For Immediate Release
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Friday, June 5, 2009
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The University of Alaska Board of Regents took a cautious approach with
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projects and programs during a two-day meeting this week, delaying action on
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some proposals and scaling back on others.
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Board members also approved the FY10 campus budgets following the recent
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legislative session. State appropriations for the budget cycle beginning
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July 1 total $328.2 million, including some pass-through funds. UA's total
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budget, including tuition revenue, federal grants and university generated
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receipts, is $823.2 million for FY10. State money included nearly $2 million
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for two of the board's top priorities--health academic programs throughout
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the UA system; and energy research and outreach through UAF.
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The board also approved distribution for $3.2 million in capital money,
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compared to $50 million in maintenance money requested. The limited funds
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will go toward facility maintenance based on a formula.
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Among academic programs approved were a post-baccalaureate certificate in
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K-12 special education licensure and a master's degree program in special
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education, both at UAF; bachelor's degrees in geography and environmental
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studies at the University of Alaska Southeast; and a fast-track bachelor's
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and master's degree in mechanical engineering at UAF. Other programs that
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were on the agenda, including an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree in film
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at UAF and bachelor degrees in nutrition and dietetics at University of
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Alaska Anchorage, could be considered at a future meeting.
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Several ongoing construction and renovation projects also were reviewed. The
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board gave formal project approval for the Toolik Field Station dining
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facility, operated by UAF; approved a scaled-back request for the second
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phase of an ongoing renovation at UAF's Arctic Health Building; approved a
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classroom building for the Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer; and approved moving
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forward with detailed design, engineering and architectural plans for a new
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sports arena at UAA, not to exceed $8 million. All those projects have
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funding sources that were previously approved.
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The meeting included four awards to staff selected by peers for providing
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outstanding service to students. The annual Make Students Count Awards for
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2009 went to:
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. Kolene James, coordinator and academic advisor with Native and Rural
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Services at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau;
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. Annie Route, student life and leadership director at the University of
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Alaska Anchorage;
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. Gabrielle Russell, academic advisor with Native and Rural Services at the
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University of Alaska Fairbanks;
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. And Mike Earnest, student services manager at the UA System Office.
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Regents met with members of the Denali Commission, attended a reception at
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the Botanical Gardens with members of the UAF Chancellor's Community
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Advisory Council and listened to numerous presentations, including one about
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the UA Press.
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Regents also dined on a delicious lunch of Angus beef and potatoes from the
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UAF Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station's Matanuska Farm while
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listening to a presentation from UAF School of Natural Resources and
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Agricultural Sciences Dean Carol Lewis and High Latitude Agriculture
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Department Chair Milan Shipka.
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A separate press release was issued on the meeting's other big news; the
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announced retirement of UA President Mark Hamilton. For that release, visit
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http://www.alaska.edu/opa/eNews/.
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-30-
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For more information, call Kate Ripley at 907/388-3506.
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NR 15-09
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