Legislature(2007 - 2008)BUTROVICH 205
02/07/2007 08:00 AM Senate SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearings: 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 SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
February 7, 2007
8:07 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair
Senator Charlie Huggins, Vice Chair
Senator Bettye Davis
Senator Gary Wilken
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Donny Olson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS:
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Tim Brady
Fuller A. Cowell
Patricia Jacobson
Kirk Wickersham
CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to consider
WITNESS REGISTER
Tim Brady
8936 Gloralee St.
Anchorage, AK 99502
POSITION STATEMENT: Nominee for the UA Board of Regents
Fuller A. Cowell
th
222 E 7 Ave #402
Anchorage, AK 99501
POSITION STATEMENT: Nominee for the UA Board of Regents
Patricia Jacobson
PO Box 8707
Kodiak, AK 99615
POSITION STATEMENT: Nominee for the UA Board of Regents
Kirk Wickersham
th
280 34 Ave
Anchorage, AK 99503
POSITION STATEMENT: Nominee for the UA Board of Regents
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the Senate Special Committee on
Education meeting to order at 8:07:48 AM. Present at the call to
order were Senators Wilken, Huggins, Davis, and Chair Stevens.
^CONFIRMATION HEARINGS: UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA BOARD OF REGENTS
CHAIR STEVENS announced that the committee would be considering
the confirmation of the four appointees to the University of
Alaska Board of Regents. He asked them to come up individually
before the committee, starting with Timothy Brady.
8:08:37 AM
TIMOTHY BRADY explained that he was appointed to the board in
2005 by then-governor Frank Murkowski, and that Governor Sarah
Palin reappointed him. He said that he believed there was a lot
of work to be done, and that he was committed to further
development of programs and campuses. He was surprised by the
scope of the University of Alaska (UA) school system.
8:09:56 AM
MR. BRADY said that he worked hard to see as many of the UA
campuses as possible, including those in Anchorage, Fairbanks,
Juneau, Kodiak, and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. He is
particularly interested in the status of the UA facilities.
8:10:39 AM
SENATOR WILKEN thanked Mr. Brady for his service and asked what
the status of the UA Alumni Association was. He said that the
association seemed unorganized.
8:11:29 AM
MR. BRADY replied that he believed the UA Board of Regents
should encourage the association to be more involved.
SENATOR WILKEN said that he hoped the Board would be able to
aide in the activeness of the UA Alumni Association in
explaining what the UA had done for them and their careers.
8:12:44 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked for a description of policy that Mr. Brady
dealt with on the board.
8:13:22 AM
MR. BRADY replied that in his tenure the board has improved its
method of project delivery. The board assembles design teams to
find competitive prices to fit the UA's budget and is much of
its policy to increase consistency. He wishes to see the UA
schools become schools of choice, more so than now.
8:16:28 AM
MR. BRADY explained that 70 to 80 percent of Alaskan residents
who attend the UA system remain in the state afterwards. He
feels the UA does a good job offering programs that lead to jobs
and careers in Alaska.
8:17:20 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked if the legislature could do anything to
allow the board to remove a member.
8:17:44 AM
MR. BRADY replied that he would not change the statutes as
currently written, because the legislature should not have to
assume that role and neither should the governor. The board does
not wish to be politically motivated.
8:18:46 AM
CHAIR STEVENS thanked Mr. Brady and invited Fuller Cowell to
testify, and asked him why he was interested in working on the
board.
FULLER COWELL replied that he was honored to be appointed and
that he saw the UA as one of Alaska's finest assets. The
benefits of the schools are long-lasting.
8:20:01 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked about Mr. Cowell's connection with the UA.
8:20:06 AM
MR. COWELL replied that he studied biology at the University of
Alaska Fairbanks, and later took courses at Cordova and
Anchorage campuses, most recently in aviation electronics.
8:21:21 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked how many flight hours Mr. Cowell had
logged.
8:21:34 AM
MR. COWELL replied that he had about 1,500 hours logged, in
several different types of flying ratings.
8:22:17 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked Mr. Cowell to explain the story of his
wife's name.
MR. COWELL explained that his wife was born around Christmas-
time and so she was named Christmas.
8:23:59 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked if Mr. Cowell could comment on how the UA
was involved in fishing studies.
MR. COWELL replied that he was not very well-versed on the
subject yet, but that he knew the UA had a sea-grant program.
8:24:33 AM
CHAIR STEVENS invited Patricia Jacobson to testify, and asked
about her involvement with the UA.
8:25:06 AM
PATRICIA JACOBSON said that she got her master's degree through
UA classes in Kodiak and Anchorage. She thinks the UA system is
a critical resource, particularly the smaller campuses. She has
also volunteered with UA marine studies.
8:27:35 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked Ms. Jacobsen how she perceived the UA system
and how she planned to work with it.
MS. JACOBSON replied that she didn't know much about the UA
system as a whole but would be totally dedicated to the entire
network of schools.
8:28:28 AM
CHAIR STEVENS remarked that he had noticed disparities in the
time required to complete similar degrees in different parts of
the state. He asked Ms. Jacobson to be aware of this in her
work with the UA.
8:29:29 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS thanked Ms. Jacobson for her work, and said that
he found her varied background well-suited to the job.
8:31:24 AM
CHAIR STEVENS invited Kirk Wickersham to testify, and asked
about his interest in the UA.
KIRK WICKERSHAM replied that he ended up in Alaska after high
school and found that he could work construction in the summer
and afford a wonderful UA education during the rest of the year.
He then continued on to Yale Law School. He is currently active
in UA alumni affairs.
He mentioned that his daughter was a staffer for Senator Bunde
and is currently a legislative liaison for the Department of
Public Safety.
8:34:12 AM
CHAIR STEVENS thanked all of the nominees for attending the
meeting and asked for a motion to approve the nominees and
forward them to a joint session of the House and Senate.
SENATOR HUGGINS seconded the motion.
8:34:51 AM
SENATOR WILKEN introduced Roger Brunner, the general counsel of
the UA.
CHAIR STEVENS, seeing no further business, adjourned the Senate
Special Committee on Education at 8:35:52 AM
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