Friday Focus: We got this, together
August 13, 2020
— by Evon Peter, vice chancellor for rural, community and Native education
We do the best we can with where we are. This has become something of a mantra to me lately and perhaps to others as we navigate a world dramatically different than the one we had at the beginning of last academic year. As circumstances change, we find ourselves regularly needing to make new decisions and accommodations to enable life, work and studies to continue moving forward. For the time being, this is the new normal.
In early March, I had a plan for what I would be doing this August, but where I find myself is significantly different than expected. It has been stressful, challenging, unpredictable, and pushed me to the limits of my capacity. On top of a few significant life changes, several in my family fell ill with COVID-19 in July, which set us back nearly three weeks in home and work life during a busy Alaska summer. Thankfully we have recovered from the illness, but are still hustling to catch up at home and work.
I find myself reflecting on what is most important to my family and in my work at UAF, within the Alaska Native community, across Alaska, and on a circumpolar level. I expect that the impacts of the pandemic have driven others to also reflect on what is most important in their lives.
Generally speaking, we are in a moment of societal and institutional transformation. It is a time to clarify our priorities and act accordingly to support their advancement. On this path we have many challenges that lie ahead of us.
On a family level, many of us are making decisions about how to support our children’s education from home while also balancing our jobs. Several of us on the core leadership team have young children at home, so have heightened sensitivity on this matter. And our entire team is proactive in decision making about how we can be supportive of families facing this and other challenges with the start of the academic year.
At an institutional level, we continue to navigate state budget cuts that are expected to continue into next fiscal year, on top of the pandemic challenges. We are sensitive to the pressures our employees and students feel as a result of these challenges, as we also feel the weight of these times. We are grateful for all of the input we receive in varying forms that help to shape our perspectives and inform our decisions.
The chancellor’s strategic priorities help guide our decisions, and the foundations upon which UAF was built provides stable footing. We are simultaneously working to minimize negative impacts on the university’s academic, workforce, research, and student services programs while positioning ourselves for a stable and visionary future.
This approach is already resulting in some promising outcomes. In the unit that I manage, which includes all six of the UAF community campuses and delivers on the community college mission, we were just notified of two multiyear Title III awards that will go to two of our rural campuses. The Chukchi Campus in Kotzebue was notified of a $1.5 million award, and the Interior Alaska Campus was notified of a $2.25 million award! Additionally, the college received an increase of $500,000 to a competitive annual consortium award from the USDA. The community campuses serve a critical role in providing access to the University Alaska to communities across our state. They also partner with local organizations and tribes to help meet the workforce, research and academic needs of their unique regions.
So, while this year will be challenging, it will also be a time for us to continue to adapt in the best way possible given the circumstances we face. And we will accomplish it together.
Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week. On occasion, a guest writer is asked to contribute a column.