CAS 2027 Strategic Plan

CAS Mission Statement

The College of Arts and Sciences is a welcoming and diverse academic community, providing a world-class, Alaska-rooted education that prepares students for the challenges of today and tomorrow through educational excellence, transformative research, creative expression, and community engagement.

CAS Five Aspirations

Students First overlay on photo of students in the field with professor

Students First

Embrace Our Differences overlay on photo of professor teaching students in a classroom

Embrace Our Differences

Be the Public Square overlay a professor with a young kid at UAA STEM Day

Be the Public Square

World Class Creatvity overlay students singing for Symphony of Sounds

World Class Creativity

Collaborative Community overlay on small group of students and instructor in class

Collaborative Community


  • Students First
    Enhance student experience through curricular and co-curricular opportunities
    • Curricular review and development to provide innovative and relevant courses and programs that are responsive to local, state, and global needs.
    • Provide meaningful co-curricular opportunities (community engagement, research, student abroad, assistantships, …).
    • Enhance support for students, including advising, tutoring and scholarships.  
    • Develop a robust work-based experience program (internships).
    • Increased and regular communication of opportunities to students.
    • Fundraise to provide additional support and resources to students for scholarships, assistantships, and other activities. 
  • Embrace Our Differences
    Learn from one another, champion diversity, and allow all people to be seen and heard
    • Intentionally hire faculty and staff that reflect the diversity of our student population.
    • Elevate place-based and Alaska native learning opportunities.
    • Develop curriculum and programs that celebrate diversity.
    • Promote faculty development that increases student inclusion in their learning.
    • Showcase relevant scholarship and staff contributions that advance diversity.
  • Be the Public Square
    Elevate community engagement on campus and beyond
    • Increase community presence through sponsored events such as the CAS Community Lecture, other public lectures, and Fine Arts events, as well as through an increased presence at local events.
    • Increase K-12 outreach through, for example, summer camp offerings, STEM Day, etc.
    • Fundraise to provide resources for special projects, workshops, and events for all CAS departments, like public lectures, workshop sessions, performances, or art exhibitions.
    • Increase communication with the community regarding CAS events and activities.
    • Strengthen ASD Partnerships including professional development and graduate training for ASD teachers, partnerships between faculty and ASD teachers, dual credit offerings, school events at the high schools and on campus.
  • World Class Creativity
    Demonstrate the global reach and local relevance of our education, research, and creative activity
    • Celebrate excellence in creative activities and research within CAS, recognizing its global and local impact.
    • Demonstrate the value of research and creative activity to our economy and quality of life in Alaska; new knowledge and scholarly works benefit the community and contribute to a highly skilled and capable workforce of UAA graduates.
    • Cultivate collaborative teaching, research, and creative activity among faculty.
    • Develop themed classes and/or pursue cluster hires around important, unifying issues of global and local significance.
    • Support and promote undergraduate and graduate student research through robust faculty mentorship and student support.
    • Provide cutting edge technology and equipment to support innovative, high impact practices both in education and in scholarly activity.
  • Collaborative Community
    Build a collaborative community for faculty and staff through increased recognition, support, and effectiveness
    • Recognize faculty and staff for their excellent work
    • Strengthen communication between faculty, staff and administration.
    • Support faculty and staff financially, institutionally, and through a collegial workplace environment.
    • Promote faculty and staff agency through professional development and institutional process review.
    • Advocate for and support needed university-wide improvements.