Statewide Academic Council Summary – March 21, 2013
Present: Dana Thomas, Susan Henrichs, Dan Monteith, Cathy Cahill, Elisha Baker, Robert
Boeckman, Rick Caulfield, Kit Duke, Dan White
1. Approval of the summary of the 2.20.13 meeting – Attachment
2. New Program Proposals? Deletions? What programs do you have in development? Yes, one at
UAS and one at UAA but not ready yet. FYI - INBRE biomedical minor, graduate certificate, BSMS fast track needs collaboration – Cheryl Frye, Barbara Taylor, Jan Harris, Bill Hogan, and
perhaps others need to sort this out.
3. Common format for Program Review reporting –Continuation of discussion of cost/efficiency
analysis and consistency in this regard across MAUs – Attachments – Provost Baker gave a
summary of how UAA is using the summary. UAF has a lot of data on academic programs but
much of that is lacking for student service and other nonacademic programs. Baker will find an
opportunity for Leonardi to present to SAC.
4. Complete College America – the governor has received the annual invitation from CCA and
would like our response – this time fairly quickly – letter to be submitted by March 27, 2013.
Susan, Bear, Robert will help as needed.
5. Academic Mission Area Analysis (MAA) & Statement of Need (SON) – UAF West Ridge
Revitalization Plan $300 million overall – Dan White - Attachment – Context with respect to
sequestration and state budget projections. Many old buildings on West Ridge – this is part of
UAF’s Master Plan, Strategic Plan, and the Academic Master Plan. Compared to peers UAF
receives the most grant funding. Getting students into some of the existing spaces is critical and
the flow of faculty and students. SCoR plan – identifies niche and halo areas and this proposal
supports this plan. Economic development involving venture capitalists is a common theme
among universities. Flexibility and sharing of spaces is needed – labs are non-assigned labs, flex
space included, bridges between spaces to encourage interdisciplinary work space. Innovation
by design was critical for engineering building and will be important for West Ridge. UAF heat
and power plant currently asking for $22mil for planning and prep; full cost is $240 mil – looking
for alternative funding approaches. Impact on annual operating budget. Kit Duke – we will have
to be much more creative about how to fund the revitalization over the next 5-10 years.
6. Solving the C- versus C transfer issue – request to faculty alliance to investigate and make
revisions as needed – Dana reminded all to continue to pursue a solution, recognized that each
is working on it, and that we are not looking for lowest common denominator solution; we are
looking for consistent solution across UA.
7. UAF Proposal for differential tuition: School of Management – Attachment – Susan Henrichs –
Because of BOR limit on tuition increases UAF SOM is hard pressed to meet budget demands.
AACSB accreditation at risk because of faculty salary costs. Susan will make a revision of this
proposal and resubmit. Fee approach would be unusual because this one is about faculty
salaries – could use a combination of exceptional tuition and student fees. Saichi Oba - Special
tuition or tuition surcharge are to be treated as fees; regular tuition is what all students pay.
Susan – choosing to treat as a super tuition based on advice from Ashok Roy. UAS distance BBA
program and intent to get specialized accreditation (ICBE). Saichi - UAF SOM looking for
additional funding to continue operations as they are – not adding more value – Emergency
Management students are included in this change – will they get the premium salaries that
other SOM graduates will? Rick and Bear surprised by TVEP proposal from SOM. Susan –
workload of faculty has been changed, hired contingent faculty, and made other changes to
reduce costs – no additional steps apparent without giving up programs or specialized
accreditation. Get SOM Deans together? Saichi - Could UAA-UAF combine efforts to help with
cost savings? Susan – serious difficulties – accreditation issues? Merger would be challenging to
accomplish.
8. SmartThinking online tutoring service – Attachment – Dana summarized elements of this service
including a) can restrict topic area, e.g., math and English, b) their data indicate that demand for
existing in-person tutorial services increases when this online approach is implemented, c) well
qualified tutors. Should we consider this as a system to improve scale for cost savings?
Especially appropriate for online students? Try it out for them? Rick will talk with Ketchikan and
Bear will talk with the UAA SSS and Multicultural Affairs.
9. Program review regulation change proposal – Should the president adopt a regulation indicating
that “Any undergraduate program with less than 5 graduates total over the past five years and
less than 5 current declared majors shall be put before [before SAC for a recommendation] the
BOR for consideration of [merging], suspension of admissions and elimination. Any graduate
program with less than 2 graduates over the past five years and less than 3 current students in
the program shall be put before [SAC for a recommendation to the BOR] the BOR for
consideration of suspension of admission and elimination.” Robert – should new programs be
excluded for some period? Hold them to their initial proposal for a new program. Many
programs fall below this criteria like Alaska Native programs, some at rural campuses so could
be politically sensitive. Rick – does not object to scrutiny and reporting; identify these and bring
before SAC – could create collaboration opportunity. MAUs obligated to report programs falling
into these categories and report to SAC at August meeting.
10. Policy and Regulation Review - Attachment
(10-04) – minor revisions related to e-Learning – Okay with all - done
11. *Late addition - SAC Schedule – mailed to you today – reply within 48 hours
12. * Late addition - SDI Dean and Research Director meeting dates – April 8 or 15? Just before June
BOR or just after? Can we do it sooner? Rick – hold these at MAU location? Post
commencement – preference – week of May 27th works – all hands meeting in Anchorage would
be 30-35 from UAF – April will not work – too many absences – substitutes allowed like
associate director – 25 at minimum UAA, 10 UAS. Designed to encourage like groups to talk at
table together (e.g., management deans). Start at 10 rather than 9am for UAS. SDI document
produced – effect statements. Not having a final or semi-final version makes it difficult for
provost to prepare deans for this meeting. We need to send SDI products to deans/directors to
prepare – e.g., effect statements, themes/topics, question. What is the primary purpose of
dean/director meeting – do they get to have their say on effect statements? Or is this about
how they help with implementation? What are the questions we are asking, what are the
intended outcomes of the meeting? How will those outcomes be summarized and
communicated?
13. *Late addition - Credit Hour Policy – statewide policy (say must be consistent with NWCCU
requirements) and reg – gives definition. General appreciation for a definition in regulation –
address federal requirement in discussion. Provosts will send current policies to Dana and Dana
will draft a regulation for consideration.
14. FSMI Update – Attachment
15. Topics for April SAC meeting?
a. Continuing education database – Ellucian software – Dana Thomas
b. Common student survey across MAUs
c. Distinguished Professor – President likes the idea of special recognition by the BOR for
truly exceptional faculty members, e.g.,
i. Research -faculty with > 100 peer reviewed publications
ii. Teaching – faculty with a text book used by more than X students or institutions
(not counting UA)
iii. Service - ??
d. Discussion of FY15 budget proposals?
i. E-Learning?
ii. Acceleration Project – re-inventing developmental education (like California,
Virginia) Include near completers and probation students?
iii. Research seed/match – regents support this
iv. Mining
v. FSMI
16. FYI - April A&SA agenda overview
a. Fee Report – Gruenig, Henrichs, Kalina or Baker, Caulfield
b. Academic Mission Area Analysis & Statement of Need for UAF West Ridge Rivitalization
Plan – Mark Myers
c. FSMI update
17. FYI – Future BOR draft agendas overview
a. Developmental Education – June (set)
b. Program Review – September (set)
18. Roundtable
None – P&T