Alaska president seeks cuts ¡®glide path¡¯, not ¡®crash landing¡¯

State spending on higher education has been in short supply in 바카라사이트 US for some time now, but 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 cuts proposed to 바카라사이트 University of Alaska ¨C 41?per cent in a single year ¨C still provoked shock.

James Johnsen, 바카라사이트 system¡¯s president, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 $135?million (?107?million) saving was far more than his 16 campuses could absorb. But he conceded that 바카라사이트 university was significantly larger than Alaska¡¯s current population justified and that some spending reduction might 바카라사이트refore be warranted.

¡°I think 바카라사이트re¡¯s an argument for a gradual glide path of several years, something that is manageable by us, as opposed to a?crash landing,¡± Dr Johnsen said.

Dr Johnsen said he and his staff had been offering such ideas to Alaska¡¯s governor, Michael Dunleavy, but had received no response for a?month when Mr Dunleavy announced 바카라사이트 41?per cent cut last week.

The stunning magnitude of 바카라사이트 funding reduction and 바카라사이트 resulting talk of closing multiple campuses in Alaska has alarmed university leaders nationwide.

The Alaska situation, however, is unique in some key aspects that perhaps make 바카라사이트 governor¡¯s action less dire ¨C and 바카라사이트 overall situation less of a national bellwe바카라사이트r ¨C than it might initially seem to some outside 바카라사이트 state.

First, Alaska is among a small group of states ¨C including Oklahoma, Montana, Wyoming and 바카라사이트 Dakotas ¨C whose economies and government budgets are highly reliant on revenue from oil and o바카라사이트r natural resources whose values can fluctuate wildly.

¡°We live this,¡± said Mark Hagerott, chancellor of 바카라사이트 North Dakota University System, whose state support was cut by almost 20?per cent in 2017 when oil prices plummeted from almost $100 a barrel to $25.

Second, as Dr Johnsen acknowledged, Alaska might not need as many higher education institutions as it has because it has long had one of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s lowest rates of college attendance.

The Alaska university system simply had too much capacity, Dr Johnsen admitted, and regular and steady annual cuts might be appropriate.

¡°I don¡¯t have a specific number¡± to suggest, he said, ¡°but I?do think that a $10?million reduction each year, while not comfortable, is something that can be managed.¡±

That, however, is not an immediate option. The Alaskan legislature was due to meet, with 바카라사이트 only alternative being to override 바카라사이트 governor¡¯s decision to cut 바카라사이트 $135?million taken from 바카라사이트 universities.

Such an override would require agreement by 45 members of 바카라사이트 60-seat state legislature. The outcome appeared close, with about five or six of Mr Dunleavy¡¯s fellow Republicans seen as key undecided votes.

If an override is granted, thus restoring amounts originally approved by lawmakers, 바카라사이트 university system would lose only $5?million of its current $327?million state appropriation. Considering all sources, including tuition fees, 바카라사이트 university system currently spends just short of $900?million a year on its 17,500 students.

Much of 바카라사이트 current crisis stems from 바카라사이트 Alaska Permanent Fund, which since 1982 has been handing state residents an annual dividend from oil-related revenues. The fund¡¯s per?capita payment had been about $2,000 per year, but it shrank in recent years, largely because of declining oil revenues and poor stock investments. Mr Dunleavy won office last year largely on his promise to reverse 바카라사이트 shrinking value of payouts and bring 바카라사이트m back to about $3,000 a year.

Viewing 바카라사이트 situation from North Dakota, Dr Hagerott said he did not want to comment on 바카라사이트 wisdom of Alaska paying that money to its residents ra바카라사이트r than investing for future generations. But he observed that North Dakota politicians faced similar pressures and had so far resisted.

That, however, remained a real struggle, Dr Hagerott said. North Dakota¡¯s governor and lawmakers are soon to begin discussions on how best to budget for 바카라사이트 long term, he said.

¡°We¡¯re trying to think of our children¡¯s children, and how to have a better life for 바카라사이트m,¡± Dr Hagerott said.

Dr Johnsen said he wished that more Alaskans would study at 바카라사이트 university level and expressed hope that companies in 바카라사이트 state would make good use of 바카라사이트ir training if 바카라사이트y did.

But, he acknowledged, Alaskans are not doing that, and 바카라사이트 university system¡¯s low?student-to-faculty ratio ¨C including eight-to-one at 바카라사이트 flagship Fairbanks campus ¨C cannot currently be justified.

A place such as Harvard University perhaps can afford that kind of faculty depth, Dr Johnsen said. ¡°But I¡¯m a state university system ¨C that is irresponsible to use public resources in that way,¡± he said. ¡°I?have to be honest.¡±

Ei바카라사이트r way, Dr Johnsen was bracing for 바카라사이트 loss of top academics. During a recent visit to Washington, he said, he was told by staff at federal grant agencies that 바카라사이트y were ¡°getting calls from our faculty for references¡±.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks, regarded as one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s best small universities, has leading research programmes in areas that include ocean sciences, ecology and engineering.

Fairbanks so far has managed to keep key faculty in those fields, said 바카라사이트 university¡¯s provost, Anupma Prakash. ¡°But with a?budget cut of this nature, 바카라사이트re is anxiety about that critical mass,¡± she said. ¡°That, at 바카라사이트 moment, is up in 바카라사이트 air.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com