Fran Answers Questions February 2011

"[T]he Commission finds noteworthy [UAA's] broad, transparent, and inclusive planning process, and the manner in which it has created forward momentum for the institution. In addition, the Commission applauds the institution for the camaraderie, mutual respect, culture of caring, and sense of community among and within its campuses, which reflect positively on its staff, faculty, and administration. Lastly, the Commission commends the institution's staff, faculty, administration, and external institutional advisory committee members for embracing and integrating the Public Square theme into the campus culture, thus providing research in the public interest, public access to University resources and facilities, and mutual benefit to the campuses and their communities."

-- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) reaffirming UAA's continued accreditation, February 2011

From Chancellor Ulmer and incoming Chancellor Case

Dear friends and colleagues,

We've spent much of February working together to make the upcoming chancellor transition at UAA as seamless as possible. Meetings with Governance leaders, deans, directors, faculty, staff and students are ongoing. This week we joined UAF Chancellor Rogers and UAS Chancellor Pugh in Juneau to talk with legislators. Community campus visits are also scheduled for this week. We are committed to maintaining a broad, transparent, and inclusive transition and planning process, one that reinforces the "camaraderie, mutual respect, culture of caring and sense of community" that NWCCU noted in its letter reaffirming UAA's continued accreditation this month. We encourage you to continue the open dialogue about your vision for UAA and how best we can work together to keep the momentum going. Our goal is strategic continuity to serve Alaska now and into the future.

We are accomplishing great things at UAA.

For FY10, UAA had a retention rate of 75 percent among our first-time, full-time baccalaureate degree-seeking student, nearly 12 points higher than the national average for open access public universities.

Seawolf debaters are ranked higher than ever before: 11th in the world and second in the country behind Yale.

Our men's and women's basketball teams are both second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). Nine players -- five women, four men -- made GNAC's All-Academic team. UAA not only tied for the most All-Academic team student-athletes total, our five women set a program record for the most named to any all-league academic squad in 27 years of conference affiliations. Those honored are women players Kaitlin McBride, Nikki Aden, Sarah Herrin, Hanna Johansson and Alysa Horn, and men players Liam Gibcus, Phillip Hearn, Steve White and Drew Robinson. Go Seawolves!

Human Resource Services office won first place in Small Team category at the Chancellor's Day of Service with a very creative Box for Covenant House. Cindy Douthit, from the Chancellor's Office, received first place Individual Award.

Research at UAA is being used by policy makers, business, industry and government. A snapshot of the diversity of our research is captured in just this month's list of awarding agencies and university collaborators. Highlights include Stephanie Martin, assistant professor in the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), who received two research awards: BLM/Nature Serve award of $110K for her economic work with the Rapid Ecoregional Assessment project and $80K from the State of Alaska's Division of Public Health to support work on teenage pregnancy prevention. Cornell University awarded Jens Munk, professor of Electrical Engineering, $85K to conduct investigative research on Auroral E region plasma irregularities. Chaninik Wind Group awarded ISER Assistant Professor Virginia Fay $41K to perform a cost structure assessment for existing and proposed utility collaboration for their group.

Alaska business and industry recognize the contributions UAA is making to our state. This month Weidner Property Management pledged $3M to create a business management endowed chair. In 2006, Weidner made a $1M gift to UAA to create an emphasis in real estate and property management within the Bachelor of Business Administration finance degree. The first appointment to the Weidner Chair will be a professor of property management and real estate.

Student Success

Rosalyn Thompson and Amber Vanderpool each received the prestigious U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship, which funds nine weeks of study in Russia.

UAA undergraduate Mallory Givens' research poster was selected by the Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR) to be presented on Capitol Hill April 13. CUR received nearly 700 applications and accepted just 74 posters to be presented.

Men's basketball player Brandon Walker became the 10th highest scorer in Seawolf basketball history, earning 1,138 points for his career at UAA, surpassing Kemmy Burgess (1,136, 2003-06).

Faculty and Staff Success

Pamela Embler, assistant professor of Nursing, obtained a post master certificate in transcultural nursing from Duquesne University in December 2010.

Dr. Lilian Alessa and her colleagues have approximately $5M in grants to study broad-based indigenous community networks throughout Alaska and Russia that deal with climate change and sustainability.

Program Success

UAA's Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Competition Team placed first in the Region 6 Commercial Category at the 2011 Student Competition and Construction Management Conference. Team members included Jed Shandy, Will Moran, Jason Richards, Sean Rafter, Rachael Chamberlain, Jamie Smith and Mack Pennington.

Scholarship applications increase with outreach campaign. As a result of the UAA Office of Student Financial Assistance's scholarship outreach and awareness campaign, 3,040 students submitted scholarship applications for AY12. This represents a 32 percent (960) increase in applications over AY11 and a 63 percent increase over AY10 (1,929).

UAA has been designated a Tree Campus USA for the second year in a row.

Research Publications

Institute of Social and Economic Research publishes "Alaska's Construction Spending: 2011 Forecast," predicting construction spending in Alaska in 2011 will be about $7.1 billion, up 3 percent from 2010. The biggest increases are in spending for health care, utilities and education.

Public Square

More than 300 attended the Annual National TRiO Day Celebration Feb. 18. The celebration was hosted by UAA TRiO Programs, Educational Talent Search, Upward Bound, Student Support Services and Educational Opportunity Center -- which serve low-income and first-generation college students. Chief of Staff for Mayor Dan Sullivan, Larry Baker and Congressman Don Young's representative, Tara Risinger attended along with newly appointed Anchorage District Court Judge Pamela Scott Washington, who gave the keynote address. TRiO students and their families made 76 "tie blankets" that were donated to agencies that serve homeless youth.

We gathered 867 pounds of clothing for Big Brothers, Big Sisters in the One Shirt National Collegiate Clothing Drive. Thank you to the Sociology Club, the student employees of the Recycling Crew, and the Sustainability Club for gathering clothes and thanks to all of you who donated!

Third Annual Day of Service at UAA included a Bean-A-Fit earning $1,033 for Bean's Cafe; a Have-A-Heart Box drive in which staff, faculty and students donated 175 boxes filled with items for clients of Covenant House and Bean's Cafe; and over 200 hats, scarves and pairs of gloves and socks for the homeless collected at the men's and women's basketball doubleheader.

Grants/Awards

UAA received 20 awards totaling more than $1.1 million between Feb. 7 and Feb. 21, 2011. Of these, four awards are in Instruction ($501K), 12 were awarded in the area of Research ($394K), and one award was received in Public Service ($100K). A total of $116K was received in support of other sponsored activity.

The Denali Commission awarded $315K to Jan Harris, Vice Provost of the Office of Health Programs Development to support instruction and expand the rural allied health training project in Alaska.

Development

Alaska Cardiovascular Research Foundation gave $100,000 over three years for FLEUR (Faculty Leadership in Expanding Undergraduate Research) in Health Programs. This two-part project will support financial incentives for faculty to mentor undergraduate students in research and compensate faculty for integrating undergraduate research into their curriculum within health programs.

Five advisory boards reached 100 percent giving level. The College of Business and Public Policy Advisory Board this month joined the Engineering Advisory Board, University Honors College Board, College of Arts and Sciences Board, and the Chancellor's Advisory Board at 100 percent giving. We are grateful to the anonymous donor who challenged each of these boards with a $5,000 donation when they reached 100 percent giving.

Alumni contributed 42 percent more this year than last year.

Community CampusesMat-Su College (MSC)

Rep. Don Young visits MSC to share views on energy, the fishing industry and the future of the state. Students, faculty and staff gathered in the atrium to hear the congressman talk and encourage students to turn off the television and use their education to make our country self-sufficient.

Prince William Sound Community College (PWSCC)

United Way of Valdez has granted funds to both the PWSCC Adult Basic Education program and the Maxine and Jesse Whitney Museum. The ABE program received $15,000 to use in order to further assist GED and ESL students. The Maxine and Jesse Museum received a $4,000 grant to support the Community College's second annual Community Science Night that takes place this fall.

Many thanks for all you do to make UAA a great university!