Bonnie Nygard Retires We are saddened to announce that Bonnie Nygard, Assistant Provost for Workforce Development and Career Pathway Planning, will be leaving UAA at the end of June. After 24 years of service, Bonnie and her family will be moving to Wisconsin to take on new challenges and to be closer to immediate family. Bonnie has made so many contributions to UAA that she has become part of the fabric of the university. We will all miss her vision, her energy, and her ability to get things done. Since her arrival in 1984, Bonnie has served in many pivotal roles in CTC and throughout UAA, including program chair for UAA Physical Education and Recreation, faculty member for the College of Education and the Community and Technical College (CTC), Associate Dean and Interim Dean for CTC, and now as the Assistant Provost for Workforce Development and Career Pathway Planning. Some of Bonnie's notable accomplishments include leading an award-winning strategic planning process in collaboration with industry partners, assisting the University of Alaska in defining the workforce development mission with a focus on career pathways, assisting in the development of the first formalized tech prep system in Alaska, and co-authoring a number of publications in her field. In speaking with her about her time at UAA, Bonnie said, "After more than twenty years, serving in a wide variety of positions and capacities, I can say without hesitation that UAA is a great place to be. The foundation for a career pathway framework is now in place at UAA, and I am confident it will thrive and grow. Being a part of the initial phases of this approach has been very rewarding - watching it grow will be exciting. Regardless of where my professional path leads me, it will always be a great day to be a Seawolf!" We will miss Bonnie's visionary leadership and wish her well as she takes on new challenges.

June 2007

Despite the chilly temperature outside, it grows warmer in CTC by the day.  So much positive energy and drive – I want to highlight what’s “hot.” 

We’re approaching the end of the fiscal year and the target date for completing our AY07 Career Cluster priority projects.  We’ll produce a report in September but early successes include

• Progress on facilities improvements, i.e. the Dental Clinic remodel, due to be completed by opening of fall semester; expansion and furnishing of Chugiak Eagle River Campus; and rehabilitation of Aviation’s new hangar and parking spaces. Some progress also on short-term accommodation of HPER’s instructional space needs in ESB.   
• Progress on streamlining student services processes for Military Base and Post operations – reducing staff travel and downtime and thus increasing more time for students; new dependents’ tuition assistance fund established.
• Progress on market study for BAHRM in Culinary Arts.
• Increasing donations to enable opening foundation accounts now in 12 of 16 cluster areas (we began the year with 3); also have 6 endowments established each requiring a minimum of $25,000 to open.
• Holding the first statewide Transportation and Power conference at ADT.
• Held statewide CIOS meeting for faculty planning and collaboration; similar effort planned for CNT as well as exciting collaborations with MatSu and soon Kodiak.
• From the preliminary showing, the new ADT promotional video just plain rocks! When you see it you’ll want to explore a new career as an automotive technician.

Other accomplishments of note…

• With all of the career cluster industry forums accomplished, priority projects scored, and merits debated, we’re honing in on AY08 projects. Late summer will see each of the cluster leads working with their teams to complete the Outcomes Definitions for the AY08 Career Cluster Plans.  These forms show the action steps toward successful project completion and are the driver for next year’s beautiful and motivating Nav Charts.  
• The CTC Leadership Team began reviewing the draft Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) plan, developed initially by the DCT, and on the table for broader discussion across CTC in the fall.  An excellent start on Recruitment and Retention, with Placement and Follow-up scheduled for more detailed planning this coming year. The SEM is one of the 7 UA metrics.  
• I summarized the results of this winter’s faculty chats and the spring staff chats.  Lots of good observations and ideas for improvements – some in CTC and some beyond.  Will integrate these findings in our SEM and Career Cluster planning, as well as our routine work to make life at CTC better for all of us.  Staff strongly recommended, and I’ll schedule them for fall, that I hold similar sessions with students.
• We’re coming to the close on a large number of recruitments – we’ll introduce a number of new folks at fall in-service, and I’ll also put out a more formal announcement, but very briefly we have new faculty in CPDS (Comp and Math), CM, Culinary, CNT, Transportation, Dental Assisting, MLT, as well as a new associate dean and permanent director in Aviation. A failed search for a new grants/contracts/development officer has sent us back to the drawing board.  We are searching for a number of important staff positions in aviation, CDT/TECT, and the dean’s office. A new Culinary staff member joins us, and another of our most important hires is a new Tech Prep assistant – a CIOS student of whom we’re so very proud. More detail as is due them, later this summer.
• The Aviation English project is moving along and scheduled for an opening offering in January 08. Special thanks to Christina Gheen for this effort.

  In early May we said good-bye to former Chancellor Elaine Maimon and Vice Chancellor Gebe Ejigu – both off to Governor’s State University in Chicago.  We wish them well.  Both were ardent supporters of the mission and good works of CTC.  Among changes closer to home we’ve said adieu to Ken Weyand, Jean Bokman, Gerry Busch, John Mears, to Marina Makarova, Jeremy Hughes, Linda Pearson, George Oweletuk and Sarah Browngoetz.  Sandra Carroll Cobb returns to HPER as faculty chair. A special thanks to Sandra for her service as interim associate dean for two years.

By now you all know but CTC and UAA say farewell this summer to Bonnie Nygard – her family is moving back to Wisconsin and on to a new chapter.  Of course we will miss her actual presence (how could we not?)  but her influence will live on in many processes, programs and materials that – ever the good Seawolf - she developed and shepherded on behalf of our students. 

While the pace in summer feels more relaxed, the work program list of things to do is immense. Gratefully, sometimes the quiet yields more productivity but most importantly is gives us time to reflect, to think with and talk to others. Despite the office demands I encourage us all to take time to look up, enjoy the view that only Alaska – and Anchorage can provide and remember to ‘be happy and be grateful.’


Jan