March 14, 2023

                                                                                             Daylight: 11:35:15

Spring Break!    

Spring break is here; you have arrived. Amazing. Welcome to your oasis in the long journey of the semester. What does your island of tranquility look like? Are you hanging out in a quieter-than-usual residence hall? Are you in a cozy cabin surrounded by snow? Are you someplace far away from the snowy north? Someplace warm and green and tropical? Are you working extra hours to help make ends meet? Wherever you are, I hope and trust you are taking some time away from your studies to rest your brain. Recharge. 

This is the time to gather your resources for the final push to the end of the semester. This is your base camp. It is time to replenish your spent reserves. Spend time with family and friends. Exercise. Get outside. We are nearly back to 12 hours of daylight here in Fairbanks - and we won’t stop there. By next Monday, we’ll have more daylight than all points south. Get ready. 

Here is something amazing you should know: Over the past weekend, the great people at the Office of Information Technology moved our UA Online software off of decades-old hardware; it is now supported from a comfy high-tech home in ‘the cloud.’ This is a huge step forward for the student information systems at UAF. From this new home, the plan is to start to dig into the next phase of serious modernization - making things better.

Have a great week! Enjoy the fantastic weather and I wish you peace and joy each day.

Let me know where you are and what you are doing for the break that has you excited! 

As always, I’m at obguthrie@alaska.edu.

— Owen Guthrie, vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management.