Office of the Chancellor
UAA Chancellor Sean Parnell
Former Alaska Governor Sean Parnell began his role as chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage on June 12, 2021. Since his appointment in 2021, Chancellor Parnell has pursued key initiatives focusing on college affordability, student success, and positioning UAA as a trusted community partner. The Chancellor works to advance UAA’s role as Alaska’s largest workforce provider, and the flagship university for health and Arctic public policy.
Prior to becoming Chancellor, Parnell was an attorney practicing law in Alaska for twenty-five years. Parnell served as the 10th Governor of the State of Alaska from 2009-2014. His leadership expanded funding for education, helped combat domestic violence and sexual assault, and lifted Alaska to record economic prosperity and employment. The Chancellor previously served in the Alaska State Legislature, including two terms in the House and later in the Alaska State Senate where he was Co-Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. He was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2006 and became Governor of Alaska in 2009.
Chancellor Parnell is a graduate of East Anchorage High School. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Pacific Lutheran University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Seattle University School of Law.
The Chancellor and Sandy Parnell have lived in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley for more than 35 years, and are the proud parents of two daughters and four grandchildren.
Draft SEM Plan
During the last academic year, the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs led a UAA-wide effort to develop a draft Strategic Enrollment Management Plan (SEM Plan). A draft version of the SEM plan is available for view by UAA employees on the UAA Employee Intranet. We invite you to comment on the SEM Plan by emailing uaa_feedback@alaska.edu.
Your Comments
Your comments on the draft SEM plan are requested by Chancellor Parnell. The comment period will remain open until Sept. 30, 2023. UAA employees should submit comments to uaa_feedback@alaska.edu.
UAA 2027
The UAA 2027 Strategic Plan sets forth who we are as a University and is our framework for student success. It clarifies our mission of life transformation through education. Additionally, UAA 2027 establishes the values that shape our behaviors, decisions, and resource allocations, guiding our efforts to continuous improvement. All of UAA's planning efforts align with UAA 2027. The elements of UAA 2027 cascade throughout the academic and administrative units to align our efforts around the core competencies and maximize our shared contribution to student success.
UAA Caucus
The UAA Caucus was formed as a shared governance innovation. UAA Caucus is a mechanism for collective conversation and advancing our goals as a University. We regularly bring together shared governance leaders from the Faculty Senate, USUAA, and Staff Council with the Vice Chancellors and Chancellor for meaningful conversations. The formation of the UAA Caucus was the Chancellor's direct response for better university-wide communication regarding decision-making.
