Friday Focus: A whirlwind of activities
April 19, 2019
— by Anupma Prakash, provost and executive vice chancellor
“Watch out for March” was the advice I received from the former provost as she passed the baton to me last July. Little did I understand then what she meant. March certainly was a whirlwind of activities for me. It started with a trip to Seattle to attend a workshop and training organized by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an organization that accredits postsecondary institutions in seven states, including Alaska. UAF has been accredited by NWCCU since 1934, which means that for 85 years we have received this prestigious stamp of quality education and institutional effectiveness!
Speaking of accreditation, I wanted to remind everyone that UAF is in its final year of the seven-year accreditation cycle and is now concluding its comprehensive self-study report. This effort is being led by Alexandra (Alex) Fitts, vice provost and accreditation liaison officer, with support from a big team. I hope that the accreditation posters visible around the campuses continue to remind us of the importance of our five core themes: educate, research, prepare, connect and engage.
Our accreditation website has a lot of relevant information on how we measure our progress under each theme. A blue-ribbon team will evaluate our report, will meet some of you during the Fairbanks site visit on Sept. 23-25, and will gather other evidence in the process for continued institutional accreditation. A big thank-you to each of you for the role you directly or indirectly play in the accreditation process.
Other major activities in March included the promotion and tenure reviews, advocacy to the Legislature for the requested budget level for the university, planning for uncertain budget scenarios, and working to support UAA education students who chose to transfer to UAF. These planning efforts entailed significant commitment of time and effort from many of you, and for that I am sincerely grateful. Your work makes a difference every day.
Besides overseeing some of the internal functions of the university, I have been spending time building external connections and cultivating new relationships. I have benefitted from being introduced to external collaborators and organizations by university leadership, students and community members. These work-based relationships have led to new opportunities. As an example, I am actively working with the Fairbanks North Star Borough K-12 leaders to promote dual enrollment programs. And just recently, I was inducted as an honorary commander for the 354th Mission Support Group at Eielson Air Force Base. This position is already opening doors for meaningful conversations that will result in promoting mutually beneficial support services.
For now, I am looking forward to the end of the semester and for celebrating the success of many students at our 2019 commencement.
Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.