R." class is not remarkable. It's
been a consistent story for many years now.
These numbers, these students have come for investments made
by this group five years ago, four years ago, and three years
ago. That 55 percent belongs to those courageous decisions to
invest in the University. We said that we could stop the brain
drain. We said that employers would contribute as soon as we
have enough money to teach the courses they're interested in.
We said that research would respond to your priming the pump.
I asked you for dollars to support "Epscore" about four years
ago. You gave me a million dollars. Epscore today is operating
on a budget of more than ten million dollars a year for five
years on a federal grant. That about follows the flow. You
give in a dollar and out comes five or six on the other end in
research.
We told you that earned income would rise. And the numbers
here aren't as important as the magnitude. This is what
happened with your investment over five years. You wish it
would happen to your 401k. Tuition revenue up 84 percent.
Federal receipts up 137 percent. Indirect cost recovery up 199
percent. University receipts are up 300 percent. Land grant
trust fund up 188 percent. Where else? Where else do you have
that kind of return? Tangible results, bottom line: State used
to pay 60 cents on every dollar of postsecondary education.
State now pays 40 cents on every dollar.
We said that citizens would respond as soon as we build a
University they could be proud of. Private donations are up
168 percent. Six years ago we had no endowed chairs at the
University of Alaska. By the end of this year, we'll have
four.
I told you that I would be accountable. In addition to the
scrutiny endured by any public institution, I spend a total of
eight days, two full days at statewide and each of the
"m.a.u.s" twice a year, to sit down and go over, with their
management and finance executives. A series of very detailed
questions that take hundreds of man hours to produce, because
I want to know where the dollars' going, where they're being
redistributed and what are we getting for it.
I've been asked by this committee in the past to highlight the
college of rural Alaska campuses. In short, they have followed
the trend of the University as a whole. They've led the way in
enrollment growth with the Rural College increasing 116
percent in the last four years: Kuskokwim campus by 88 percent
in the last four years.
Student credit hours is even more impressive: five-year gains
as high as 93 percent at Kuskokwim and 144 percent at Rural
College. Now because of Title 3 grants, expenditures at these
campuses - it isn't necessarily State dollars going in - but
the amount that they are able to expend using federal money,
has far outpaced the University as a whole. In the last four
years, Bristol Bay has increased expenditures by 88 percent,
Rural College by 85 percent, Kuskokwim by 40 percent. Bottom
line of all that is that general fund support per credit hour
has been reduced by almost one-quarter, almost 25 percent over
the last five years. They are becoming more efficient as we
become more efficient at the University.
Terribly important part of our asset, because it's a little
known fact: almost half of our graduates, almost half of our
graduates, had spent at least one semester at a community
campus. For Alaska Natives, that percentage is 70 percent.
Retention rates of all of our students have increased, but
specific efforts to address our Alaska Native students are
finally paying off. We measure this at the "continued onto the
second year" measure point. Five years ago, Native retention
was only about two-thirds that of their white counterparts.
Today, nearly 60 percent of our Natives stayed that second
year and 70 percent for out white students. Both have
increased and the gap is closing. Alaska Natives have
overlapped both retention rates for Afro Americans and for
Hispanics. Of course for me that means I now have two more
areas to be concerned about.
I got a letter from a young girl that I will only identify as
Allison [spelling not verified], in case she didn't want you
to know where she was from. Here's what it says [as read by
President Hamilton].
My name is Allison. I'm an Alaskan Native, the second
youngest of seven children from a small village. My
mother was widowed in 1991 after my father passed away
from a stroke. [The] passing [of] my father encouraged me
to further my education in the health field, and I've
dreamed of becoming a nurse since I was a small girl. I
graduated valedictorian, went to a program called "RAHI"
Rural Alaska Honors Institute at Fairbanks, one month
after graduation. In '99 I enrolled in classes at Bethel
at Kuskokwim campus, received my AA degree in May 2002. I
got my personal care attendant certificate in December
2002 and I also completed basic life support
certification from the American Heart Association in
November of 2002.
My career goal is to become a Registered Nurse and secure
a position at the YK Delta Regional Hospital in Bethel.
I'm convinced that is important to the local population
to have dedicated health care workers who are lifelong YK
Delta residents and Native Alaskans.
I may not solve the nursing shortage, yet I am positive
I'll make a difference in many Native people's lives
because I'll be able to provide culturally appropriate
care and support for the patients and their families.
Nurses are the ones who are at the bedside providing
invaluable expertise, as well as essential caring support
and education to those in need, their needs and other
caregivers. Nurses do mean the difference between life
and death, comfort and pain, knowledge and fear, freedom
and dependence. That will be a powerful and gratifying
feeling. I dream of experiencing that sensation every
day.
First thought, do you think she's having trouble passing the
exit exam?
You know what, two years ago, I would have written her back
and said, "Allison, don't you worry. Your dreams will come
true." Today, I'm not so sure.
We may be accountable. Well your accountant would tell you the
trends that I've just proudly related to you cannot continue.
The last two years, the University's had to eat $7.5 million,
while educating 2,000 additional students. Now we're not
formula funded, don't wanna be. It's too complicated to
compare PhD with a GED, other states have tried it. This is
not a pitch for formula funding. But the basic principle is
right: you have more students - 2,000 of them you need more
money. This is not a business. This is not a private college.
It's a state university.
You need more money especially to train the skills that
employers want. The skills that we have aimed for over these
last five years. It costs more money to train an engineer than
an English major. It costs more money to train a nurse than an
anthropologist, more money for a welder rather than a
historian. It takes more money to teach diesel repair. We
don't have to guess where this will go without adequate
funding. We were there six years ago.
But it's worse than that. Businesses will not contribute if
the State doesn't. Citizens will not contribute if the State
doesn't. Students won't stay if they think you changed your
mind about having a great University, about having an economy,
about a future where ambitions will be bright and real and
Alaska that will grow as you grow.
And this time they'll feel tricked. You said yes at nine
dollar a barrel oil. Don't say no at 33. We don't have to
guess where this will end up. We know too well. Fourteen out
of the last 19 years, the University has been funded at below
inflation as measured by higher education price index (HEPI).
Inflation counts. The University today has two-thirds the
purchasing power that they had in 1986. Every time you fund
below inflation, there has to be redistribution and we are
sadly, unbelievably good at it.
You know that somebody suggests, "You know, you ought to try
outsourcing." Well, I never get angry at somebody who's trying
to help. But there was a little voice in the back of my head
that says, "Gosh, I wish we'd have thought of that."
Residential dining, vending, laundry, pest control, generator
testing, has - 173, 173 separate outsourcing contracts from
the University. Others might use that as a reference book. So
another friend will say, "Wow, I guess you're going to have to
do some consolidation." Listen, we have the mother of all
consolidation. We sucked up all the community colleges. Saved
us $6 million and just on my watch we got us about $12 million
worth of grief, but we did it.
We also consolidated reasonable and sensible things, like land
management, risk management, h.r. [human resources], labor,
payroll. And sometimes it's not consolidation, it's exactly
opposite: it's distribution that helps you get by. We now
handle almost $30 million of procurement on what we call a
"pro-card", which in essence says, "let's use the less formal,
although audited, methodology of a credit card, as opposed to
a formal system to handle some of the more simple pieces of
our procurement business."
We've also done some things that nobody has suggested and that
I believe to be essentially unique. Now I'm going to compare
here because we need comparisons sometimes to understand with
the State - there's nothing [illegible word: fajorative] about
the State - and the University is a huge advantage that a
bunch of smart people who tend to stay there for a very, very
long time. They don't reorganize every time somebody has a new
idea. So we have an advantage.
I want you to think about this. We have offered now, for more
than a decade, the optional retirement plan. This is a defined
contribution plan and as opposed to a defined benefit. We've
greatly mitigated our long-term risks because there's no
medical in the future. It's essentially a 401K. I've 750
people on this plan. All of my executives and about half of my
faculty and it gains every day, more and more and more people.
It's sort of the moral equivalent of Tier IV, which is just
now being mentioned around this particular building. We've
been doing it for more than a decade. Nobody told us to do it.
We have frozen what the State calls the SBS - the Supplemental
Benefits System. We froze this almost two decades ago at
3,300. As you know, the State continues to go up with COLA and
now has a theoretical limit of about 5,300.
We put together a program we call UA Health Plan 2000. All of
my executives, all my nonrepresentative staff and this
particular program to date calls for a defined employer
contribution of about $500 a month per person. This compares
with the State's current one, which is over $700. Now, truth
in advertising: over the next several years, we are moving
this up more nearly toward that statewide number because,
frankly we compete for some of the same people and they'd
notice.
While this has gone on, we've never forgotten to look for our
future. Our own Jim Lynch [spelling not verified], working
with this Legislature in the year 2000, helped craft a bill
that has allowed a - just an exceptional college savings plan.
This is a Section 529 plan, Internal Revenue code. With that
enabling legislation, we got together with T. Rowe Price and
crafted a plan that went on the market in April of 2001. To
date the plan has attracted more than a billion dollars of
investments all for tuition. Sixty million of those dollars
are Alaskan citizens' assets. Morning Star last week, or
within the last two weeks, just rated that particular fund as
one of the top five in the country. By the way, T. Rowe Price
has funded $3 million worth of national advertising for the
product. The product is called The Alaska College Savings
Program.
We all have to be outsourced and after you've consolidated,
and after you've centralized, you cut. Over the years, we have
done things that simply hurt: cancel the 800 number that
allows distance education students to access University
education with a local phone call; canceled music and sports
as UAS; shut the Adult Learning Center in Anchorage. And we
still only teach about two thirds of the courses that are
offered by North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming. We're not
chasing down Stanford here, we're trying to get to other
states with less than a million population and offer the same
kind of things to their citizen.
I know the fiscal circumstances of this University. And I'm
telling you, we need these dollars. We are no longer
tightening belts; we're tightening a noose. We need the
minimum amount asked for. It is higher education price index,
collective bargaining contracts, plus some nursing expansion,
practical nurse education and allied health - fields into
which private industry has already put millions of dollars.
As well, the University needs to be included in legislation to
relieve the PERS/TRS [Public Employees Retirement System and
Teachers Retirement System] bill that is killing K-12
University and some municipalities.
I am very proud to be in the last frontier. Tell you something
I learned only recently that I think is remarkable: the word
"frontier" in every other Indo-European language means
"barrier" or "obstacle". Only in English does the concept of
frontier evoke limitless opportunities, countless restarts. I
used to tell people "that's all you need to know about
America."
Allison understands frontiers. She understands that they're
the fields that dream. Well we argue about means versus end.
Educating Allison so she can get a job in her community -
that's the answer. You have the means. You know the end you
want. Six years ago, the courage of this committee changed the
State. The decision is no harder today. Fund your University.
Senator Bunde appreciated Allison's letter and President Hamilton's
ascertain that she likely passed the high school exit examination
without difficulty. Senator Bunde asked the status of the need for
remedial instruction at the University.
President Hamilton was unsure of the fiscal impact, He reported
that approximately 40 percent of all students entering college
require remedial education; however, he noted that students in
Alaska require up to one year of full time classes, while most
students only need to take one or two courses. He emphasized the
need to provide remedial education, noting the need first arose
during the civil rights movement. He characterized the practice as
inclusion. He added that the University of Alaska should retain its
open enrollment policy to allow attendance of any Alaskans who
chose to become college students.
Co-Chair Wilken asked about the Board of Regents actions regarding
tuition increases in the past and future.
President Hamilton reminded that several years ago, with the
increased funding provided by the Legislature, the Board determined
to announce tuition raises in advance of implementation to allow
students to make financial plans. He expressed that the Regents
have accepted the need for tuition increases and three years ago
planned for a ten percent increase each year for four years. At
that time he noted, the University of Alaska tuition rates were
approximately 30 percent less than that charged by other schools.
He stated that although the tuition increases have been implemented
for three years, other schools have increased their tuition rates
as well and subsequently the University of Alaska tuition remains
30 percent below average.
President Hamilton continued that as a result of the tuition
increases implemented at the University, as well as increased
enrollment, the University generates $74 million annually. He
cautioned that this increase does not cover the cost of education,
reminding that the University is not a business and is not self-
sustained by tuition. He remarked that operations have become more
efficient and that a smaller percentage of the total University
budget is derived from State funding. He characterized the
willingness of students to pay the increased tuition costs to
attend the University of Alaska as an endorsement of the quality of
education received. He stated that if not satisfied, students would
"vote with their feet" and chose to not attend the University. He
cited the decreased enrollment that occurred during the 1990s when
funding was inadequate, stressing that receipt of a permanent fund
dividend is not sufficient incentive for students to retain Alaskan
residency.
SENATOR RALPH SEEKINS informed that all four of his children, their
spouses and his nieces and nephews attended the University of
Alaska. He remarked that his family was staying in Alaska because
they are members of the community, received their education in the
State, and because their spouses are Alaskans.
President Hamilton commented on the economic advantages of Alaskan
students remaining in the State after receiving their education. He
exampled the field of radiation technologies; informing that the
cost of employing a radiation technologist in Bethel costs $11,200
per month if that employee is not a local resident and $4,400 per
month to employ a Bethel resident. He attributed the difference to
recruiting, travel, housing, per diem and bonus expenses. He
stressed that it is "good for business" for Alaskans to remain in
the State. He suggested the cost of compensating Alaskan employers
to be on par with other business would be considerable higher than
the amount needed to fund the University.
President Hamilton continued speaking to the benefits of providing
education for students in the location they reside. He remarked
that nursing students from Fairbanks sent to Anchorage for their
education could not be expected to return to Fairbanks upon
graduation. He explained this is due to the "comfort" in remaining
in the hospital workplaces where they trained and have become
accustomed to. He stated that 13 of the 15 graduates of the
Fairbanks program of the previous class remained in Fairbanks.
President Hamilton reported that 81 percent of the University of
Alaska graduates remain in the State, regardless of whether they
were raised here. He stated this commitment "changes the
relationship" between the University, students and businesses, and
is "clearly the right way to go."
Senator Hoffman told of the momentum of the Yuut Elitnaurviat
Learning Center project and asked the witness' impression of the
project.
President Hamilton remarked this project is an "absolutely
wonderful opportunity to do something" that has been attempted
elsewhere. He indicated that attempts to provide vocational
education to students at the Kotzebue Technical Center have been
less successful, despite dedicated staff. He noted the advantage of
residential "opportunities" in Bethel. He stated that the
University has provided more of its discretionary funding to this
project during the previous five years than to any other. He
qualified that the amount of discretionary funds is "pitifully
small."
Representative Fate asked whether the University was still
challenged with recruitment and retention of qualified teachers.
President Hamilton answered yes. He qualified that the variances in
comparable salaries was "asymmetrical" in that professors in some
fields earned higher wages at the University of Alaska than their
colleges in other schools, while professors in other fields earned
less than their counterparts. He emphasized that some University of
Alaska staff are substantially underpaid. He also noted the
variances exist between different campuses in the University of
Alaska system. He assured the problem is not "overwhelming" but
must be addressed. He stated that recruitment efforts improved when
the Legislature began increasing the amount of funding for the
University. He also remarked on the commitment of professors to
their jobs. He shared that during the 1990s when salaries were not
increased, faculty chose to replace vacant positions rather than
distributing the funding from those positions to remaining
employees.
Co-Chair Wilken commented on the Legislature's concerns about K-12
education and the need for "prime teachers". He noted the
University currently "supplies" one of every three new teachers
hired in Alaska and that efforts were underway to increase the
number of qualified teachers graduated from the University of
Alaska. He compared the number of teachers graduating from the
University to the numbers graduated from other states of similar
populations. He listed: 262 graduates of elementary education,
secondary education, education leadership and principals from the
University of Wyoming in 2003; 298 graduates of elementary
education, secondary education, principals, superintendents and
special education majors from the University of Idaho; 432
elementary teachers, secondary teachers, principals, principals and
superintendents from the University of Montana; compared to 192
graduates from the University of Alaska. He was unsure whether the
needs were same as the other states, but surmised that Alaska
should closer match that of the state of Montana. He asked what
actions the University of Alaska is taking to increase the number
of teachers.
Co-Chair Wilken also noted the review undertaken by the University
in October 2003 relating to the University teachers education
programs and "interface with the K-12 community", as well as
efforts with the National Council on Accreditation and Teacher
Education.
President Hamilton told of a outreach program conducted at the
Tanana Valley Campus (TVC) that gathers Fairbanks area high school
students and provides courses intended to "relieve the fear of test
taking" to increase the chances that all students would pass the
high school graduation examination.
SFC 04 # 13, Side B 09:55 AM
President Hamilton stated that the University is addressing meeting
the needs of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. He informed that
University campuses have begun math and reading endorsement
programs.
President Hamilton reported that enrollment in the School of
Education has increased 18 percent to approximately 220 students in
each graduating class. He was unsure whether the number would
increase significantly higher than this. He expressed skepticism
with data from "outside", thus questioning the figures cited by Co-
Chair Wilken. Despite this, President Hamilton pointed out the
uneven demand for teachers in Alaska. He stated that three
University graduates were hired as teachers last year in Fairbanks
and one in Anchorage. However, he stressed that many graduates are
unwilling to locate in communities needing teachers.
President Hamilton continued that the University would graduate its
first class in its special education endorsement program. He stated
that the School of Education would continue its efforts in
preparation for rural teachers and indigenous teachers, which he
pointed out, are separate programs.
President Hamilton told of the requirement that early childhood
education teachers and teacher aids must complete 48 credit hours
by 2006. He expressed that it is a difficult outreach program to
operate because participants are employed and the program must be
delivered to their communities.
President Hamilton expressed "comfort" with the "direction", but
not the "status" of the University's Schools of Education. He
characterized the programs as "picked on" and "jerked around", in
the constant revision of curriculum and qualifications. He
remarked, "We absolutely want to know from people 'how are our
products doing?'" He relayed that the reports about teachers
educated at the University is "overwhelmingly, though not
unanimously positive."
Senator Olson stressed the increasing need for health care
professionals as the mean age of Alaskans increases. He asked the
impact that inadequate funding to the University would have on the
Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho Medical Education
Program [WWAMI] and nursing education programs.
President Hamilton assured he would not threaten the elimination of
any programs if the Legislature failed to appropriate the requested
amount of funds to the University. He agreed these programs are
important and that efforts would be made to continue them. However,
he pointed out that the increased costs of PERS and TERS could not
be absorbed and that programs subsequently would be negatively
impacted. He stated that the Board of Regents would make actual
determinations as to how reductions would be implemented.
President Hamilton did caution that over the long term, if adequate
funding were not provided the size of the University would
"shrink". He stressed that the workforce development programs would
be reduced first, primarily because fewer students are enrolled in
those programs. He compared the cost of providing a welding course
for eight students to the cost of an English class for 30 students,
and advised that the welding course would likely be eliminated. He
explained the need for core programs, such as English and
Humanities would because they are required for every degree
program.
Senator Bunde asked about the land grants and the ability of the
University to generate revenue from these sources.
President Hamilton recalled the efforts undertaken in the past four
years in developing the land held by the University. He reported 78
million feet of lumber has been marketed, 8,000 acres sold and
development has begun on 18 different subdivisions. He calculated
the revenue generated from these activities at $42 million. While
he praised the land grant system, he cautioned that the remaining
quarter of a million acres of land held by the University is
"picked over" and of a lesser value. He stated that most recent
estimates anticipate that if the land were "properly developed", in
20 years the endowment would generate $6 million annually. He
appreciated attempts to address the University's budget with land
grants, but expressed concern that assumptions would be made that
this process could be substituted for other funding.
Senator Seekins shared that several years ago, when his daughter
was a senior in the School of Education program at University of
Alaska, Fairbanks, she participated in a program that sent students
to remote communities for student teaching. He understood this was
an expensive program to operate and asked whether it continues and
would continue.
President Hamilton agreed the program is expensive, explaining the
need for supervision. He informed of plans to regionalize the
program to allow supervisors to visit students stationed in rural
communities on a "circuit rider" system, rather than traveling to
and from Fairbanks for every visit. He stated this would be
undertaken utilizing federal funding.
Senator Seekins commented that this experience was an "eye opener"
in exposing his daughter to life in rural communities. He
recognized a "tremendous value" in showing young people these
opportunities for teaching, as well as the realization to students
that life is not as "bad" as they may have imagined.
Senator Bunde noted that some federal financial aide programs
provide incentives for recipients to enter fields where trained
workers were needed, such as special education. He suggested a
similar approach could be considered in encouraging participants of
the Alaskan Scholars Program to pursue careers in rural teaching or
nursing.
President Hamilton assured he would give the suggestion
consideration.
Representative Moses asserted that President Hamilton has given the
Finance Committees many reasons why it should take action in
assisting the University.
Co-Chair Wilken recognized the contributions of Marshall Lind,
Chancellor of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and former
Chancellor of the University of Alaska, Southeast, and educator for
many years, who would be retiring this year.
Co-Chair Wilken commented that he "suffered through" two
presentations to the Senate Finance Committee by the former
University president. Co-Chair Wilken appreciated President
Hamilton's leadership in "pulling the team together" and improving
the University system.
ADJOURNMENT
Co-Chair Gary Wilken adjourned the meeting at 10:11 AM
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