During last week’s Statewide SDI Planning Meeting the chancellors from all three MAUs talked about the issues, problems and potential solutions directly related to the five Strategic Direction themes selected at the meeting.

UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers addressed the importance of taking a completely different look at how student success is measured. “If we really want to know whether students are attaining their goals, then we need to know the day they enter our campuses what it is they want to attain. That implies a whole different approach toward engaging first-time entrants into the university system,” said Rogers.

UAS Chancellor John Pugh discussed another key issue, which may also require a new approach. “We have to send the message that we need ‘student accountability’ if we’re going to be successful as a system. A recent national research study shows students in universities nationwide study half as much as students who studied at universities 30 years ago. If we’re going to provide a quality education system, we may have to set some bars differently… at the front end. Our students need to know that higher education is a full time job. You’re going to have to put in 40 to 50 hours a week in order to succeed,” added Pugh.