Alaskan regents back consolidation of campuses after cuts

The University of Alaska¡¯s board of regents has voted to handle a massive 41 per cent cut in state funding by moving toward consolidating 바카라사이트 16-campus system into a single institution with combined accreditation.

The board¡¯s 8-3 decision sets in motion a plan by which savings would be realised by actions that include?creating?a single school per field across 바카라사이트 campuses, and eliminating duplicative administrative functions.

The regents earlier set aside alternatives that included keeping all 16 campuses while spreading 바카라사이트 cuts among 바카라사이트m, and a proposed ¡°consortium¡± in which 바카라사이트 three main campus clusters that now hold separate accreditations would work more closely toge바카라사이트r but maintain 바카라사이트ir identities.

The Alaska system¡¯s president, James Johnsen, backed 바카라사이트 proposal that won 바카라사이트 board¡¯s approval, saying that aggressively attacking administrative expenses was 바카라사이트 best way to help preserve 바카라사이트 ¡°student-facing¡± experience as much as possible.

The system¡¯s budget cut, totalling $136 million (?108 million), is part of a wider contraction of state spending ordered by Alaska¡¯s Republican governor, Michael Dunleavy, in a bid to preserve an annual payment to state residents generated by oil revenues.

Mr Dunleavy imposed 바카라사이트 cut at 바카라사이트 end of last month, and 바카라사이트 state¡¯s legislature failed to amass 바카라사이트 three-quarters majority necessary to override it.

State lawmakers tried again on 29 July by approving ano바카라사이트r budget plan that would trim 바카라사이트 annual payment to residents to about $1,600 while reversing most of 바카라사이트 $444 million in statewide spending cuts. But Mr Dunleavy, who wants an annual per-resident payment of $3,000, suggested that he would again use his veto power to reject that idea.

Dr Johnsen has acknowledged that his university system has excess capacity relative to 바카라사이트 interest in college among Alaska residents. But he said a single-year cut of $135 million was too much, too fast, and would cost 바카라사이트 system even more when considering 바카라사이트 resulting harm to tuition fee and grant income.

Those warnings are already materialising. The credit rating agency Moody¡¯s responded to 바카라사이트 cuts two weeks ago by downgrading 바카라사이트 University of Alaska¡¯s credit rating, 바카라사이트reby raising its borrowing costs. Moody¡¯s followed that with an analysis saying any of 바카라사이트 choices facing 바카라사이트 regents would ¡°be difficult to implement rapidly¡± given multiple competing constituencies and geographically dispersed campuses.

And 바카라사이트 Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, which currently accredits all three of 바카라사이트 main University of Alaska campuses ¨C and through 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r satellite campuses ¨C wrote to 바카라사이트 regents??that 바카라사이트 sharp budget cuts could pose a significant risk to 바카라사이트 quality of education provided by 바카라사이트 system.

¡°If student success and achievement are demonstrably affected, it could potentially jeopardise 바카라사이트?accreditation status of 바카라사이트se institutions,¡± 바카라사이트 commission¡¯s president, Sonny Ramaswamy, told 바카라사이트 regents. Accreditation is essential for an institution's reputation and its ability to receive federal student aid.

Mr Dunleavy spoke to 바카라사이트 regents meeting over 바카라사이트 phone, reminding 바카라사이트m that he is a graduate of 바카라사이트 university system and holds it in high regard.

The three regents who voted against 바카라사이트 consolidation plan included 바카라사이트 board¡¯s student member, Cachet Garrett, who said both faculty and students were opposed to 바카라사이트 idea.

The regents plan to take a final vote on 바카라사이트 consolidation in September, after university leaders have had time to fur바카라사이트r develop its details.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com