New website tracks UA consolidation planning efforts

At its July 30 meeting, the Board of Regents directed President Johnsen to reduce administrative costs and prepare a plan to transition to a single institution. That action created a framework for detailed planning that will occur in preparation for the Sept. 12-13 Board of Regents meeting.

A website, New UA (alaska.edu/NewUA), has been created to track the planning process and host planning documents, feedback forms and other information on restructuring the university system.

To meet the Board of Regents' request for a strategic approach to combining academic colleges and schools, consolidating research institutes and enhanced integration of community campuses, a series of facilitated workshops are planned for the week of Aug. 19. Discussion groups facilitated by Dr. Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld from Brandeis University will look at eight areas: Health, Engineering, Education, Management and Business, eLearning, Research, Sciences/Arts/Humanities and Career and Technical Education/Community Campuses. Other areas will be the focus of additional discussion groups.

Teams also are being formed to consider consolidation of administrative functions including information technology, university advancement (university relations, development and alumni relations), financial services, procurement services, public safety and compliance, and facilities. The redesign of human resources already began in May 2019.

UA leadership is committed to an open, transparent process and will be posting and sharing planning documents as they are drafted. Your feedback is an important part of this process.

The first steps in restructuring planning include:

• a statewide, multi-stakeholder survey, which launched the week of Aug. 5;
• a meeting of special subcommittee of the Board of Regents on Aug. 28;
• final planning documents to be posted to BoardDocs on Sept. 5;
• the statewide call-in public testimony on Sept. 9; and
• the full Board of Regents meeting on Sept. 12-13 in Anchorage, including a two-hour public testimony session on Sept. 12, 8:15-10:15 a.m.

This is a dynamic process and there will be many changes, drafts and revisions as we move forward. This website is a tool for transparency and engagement, not an indication of final decisions. Information will be updated as it becomes available.

August Archive