Statewide Proposed General Fund Increment
Requests FY 2016
August 7, 2014
Statewide Budget FY15 - Unrestricted and Restricted Funds
Revenue
Unres tri cted
Genera l Fund a nd TVEP
$ 30,604,900
Res tri cted
Tota l
$30,604,900
Federa l Recei pts
5,743,000
5,743,000
Sta te Inter-a gency gra nts
1,917,600
1,917,600
Interes t Income
793,800
793,800
Student Tui tion a nd Fees
1,707,500
1,707,500
Indi rect Cos t Recovery
4,100,000
4,100,000
Uni vers i ty Recei pts
CIP Recei pts
UA Intra -a gency Tra ns fers
11,391,600
123,200
11,514,800
249,700
249,700
13,429,900
13,429,900
$ 62,277,400
$ 7,783,800
$70,061,200
$ 30,335,100
$ 1,508,900
$31,844,000
1,069,500
25,100
1,094,600
27,213,100
6,242,900
33,456,000
1,410,300
6,900
1,417,200
Expens e
Sa l a ri es a nd Benefi ts
Tra vel
Contra ctua l Servi ces
Commodi ties
Equi pment
286,300
286,300
Student Ai d
167,500
167,500
1,795,600
1,795,600
Other
$ 62,277,400
$ 7,783,800
Staff
authorized - 275
filled - 242
$70,061,200
2
Meeting FY15 Budget Challenges
Reductions
 SW General Fund:
 Travel:
$ 1.2M
$ 78.9K
3
Guiding Principles
SHAPING ALASKA’S FUTURE POLICY
5 Themes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Student Achievement and Attainment
Productive Partnerships with Alaska’s Schools
Productive Partnerships with Public Entities and Private Industries
Research and Development (R&D) and Scholarship to Enhance Alaska’s
Communities and Economic Growth
5. Accountability to the People of Alaska
4
Continued





No net growth in personnel
Reduce the cost of UA operations overall
Do not eliminate, wise investments
Find ways to increase revenues
Be bold with new ideas
5
FY 15
Steps Taken

Began ahead of the curve – Reduced FY14 base operating budget by 4.8% and mitigated the
expected shock of FY15 as a result

Eliminated Corporate Programs

Reduced institutional support to revenue-generating departments

Reclassified positions as vacancies occurred

Did not fill all staff vacancies…attrition reduction

Increased vacancy hiring delay from 60 days to 120 days (not supportable as a plan)

Increased network fees by 0.5%

Travel reduced by 20%
6
Statewide Summary of Requests Received for FY16
 Operating Funds Requests $8.2M
 Capital Funds Requests $37.9M
7
Operating Funds Requests
Academic Affairs
GF
NGF
Fisheries, Seafood, Maritime Initiative
$150K
Teacher Recruitment, Preparation, and Mentoring
$4.3M
$430K
Concurrent (Dual) Enrollment Proposal
$3.5M
$350K
UA Degree Completion Initiative
$250K
$ 25K
(10% of GF)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Total operating funds request
$ 8.2M
$805K
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1. Fisheries, Seafood, Maritime Initiative
SAF Theme #2
GF $150K

UA will be able to develop aligned investment as called for by the Alaska Maritime Workforce
Development Plan, recently endorsed by the Alaska Workforce Investment Board. This
model replicates the successful working model achieved by the College of Health at UAA.
The 3 universities and community campuses in conjunction with the Alaska Health Workforce
Coalition, will work closely to address priority workforce shortages based on UA industry
engagement. The potential for this investment is a game changer for students seeking
career pathways and employment opportunities in the seafood harvesting and processing,
maritime support, transportation and management sectors.

This request is also based on the TVEP budget allocation for the facilitation and development
of the Alaska Maritime Workforce Development Plan.

I anticipate $125K for 1 (FTE) salary and benefits; $10K for travel; $15K for contractual
(professional development, meeting logistics, convening, publishing-printing, research)
needs.
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2. Teacher Recruitment, Preparation, and Mentoring
SAF Theme #2


GF $4.3M
NGF $430K
This increment request supports the Shaping Alaska’s Future theme Productive Partnerships with Alaska’s Schools.
Its specific purposes are fivefold:
1.
Increase the high school to educator pipeline by creating a cohort based Alaska Native Teacher Education
Program (ANTEP) that results in more Alaska Native paraprofessionals and certified teachers;
2.
Implement a program for well prepared Alaskan education paraprofessionals to become certified teachers;
3.
Improve the quality and collaboration of teacher preparation programs across the state, especially in
preparation for new Council for the Accreditation of Education Programs (CAEP) requirements and in
helping students improve mathematics and reading success;
4.
Strengthen the Alaska Teacher Placement Program using data and analytical feedback to improve teacher
placement ;
5.
Provide highly qualified teacher mentoring and administrative coaches to reduce the turnover of new
teachers and administrators and help them be effective faster, especially in rural Alaska. International
(Finland) and national data credits these as being a major factor in teacher retention.
$4.3M would be distributed as 1M ANTEP, 1M paraprofessional program, 1.5M teacher prep, $100K ATP, and $700K
ASMP/Admin Coaching. NGF is estimated at 10% of GF.
10
Continued
Background

Alaskan school districts hire more than 1000 teachers each year; 390 are hired from out of state on
average annually with about 60% of these being new teachers. Teacher retention for those hired from
out of state is significantly lower than those educated in state and teacher mentoring and
administrative coaching significantly improves teacher retention.

Improvements are needed in mathematics education in the K-12 system. In Anchorage 67% of all 8th
graders are proficient in math. However, only 52% of economically disadvantaged students are
proficient. Based on the past five years, it is evident that there has been little to no significant change
in the 8th grade math proficiency rates from school years 2008/09 through 2012/13 (65.81% of 8th
graders proficient in 2008/09, 69.79% in 2009/10, 66.54% in 2010/11, 69.18% in 2011/12, and 67.07% in
2012/13). Eighth graders who are proficient in math are 25% more likely to complete high school than
those who are not proficient. Reading…? EED Commissioner, Michael Hanley, indicates that Alaska
educated teachers need further development in their ability to teach reading.

The Alaska Statewide Mentor Project (ASMP) has clearly and repeatedly demonstrated that new
teacher mentoring, especially in rural Alaska, significantly reduces teacher turnover. Quality school
leadership is critical to retention as well and the Administrative Coaching Program provides critical
mentoring for new principals. The state reduced funding to ASMP and Administrative Coaching from
FY14 to FY15 by $700K. This proposal seeks recovery of that devastating oversight to Alaska’s K-12
teaching program.
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Continued

Alaska Teacher Placement can and should be doing a better job of increase the applicant pool and
providing high quality placements into Alaska school districts but lacks the resources to do so. In
particular, ATP should be providing higher quality information about living and working in rural Alaska
to potential out of state teacher candidates; providing videos documenting life in rural Alaska and rural
teacher interviews is needed. In addition, ATP should be improve retention of out of state teacher hires
by identifying out of state institutions that historically provide the highest numbers of teachers and
work with those institutions to better prepare their graduates to for employment in Alaska; this will
require conversations with these institutions and their faculty members about the required Alaska
History and Alaska Native Education coursework to become a certified teacher in Alaska. Finally, a
feedback system using data analytics should be used to continuously improve teacher placements
based on candidate background.

Establish an Alaska Native Teacher Education Program (ANTEP), an ANSEP type cohort based program
that begins in 6th grade and continues through high school and college. This program would be a
major revision of the existing Future Educators of Alaska program and would include creating pathways
to both educator paraprofessionals and certified teachers. Activities and services will begin in middle
school and continue through college graduation and would include:
Support local school-based education career-focused activities for ANTEP middle and high school
students statewide to keep the vision of a career in education in the student’s mind and supported by
their cohort group.


Provide dual-credit career path coursework in high school that applies toward education degrees and
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paraprofessional certifications.
Continued

Provide a summer bridge program including education coursework, general education, and
developmental courses to help ANTEP high school student transition into UA Schools and Colleges of
Education. PRAXIS assessment preparation would be part of the program.

Establish a system for cohorts of ANTEP college students to co-enroll in classes, share dorms, join
academic clubs and participate in professional educator conferences.

Establish a mentorship program for ANTEP college students to provide web-based mentorship to
middle and high school ANTEP clubs, as well as in-person mentorship during conferences and
academies.

Support rural Alaska internship experiences for ANTEP college seniors serving as teacher interns.

As noted in this proposal $4.3 million would be distributed as 1 million ANTEP, 1 million paraprofessional
program, 1.5 million teacher prep , $100K ATP, and $700K ASMP/Admin Coaching. NGF is estimated at
10% of GF.
13
Continued

The UA Board of Regents has requested a significant improvement in UA teacher prep programs. The president
would like to see a teacher prep proposal submitted and asked me to prepare a draft package (with other
components, e.g., mentoring, paraprofessional development, placement, and recruitment, for this
purpose. The three institutions have not made a proposal to accomplish this important task. This proposal is
scalable and component elements could be included or not as the three institutions and UA SW agree. Thus,
this one is open for discussion but generally has the support of the president in theory.

The $1 million requested for ANTEP is for initial based on doubling the number of students and schools engaged
in the current Future Educators of Alaska program and adding a summer bridge program so that the program is
more ANSEP like. An Alaska Native Education grant has been submitted for $500K/year with this model but did
not double the program in size as requested by school districts wanting to take part. Thus, the request for $1
million.

$1.5 million teacher prep with $500K to each MAU - This is scalable and subject to conversation with the three
universities - they have not responded to me yet on this. Several UA BOR members have suggested that our
schools of education should be nationally ranked. That will require investment. The model under discussion is
to put one institution in charge of a specific education program across the state but to have faculty in multiple
locations, e.g., UAF fully in charge of elementary education programs across the state with faculty at UAF, UAA,
and UAS and UAS in charge of special education across the state with faculty at UAF, UAA, and UAS. Each
program would receive additional faculty so that NCTQ standards can be met, e.g., student teachers in rural
Alaska are observed by faculty nine times per semester at regular intervals (expensive travel costs) and
significant improvements can be made in mathematics and reading development education (as requested by
Commissioner Hanley). Cost per university 3 faculty x $150K = $450K + faculty development, travel, supplies
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and equipment $50K = $500K per institution.
Continued

$100K ATP - The Alaska Teacher Placement program works with school districts across the state to fill 1000
(on average) teacher positions open annually in Alaska. The current program does not use a data feedback
approach to continuously improve placements that result in teacher retention. The $100K would be used to
fund a half-time researcher ($50K) to establish and maintain the data feedback database and analytics, a
part-time web developer ($25K) to establish and maintain multimedia material useful in recruitment of new
teachers, and $25K to expand the out of state recruitment of high quality teachers who are more likely to be
retained by Alaskan schools.

Alaska has 1800 paraprofessional educators scattered across the state. The $1 million for the
paraprofessional program would be used to create a new distance-intensive in-person hybrid program to
bring cohorts of paraprofessionals to full teacher certification. The funding would initially pay for the
development (distance and in-person curriculum) and implementation of this new program. When fully
implemented funding would cover the cost of new faculty at each university to coordinate, advise, and
teach the program (6 faculty x $150K/faculty = $900K), provide support for the significant travel costs
associated with the program (4 trips/year x 25 students x $500 = $50K) and cover faculty development,
supplies, and equipment for faculty ($50K). This program is scalable - could move to 3 faculty handling this
program - that will be a discussion with the 3 universities - they have not responded to me yet.

$700K for ASMP/Admin Coaching was taken from the EED ASMP/Admin Coaching budget from FY14 to FY15
- this request asks for those funds back - I am still waiting to hear back from EED whether they want to
submit this or they want us to submit this item.
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3. Concurrent (Dual) Enrollment Proposal
SAF Theme #1
GF $3.5M
NGF $350K

High school student concurrent enrollment (earning high school credit and college credit simultaneously by
completing a university course) at UA will increase Alaska’s college going rate and decrease student
indebtedness according to well documented national data. Tech-prep, college courses offered within the high
schools are currently fee based and would not be included in this proposal.

State income per capita is strongly associated with the proportion of the population with a postsecondary
credential and that relationship has strengthened over the past 30 years. Alaska has not kept pace with other
states on the proportion of the population with postsecondary education attainment. Many states have made
progress in increasing postsecondary attainment through concurrent (dual) enrollment programs for high
school students. For example, Colorado students who take dual enrollment classes are twice as likely to
complete college. Washington State’s Running Start initiated by the Legislature as a component of the 1990
parent and student Learning by Choice Law allows students in grades 11 and 12 to take college courses at
community and technical colleges, and several universities. Running Start Students and their families do not
pay tuition, but they do pay college fees and buy their own books, as well as provide their own transportation.
Students receive both high school and college credit for these classes and therefore accelerate their progress
through the education system. The exercise of that right is subject only to minimal eligibility and procedural
requirements, which are spelled out, in state administrative rules.
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Continued
 This program would positively increase secondary enrollments through the Alaska Learning
Network operated by UAS as well as programs such as the Middle College operated by UAA, the
Rural Alaska Honors Institute, the Della Keats program, and others.
 The proposed budget is based on FY13 dual enrollment (within UA and allows for 50% growth in
that figure. In FY13 2020 high school students generated 12,850 dual enrollment student credit
hours (this does not tech-prep). Allowing 50% growth in dual enrollment student credit hours
results in the budget proposal of 12,850 X 181 ($/credit hour) x 1.5 = $3.5 million. Students would
be responsible for paying course fees and these fees, based on 10% of GF, would generate the
$350K NGF noted. The budget could be reduced by focusing only on general education or on
math, English, and STEM coursework; however, Alaska needs vocational postsecondary
graduates as well as baccalaureate graduates.
 With a few exceptions, e.g., voc-tech programs, Alaska high school students and their parents
generally pay for concurrent (dual) enrollment at UA institutions. This proposal supports Shaping
Alaska’s Future theme Productive Partnerships with Alaska Schools and works to improve both
college going rates and college going in Alaska rates, an effect within this theme.
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Continued

All concurrent enrollment courses should be contained within a program of study and programs of study and should
align into pathways that allow students the opportunity to earn post-secondary credits that may apply to certificates or
degrees. Enrollment in recreation classes, developmental courses, or courses that would count as electives within a
program of study would not be funded. Courses offered outside a planned program of study or not aligned with clusters
or pathways could put students’ overall eligibility for financial aid in jeopardy given the federal financial aid rules.

Students participating in concurrent enrollment should have access to informed high school guidance counselors and UA
academic advisors and develop a Personal Learning and Career Plan that details how their concurrent credits apply to
their postsecondary and career goals.

Providing secondary student access to concurrent enrollment, aligned with clusters or pathways, facilitates their
transition into college, assists in building a skilled labor pool and provides students opportunities for upward
socioeconomic mobility – especially for traditionally underserved populations.

This proposal asks the state of Alaska to pay for tuition (GF = $3.5 million) for public school students taking dual
enrollment courses; this is similar to the Running Start Program in Washington State. Thus, the $3.5 million is the GF
increment request to the state not a tuition revenue figure.

The proposed budget is based on FY13 dual enrollment (within UA and allows for 50% growth in that figure. In FY13 2020
high school students generated 12,850 dual enrollment student credit hours (this does not tech-prep). Allowing 50%
growth in dual enrollment student credit hours results in the budget proposal of 12,850 X 181 ($/credit hour) x 1.5 = $3.5
million. Students would be responsible for paying course fees and these fees, based on 10% of GF, would generate the
$350K NGF noted.
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4. UA Degree Completion Initiative
SAF Theme #1
GF $250K
NGF $25K
 Target: Previous undergraduate students who stopped out and have not
enrolled in any UA courses since spring 201X and are within 30 credits of an
associates or bachelor’s degree.
 Goal: Continue and expand the successful implementation of several ongoing
degree completion programs at UA - including: the Kodiak Homestretch
Scholarship, the Kenai River Campus Scholarship, the Kachemak Bay KPC Final
Push Scholarship, Kuskokwim Studentship Completion Campaign, Ketchikan the
Homestretch Scholarship and at Fairbanks the Ididadegree Scholarship. Provide
funding for additional degree completion programs at other UA campuses.
19
Continued

Objectives: Increase UA completion graduation rates among the Alaskan population with
significant college credit by encouraging students to return to UA and complete a degree.
•
•
•
•

Facilitate the processes from admittance to fee payment for students by making appropriate referrals
for learning and financial assistance.
Provide comprehensive advising to students receiving the scholarship award and track their progress
towards degree.
Encourage students to add the Associate of Arts degree to their baccalaureate program for returning
students or as a terminal goal for students who do not wish to complete a bachelor's degree.
Consider reverse transfer where appropriate.
Evaluation: A year-end reports including student identified, contacted, admitted, and
enrolled will be produced. Students receiving support will be expected to sign a statement
of agreement outlining the privilege of being chosen for the program. These students will be
tracked using comprehensive advising methods and their academic progress will be included
in the report.
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Continued

An actual breakdown of how the funds will be allocated is dependent on a number of variables: how
many students are attracted back to UA, the number of credits they choose to enroll in; what level of
personal or institutional aid they have available and the staffing needed to effect the triage at the
campuses. Given these constraints the following is a potential estimate of how the funds could be
allocated.

$100K = 50 full-time scholarships at $2,000 ($1,000/semester for 2 semesters)

$100K = 100 part-time scholarships at $1,000 ($500/semester for 2 semesters)

$40K = Part time staffing/stipend to assist with student outreach.

$10K for marketing and communications for the program

$250K Total
21
Continued
Why is this a Statewide request and not a request presented by the respective universities?

Since it's inception in 2010, Statewide has led UA's College Completion Scholarship program. In 2011 this
program was expanded to include, Kodiak campus and Fairbanks.

When that was successful, the program was expanded and Statewide solicited proposals from all
community campuses in 2012.

The 2012 participating campuses/programs were:
Kodiak:
Kenai River KPC:
Kachemak Bay KPC:
Kuskokwim:
Ketchikan:
Fairbanks:

Homestretch Scholarship
Kenai River Campus Scholarship
The Final Push Scholarship
Studentship Completion Campaign
Homestretch Scholarship
Ididadegree Scholarship
Statewide engagement is better suited to provide overall coordination and management of this effort and
to assure consistency, accountability, and equal access for rural campuses to participate in this program.
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Capital Funds Requests
GF
Delta Mine Training Center Acquisition
$400K
Deferred Maintenance 5 year renewal
$37.5M/yr.
__________________________________________________________
Total Capital Funds Request
$ 37.9M
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7. Delta Mine Training Center Acquisition
SAF Themes # 1, 3 & 5
GF $400K

UA’s acquisition of the Delta Mine Training Center will bring Alaska a world-class mine
training site with the UA Mine and Petroleum Training Service internationally renowned
curriculum, faculty and training programs. Year-round entry-level and advanced surface and
underground mine training programs will be accessible to prepare students for high paying
jobs in the industry. Funding will provide minor site and facility upgrades for immediate
offerings of programs.

SAF References: This initiative supports (Theme 1) Student Achievement & Attainment by
providing students from rural/remote communities to gain highly compensated employment
with highly desirable skills through a State of Alaska Center of Excellence, and supported
internationally by a multi-million dollar Canadian capital investment. DMTC quickly will
become an internationally renown workforce development initiative custom made for
important training of job ready graduates in Alaska.
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Continued
 This proposal is fully aligned with (Theme 3) Productive Partnerships with Public
Entities and Private Industries since the impetus for the MAPTS auxiliary unit is
based-on and fully dependent upon the active participation and guidance of
employers, Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Canadian
partners, and other stakeholders to invest in, recruit, screen, interview, validate
curriculum and hire the students for the program to be successful.
Accountability to Alaskans (Theme 5) is also well served by this investment since
the outcome of students trained can take the investment of state funds and
return highly qualified and trained student into the workforce where they will
earn on average, $90,000 per year into their community. This creates an
economic stimulus to the region and state.
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8. Deferred Maintenance
SAF Theme #5
GF $37.5M
 Funding supports reduction of the DM backlog to an acceptable level
(approximately 10% of the replacement value) which minimizes expenditures for
emergency response maintenance, and allocates approximately $12.5 million to
elimination of DM for those facilities ten years old and newer so that they may
be covered under the University Building Fund. Reduction of DM backlog has
been the Board’s top priority for capital funding for several years
 Given OMB guidance to “…propose a FY 2016 DM package representing a
continuation of the Governor's DM initiative…” we will do exactly that and
submit a continuation of our highly successful UA DM 5 year program.
26