Strategic Pathways Phase 1 group options posted; open forum at UAA on Sept. 7

Dear Colleagues -

Today, the Summit Team and I heard from the Strategic Pathways review teams that have been working diligently since June on productive options for rethinking three academic and four administrative areas. I am particularly pleased these groups have stepped up, stayed with the charge, and generated not only the options I asked them to evaluate, but put forward some innovative ideas to realign university resources.

I thank each of the teams for their time, work and energy, and encourage other groups in our future phases of Strategic Pathways to follow suit.

Through Strategic Pathways, we will strengthen the University of Alaska in its service to Alaska and its people. What we have been doing to date, while great in many cases, simply will not cut it as we look forward to an economy driven less by the oil coming out of the ground and more by the ideas coming out of our brains, our labs, our studios and our classrooms.

The options suggested in each of the seven areas-the schools of engineering, management and teacher education, along with the administrative areas of procurement, information technology, research administration and intercollegiate athletics-are now posted at the Strategic Pathways website along with a feedback form for each of the seven areas for university and community input. I hope you will take the time to review and become familiar with them.

In addition, a video discussing my views on why Strategic Pathways is important to the university's future has been posted at alaska.edu/pathways today. I will be hosting a forum on each campus for staff, faculty, students and governance representatives in the coming weeks and hope you will attend and participate. The schedule is as follows:

UAF: Sept. 1, 1-2:30 p.m.-Wood Center Ballroom UAA: Sept. 7, 12:30-2 p.m.-Student Union Cafeteria, North & South UAS: Sept. 13, 2-3:30 p.m.-Egan Lecture Hall

Based on the options presented, and your input, I will be sharing my initial thoughts with the Board of Regents in September, with decisions in most cases planned for November. I also will be announcing in a few weeks the programs that will be reviewed in Phases II and III of Strategic Pathways along with the names of those who have been asked to serve on Phase II and III review teams for each area.

In the meantime, I look forward to your feedback.

Sincerely, Jim Johnsen

August Archive