Friday Focus: Why I love UAF
September 5, 2019
— by Keith Champagne, vice chancellor for student affairs
This week I was asked the following questions: (1) Why am I so passionate about UAF? (2) Why do I love the university so much after only being here just short of two years?
I have worked in higher education for well over 25 years. I have worked and served at a Jesuit Catholic university, a university in the state system of higher education in Pennsylvania, a public comprehensive regional university in Washington state and now at this world-class public Land, Sea and Space Grant research university.
I absolutely love working and serving at UAF; I work for and serve with a brilliant engineer as our chancellor and CEO. I find this truly awesome and amazing because engineers know how to solve systemic problems with real workable solutions where everything in reach can be utilized as a tool to achieve a desired outcome or result. I genuinely like and love serving with the university’s core executive leadership team.
I am totally in awe of the faculty, researchers and scholars who make up the institution’s academic community. They are simply amazing; a UAF student during their first year of matriculation can have access to and avail themselves of great faculty and scholars. This is practically unheard of at major public research universities of similar size. And I love the students who travel from around the globe, nation and state to attend this university. They consistently excel inside and outside of the classroom and they are very passionate about the university. I witnessed this first-hand as we all participated in the UA Strong campaign.
I am genuinely moved and touched by the UAF staff who are the heart and soul of this place. I have observed staff and personnel from all divisions, colleges, schools and sectors go above and beyond what is normally expected of them to serve and care for students, faculty and each other.
In addition, I am honored to be able to serve as vice chancellor for student affairs and as the director of athletics where I work with the hardest-working athletics department in the NCAA and where I interact with student athletes from around the world who are excelling academically and athletically. Moreover, I serve as the lead administrator of one of the best teams of student affairs and enrollment management professionals in the nation; this was one of the best-kept secrets at the university when I first arrived. Together, we have been able to completely change the campus ecology around students’ development and learning outside of the classroom while building a vibrant bridge between academic and student affairs and working with our faculty colleagues as partners in facilitating students’ learning.
Besides, I am very honored and privileged to be able to serve at an institution that on a daily basis successfully demonstrates its commitment and dedication to serving the Alaska Native and Indigenous people from various communities throughout Alaska. The highlight of my time here at UAF came when Vice Chancellor Evon Peter and his team asked me to speak at the RAHI graduation celebration and this year’s blast-off motivational event at the Rural Student Services program, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. I am also happy to have had the opportunity to work with the amazing Arleigh Reynolds and Karsten Hueffer, their team and everyone associated with the UAF BLaST program.
Furthermore, I am amazed and admire how we at the university are supported by the entire Fairbanks community, the businesses and corporations, the civic and community organizations, the military community, the medical community and all of the stakeholders and sponsors who on a daily basis are giving of their time, gifts, donations and other resources to make this university and the Golden Heart city a great place and space for all of us regardless of how we arrived here or our role, responsibility or job at UAF!
Every weekend, I call my relatives across the country to share with them about all of the awesome and amazing things that are here and what I am learning daily by being at this university. When I travel outside of Fairbanks and I share with others that I am at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, everyone is in awe. People immediately share stories of what they have read about UAF regarding climate change, global warming or the One Health initiative, which I personally continue to be fascinated with because of how it relates to what is going on in my home state of Louisiana.
As we move through 2019-2020 academic year, I encourage everyone who is associated with this world-class university to take a step back and truly reflect on what a great place and space we are all fortunate to have and experience here in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Have an awesome year!
Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.