2019 State of the University Address
March 26, 2019 During President Jim Johnsen’s fourth annual State of the University Address on March 26, 2019 he told a statewide audience that the university is strong, successful and the cornerstone of Alaska's future. About 1,000 people attended in person at the UAF Wood Center, tuned in to the livestream, attended a watch party or called into the audio conference.
Johnsen, who was introduced by Doyon Ltd. CEO Aaron Schutt, offered multiple examples of UA’s success, from the 100,000 alumni who left the university with more skills, knowledge, and abilities than when they arrived, to the UA students interning in legislative offices in Juneau. He also addressed the proposed cut to the university's funding saying "these cuts hurt UA and the harm Alaska's ability to grow the highly trained workforce we need to be economically competative with other states."
“There is no other cornerstone in this state more robust than the University of Alaska in creating success for our state – from its earliest days as a territory, through the fight for statehood, through our hard economic times and now as we fight for our very future,” Johnsen said.
“You’ve also heard or read that critics say the university is failing. But I say we are UAStrong. And we are succeeding. And our fellow Alaskans agree. Across the state, Alaskans say UA is very important to the future of the Alaska economy; they agree that funding for the university is an investment in our future and is a good or excellent value for the money."
A recording of the event, as well as a transcript of Johnsen's address can be found at www.alaska.edu/pres/sou/.