Expedited program review update

Dear UAA Students,

It is my sincere hope that your spring semester is off to a wonderful start. I firmly believe in UAA’s mission, and I am committed to creating a certain and bright future for this university. As part of that effort, I am writing to share important information with you.

You may recall the state’s budgeting process last year was particularly challenging for UAA. The university was directed to reduce expenditures and while we are making significant progress, difficult decisions lie ahead. UAA leaders are being called upon to manage our new budget reality, which means we must invest in and grow academic programs where it makes sense for Alaska, consolidate programs and services where feasible, and change the way we offer programs. It also means that in order to ensure the university’s long-term viability, UAA will need to have fewer academic offerings than we do currently.

In the coming weeks, you will hear more about expedited program review, a process of collecting and evaluating data on every UAA academic program. These reviews are designed to identify each program’s centrality to the mission of the university and its quality in terms of student learning and success while measuring overall productivity, efficiency and demand in terms of community needs and interests. More information about these program reviews, as well as a timeline for the process and a website to help answer common questions, will be available soon.

Though some program discontinuations are anticipated, most of our academic majors will not be impacted. UAA remains committed to helping you achieve your educational goals and will provide affected students with comprehensive advising and degree-completion options.

You should feel free to ask any questions of your academic advisor or get in touch with your academic dean’s office if you have questions about how this process might impact you. While there is much still unknown, please be assured that our commitment to your success is unwavering.

Sincerely,
Cathy Sandeen
UAA Chancellor

February Archive