Board of Regents to meet Sept. 10-11, 2020
September 8, 2020
The University of Alaska Board of Regents will discuss the university’s budget and financial standing, consider a proposal to restructure and reduce UAA athletics, and review proposed bylaw changes during its Sept. 10 and Sept. 11 meeting. The board will meet from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 10, and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 11.
During the Board of Regents Audit Committee meeting last week, Interim UA President Pat Pitney led the committee members through a fiscal context discussion including the State of Alaska fiscal environment and an explanation of UA’s budget. This explanation provided fiscal context in advance of the board’s initial discussion of UA’s FY22 operating and capital budget requests, the 10-year Capital Improvement Plan, including the impact of COVID-19 on revenues and expenses scheduled for the full board meeting.
Under the compact agreement imposed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, the university’s state funding is expected to be reduced by a total of $70 million over the three years FY20-FY22. This is added to reductions in FY15-FY19. In total UA is managing $120.6 million in state funding reductions since FY14, an inflation adjusted level not seen since 1998.
Michelle Rizk, vice president of university relations and chief strategy, planning and budget officer, will present the FY22 budget preparation guidelines. The guidelines prioritize the university’s core mission, resulting in a smaller, more efficient university system that will continue to serve Alaska with high-priority programs and high-value research.
“The university is fundamental to the state’s economic recovery and its future,” Pitney said.
The three chancellors will join the discussion, including an overview of potential changes to tuition in 2022.
Following the June decision, which saw the reduction in several academic programs impacting UAS, UAF and UAA, the Board of Regents will consider UAA Chancellor Cathy Sandeen’s recommendation to eliminate men’s hockey, women’s gymnastics, and men’s/women’s skiing beginning with the 2021-22 academic year. The board held public testimony session on Aug. 31 and heard from numerous supporters of the athletic programs. Sandeen has said the recommended eliminations would save $2.4 million beginning in FY22 and maintain nine NCAA Division II teams including men’s and women’s basketball.
In July, the board’s governance committee met and recommended revisions to the bylaws of the Board of Regents to further clarify the roles and responsibilities of the board, the university president and the chancellors. The committee also recommended adding language to its bylaws designating the chancellors as the CEOs of the institutions they lead. The board will be asked to approve the proposed bylaw changes.
In other business, the board will receive an update on Title IX compliance, consider approval of honorary degrees and meritorious service awards for fall 2020 and spring 2021, and review and consider approval of action items from the board’s Sept. 3-4 committee meetings.
The full agenda is available on BoardDocs.
The board meetings will be livestreamed; live captioning is available. Or listen via audio by calling 1-866-832-7806 / PIN 8475100. If the toll-free line is busy, please call 1-330-595-1371.
The University of Alaska Board of Regents is an 11-member volunteer board, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alaska Legislature. Members serve an eight-year term, with the exception of the student regent, who serves a two-year term. The board was established through the Alaska Constitution and is responsible for University of Alaska policy and management through the university president.
For more information, contact Roberta Graham, associate vice president of public affairs, at 907-360-2416.