Agenda
Board of Regents
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
Thursday, June 8, 2006; *10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Kodiak College
Kodiak, Alaska
*Times for meetings are subject to modification within the June 7-8, 2006 timeframe.
Committee Members:
Cynthia Henry, Committee Chair
Jacob Gondek
Frances H. Rose
I.
Call to Order
II.
Adoption of Agenda
Michael Snowden
Joseph E. Usibelli, Jr.
Mary K. Hughes, Board Chair
MOTION
"The Academic and Student Affairs Committee adopts the agenda as
presented.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
Call to Order
Adoption of Agenda
Full Board Consent Agenda
A.
Approval of Bachelor of Arts in Biology at the University of
Alaska Southeast
B.
Approval of a Graduate Certificate in Port and Coastal
Engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage
C.
Approval of a Graduate Certificate in Special Education at the
University of Alaska Anchorage
D.
Approval of Associate of Applied Sciences in Construction
Management at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
E.
Approval of Associate of Applied Sciences in Automotive
Technology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Ongoing Issues
A.
Update on Student Services
B.
Update on Fees and Total Costs to Students
C.
Report on Tuition Surcharges
New Business
Future Agenda Items
Adjourn
This motion is effective June 8, 2006."
Academic & Student Affairs Committee: Page 1 of 7
Agenda
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
June 8, 2006
Kodiak, Alaska
III.
Full Board Consent Agenda
A.
Approval of Bachelor of Arts in Biology at the University of Alaska
Southeast
Reference 13
The President recommends that:
MOTION
"The Academic and Student Affairs Committee recommends that the
Board of Regents approve a Bachelor of Arts in Biology at the
University of Alaska Southeast. This motion is effective June 8,
2006."
POLICY CITATION
Regents' Policy 10.04.02 – Degree and Certificate Program Approval,
states "All academic and certificate program additions, deletions, major
revisions, and offerings of existing programs outside the State of Alaska
will be approved by the Board of Regents." (05-07-81, revised 02-16-96)
RATIONALE AND RECOMMENDATION
Reference 13 contains the rationale for approval of this program.
University administration will review the proposal with members of the
committee.
B.
Approval of a Graduate Certificate in Port and Coastal Engineering at the
University of Alaska Anchorage
Reference 14
The President recommends that:
MOTION
"The Academic and Student Affairs Committee recommends that the
Board of Regents approve a Graduate Certificate in Port and Coastal
Engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage. This motion is
effective June 8, 2006."
POLICY CITATION
Regents' Policy 10.04.02 – Degree and Certificate Program Approval,
states "All academic and certificate program additions, deletions, major
revisions, and offerings of existing programs outside the State of Alaska
will be approved by the Board of Regents." (05-07-81, revised 02-16-96)
RATIONALE AND RECOMMENDATION
Reference 14 contains the rationale for approval of this program.
University administration will review the proposal with members of the
committee.
Academic & Student Affairs Committee: Page 2 of 7
Agenda
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
June 8, 2006
Kodiak, Alaska
C.
Approval of a Graduate Certificate in Special Education at the University
of Alaska Anchorage
Reference 15
The President recommends that:
MOTION
"The Academic and Student Affairs Committee recommends that the
Board of Regents approve a Graduate Certificate in Special
Education at the University of Alaska Anchorage. This motion is
effective June 8, 2006."
POLICY CITATION
Regents' Policy 10.04.02 – Degree and Certificate Program Approval,
states "All academic and certificate program additions, deletions, major
revisions, and offerings of existing programs outside the State of Alaska
will be approved by the Board of Regents." (05-07-81, revised 02-16-96)
RATIONALE AND RECOMMENDATION
Reference 15 contains the rationale for approval of this program.
University administration will review the proposal with members of the
committee.
D.
Approval of Associate of Applied Sciences in Construction Management
at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Reference 16
The President recommends that:
MOTION
"The Academic and Student Affairs Committee recommends that the
Board of Regents approve an Associate of Applied Sciences in
Construction Management at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
This motion is effective June 8, 2006."
POLICY CITATION
Regents' Policy 10.04.02 – Degree and Certificate Program Approval,
states "All academic and certificate program additions, deletions, major
revisions, and offerings of existing programs outside the State of Alaska
will be approved by the Board of Regents." (05-07-81, revised 02-16-96)
RATIONALE AND RECOMMENDATION
Reference 16 contains the rationale for approval of this program.
University administration will review the proposal with members of the
committee.
Academic & Student Affairs Committee: Page 3 of 7
Agenda
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
June 8, 2006
Kodiak, Alaska
E.
Approval of Associate of Applied Sciences in Automotive Technology at
the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Reference 17
The President recommends that:
MOTION
"The Academic and Student Affairs Committee recommends that the
Board of Regents approve an Associate of Applied Sciences in
Automotive Technology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This
motion is effective June 8, 2006."
POLICY CITATION
Regents' Policy 10.04.02 – Degree and Certificate Program Approval,
states "All academic and certificate program additions, deletions, major
revisions, and offerings of existing programs outside the State of Alaska
will be approved by the Board of Regents." (05-07-81, revised 02-16-96)
RATIONALE AND RECOMMENDATION
Reference 17 contains the rationale for approval of this program.
University administration will review the proposal with members of the
committee.
IV.
Ongoing Issues
A.
Update on Student Services
Assistant Vice President Oba will update the Board on the university’s
continued outreach and awareness efforts. This discussion will include the
“I’m Going to College” (IGTC) program and UA’s efforts at
implementing two new federal grants: the Academic Competitiveness
(AC) grant and the Science and Mathematic Access to Retain Talent
(SMART) grant.
I’M GOING TO COLLEGE (IGTC)
Through “I'm Going to College”, elementary students in Anchorage,
Fairbanks and Juneau experience a day in college courtesy of UA hosts
who design a curriculum just for them. Prior to this event, young students
work with their school teachers to complete activities where they explore
different types of colleges, financial aid programs and career choices.
University of Alaska staff and faculty welcomed hundreds of fifth, sixth,
and seventh graders onto UA campuses across the state this spring. This is
an annual on-campus outreach event hosted for students of Title I schools.
University financial aid staff first brought this national program to Alaska
in 2003 to help instill the expectation in these younger citizens that college
is possible.
Academic & Student Affairs Committee: Page 4 of 7
Agenda
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
June 8, 2006
Kodiak, Alaska
AC AND SMART GRANTS
Developed in response to the concern that America was lagging in
preparing future generations to compete globally, the Deficit Reduction
Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-171) included the Higher Education
Reconciliation Act of 2005 (HERA). Contained in HERA is the new
Academic Competitiveness Grant Program for students. The program
includes two types of grants for specific Pell Grant-eligible college
students: the Academic Competitiveness Grant (AC grant) and the
National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant
(SMART grant).
Since both grants will be available to students for fall 2006, UA has
already begun an aggressive plan that includes communication strategies
to current UA students, prospective students from Alaska,
parents/guardians of prospective Alaskan students and high school
counselors in the state.
In addition, UA staffs are working with the Alaska Commission on
Postsecondary Education (ACPE) on communication strategies and efforts
to engage and inform Alaskans regarding this opportunity.
B.
Update on Fees and Total Costs to Students
President Hamilton will lead a discussion regarding the total cost of
attending the University of Alaska, including tuition, fees, room and
board, and other costs.
C.
Report on Tuition Surcharges
History of Approval of Program Surcharges
Since 1994 seven Masters degree programs have been approved on an ad
hoc basis with program-wide tuition surcharges, specific authorization,
most usually in the wording of the BOR resolution specifying program
approval, for the collection of tuition fees in excess of the standard
graduate tuition rate. These additional fees have sometimes been called
“super tuition.” The first such program, the UAA Masters of Social Work
(MSW), was approved in 1994; at Regents’ request the tuition surcharge
for that program was eliminated effective the spring 2006 semester. The
six other program approvals have occurred from 1999 to 2003, with the
approved extra charges varying from $55 per credit hour (UAA M.A. in
Anthropology, 1999) to a larger, 50 percent surcharge (UAA M.Ed. in
Educational Leadership, 1999; UAA Masters in Public Health, 2002; UAS
MBA, 2003, Presidential approval of surcharge), to a 100 percent
surcharge (“two times the established graduate tuition rate,” UAA M.S. in
Project Management, 2003), to a 200 percent and then a 300 percent
Academic & Student Affairs Committee: Page 5 of 7
Agenda
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
June 8, 2006
Kodiak, Alaska
surcharge (“three times the established graduate tuition rate for the charter
cohort and [. . .] four times the established tuition rate for subsequent
cohorts”), the latter not yet implemented, for the UAA M.S. in Global
Supply Chain Management (2000). Six of these programs have been at
UAA, one at UAS, none at UAF.
Use of Program Surcharge Funds
The tuition surcharge was regarded as a mechanism for instituting needed
programs when a conventional funding stream could not be identified. In
all cases, funds generated by the surcharges are returned to the programs
for support of program expenses, with initial approval requests based on
the need for such funding in the absence of “regular” sources of program
fiscal support. In the aggregate, these funds represent a significant
revenue stream, averaging annually since 2003 $548,000 for UAA
(inclusive of the now discontinued surcharge for the MSW) and, since
2004-5, $36,000 for UAS, a System total of nearly $600,000 per year. In
particular, the surcharge funds still in effect are used for stipends for
graduate teaching and research assistants for the M.A. in Anthropology;
costs of running a statewide program, including staff support and faculty
travel for supervision and to deliver instruction for the M.Ed. in
Educational Leadership; an additional faculty line and special costs of
distance delivery for the MPH; transition of an existing program to a webbased curriculum and necessary additional support for the UAS MBA;
additional tenure-track, term, and adjunct faculty, program development
including guest speakers, and facilities upgrades for the M.S. in Project
Management; and enhanced library resources, cohort hospitality and meals
during weekend sessions, guest speakers, and faculty salaries for the M.S.
in Global Supply Chain Management.
Rationale(s) for Imposition of Surcharge
To the need for program funding support, generally the implementation of
a surcharge was further justified by presumed higher compensation levels
earned by program participants and/or likely to be earned by program
completers. A further argument in favor of surcharges has been
demonstration of the University’s ability to fund operations with earned
revenue. These issues are well summarized in a written request to the
President seeking approval to institute a 50 percent tuition surcharge for
an existing graduate program: “We think this proposal is in line with your
strategy of demonstrating to the legislature our ability to pay for more of
the costs of our programs from earned revenue sources. Additionally, the
students who will enroll in this program are best able to pay a larger share
of their education costs. [. . .] This surcharge would assist [. . .] in paying
the additional costs of this program with out our requesting additional
state funding.”
Academic & Student Affairs Committee: Page 6 of 7
Agenda
Academic and Student Affairs Committee
June 8, 2006
Kodiak, Alaska
Plans and Possible Guidelines
Based on review this year of both the appropriate use of tuition surcharges
and program fiscal needs, SAC recommends continuing existing
surcharges on current programs during Academic Year 2006-07. Review
and discussion of this issue will continue into that Academic Year.
SAC has reviewed practice with regard to imposition of graduate program
tuition surcharges and is considering the following guidelines for new
program surcharges and/or review of existing ones: (1) Such charges
should be considered only when there is demonstrated demand for a
program aligned with University and MAU mission and there is not an
alternative source of funding identifiable; (2) all such surcharges are to be
reviewed by the president prior to or during the fifth year of the tuition
surcharge implementation, with a recommendation by the president to the
Board of Regents subsequent to that review to either continue, discontinue
or modify the tuition surcharge; (3) if the Board of Regents determines
that a tuition surcharge is no longer warranted, the tuition for the program
will be equalized over a three year period to the normal campus rate for
programs at the same academic level; (4) if the Board of Regents
determines that a tuition surcharge is to continue, subsequent reviews and
recommendations to the Board of Regents will be made by the president at
least every five years; (5) surcharge revenue is to be used exclusively for
support of the program in which it is generated, less nominal deduction for
program-related costs generated in other parts of the institution; and (6)
such surcharges are to be implemented in a manner consistent with
practice at comparable institutions and/or with current national tuition
rates.
SAC continues to consider possible standardization of tuition surcharges,
applicability of a salary base for program participants or graduates for
consideration of a program tuition surcharge, continuation or
discontinuation of tuition surcharges in several existing programs, and
interpretation and applicability to tuition surcharges of Regents’ Policy
05.10.01, 05.10.04 and University Regulations 05.10.07.B and 05.10.07.C.
V.
New Business
VI.
Future Agenda Items
VII.
Adjourn
Academic & Student Affairs Committee: Page 7 of 7