November 4, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 4, 2025

University of Alaska Board of Regents to approve FY27 budgets, address Alaska’s workforce needs at November meeting  

Regents will consider investments in student success and degree attainment, additional revenue through tuition increases  

(ANCHORAGE) - The University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents will meet in Anchorage Nov. 6-7 to approve proposed FY27 operating and capital budgets focused on student recruitment, retention, and graduation, and workforce development. Targeted investments will continue to drive progress on student success and attainment and to address strategies for meeting Alaska’s workforce training needs. The Board will also consider tuition increases, receive updates on key initiatives, and elect new officers for 2026.  

“Alaska’s universities continue to show forward progress,” UA President Pat Pitney said. “Enrollment has grown every year since 2023, including a 4.4% increase this Fall. With a continued focus on recruitment, retention, graduation, and workforce development, UA is well-positioned for continued future growth and stability.”

Advancing Student Success, Budgets, and Planning for the Future

When the full board convenes on Thursday afternoon, University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Interim Chancellor Cheryl Siemers will lead members through a deep dive of UAA’s programs and priorities. Regents will also hear from UAA students about their experiences on campus, and receive reports from governance leaders, President Pitney, and all three chancellors.

During the Friday full board meeting, Regents will review the proposed FY27 operating and capital budgets and proposed tuition increases.

The operating budget proposal prioritizes workforce development, and student recruitment, retention, and graduation. The request will include the 3% across-the-board salary increases for bargaining units with contracts, and 3% for non-represented staff. The proposal also calls for a modest 3% tuition increase to help the university manage rising fixed costs. The capital budget prioritizes addressing deferred maintenance projects across the system.  

“Our budgeting philosophy continues to be one of fiscal restraint, given the tight state environment and uncertainty at the federal level,” UA President Pat Pitney said. “We will continue to strike a balance, asking for what we need to continue fulfilling our mission while making strategic requests for investment in areas of importance that will benefit Alaskans statewide.”

UA continues to manage the federal uncertainty with an approach of strategic resilience and measured optimism. The results have been largely effective, allowing the university to take advantage of forthcoming opportunities and stay competitive while working with the Alaska congressional delegation and allies in Washington, D.C., to maintain key federal funding. 95% of the university’s broad research portfolio remains intact: to date, over $70 million of federal funds have been successfully unfrozen, far outpacing the roughly $7 million in delayed grants and $18 million in terminated grants. 

Regents will also approve new metrics for the Student Attainment framework (SAF). Through the SAF Students-First Action Agenda, UAA, UAF, UAS, and the System Office (SO) are working together to expand access, improve retention, increase affordability, and help more students complete their certificates and degrees. It represents a coordinated, data-informed, and student-centered transformation of public higher education in Alaska.

Meeting Alaska’s workforce training needs

As part of UA’s focus on working with Alaska industries to meet current and future workforce training demands, Regents will hear a special presentation from the Glenfarne Group on Friday afternoon. Glenfarne assumed majority ownership of the Alaska LNG Project earlier this year. A project like AK LNG will create intense competition for the limited pool of skilled workers. In addition to construction, welding, and other direct pipeline construction-related fields, the work associated with building an 807-mile pipeline has broader workforce implications for Alaska. With an influx of people to the state, you're also going to need more healthcare, you need teachers to educate those families and students, small business support, and culturally enriching activities – all areas that the UA System helps support.  

Leadership into the future

Regents will hear an update on progress toward the goals established through the Roadmap to Empower Alaska. The goals adopted by the Board of Regents were developed in consultation with students, staff, faculty, and other university stakeholders, and represent specific aspirations for the University system as a whole.

The board will receive an overview of highlights in the 2025 Alaska Native Success Initiative (ANSI) annual report. The theme of this year’s report, Rooted in Tradition, United in Purpose, captures both the grounding and the forward momentum of this work. At UAA, UAF, and UAS, leaders and campus communities developed tailored plans that reflect local contexts while reinforcing shared goals: student success, cultural responsiveness, indigenous representation in faculty and staff, and systems transformation across higher education.

The board will also be electing a slate of officers to lead throughout 2026.

Thursday Committees and Meeting Timing

Committees will meet on Thursday before the full board meeting. 

  • The Audit and Finance Committee (8:00 a.m.) will hear from external auditors, approve the FY25 Audited statements, and receive a financial briefing and healthcare analysis.
  • The Ad Hoc Committee on Recruitment, Retention and Graduation (11:00 a.m.*) will focus on the Student Attainment Framework’s progress, and an overview of proposed SAF metrics.

  • At the Academic and Student Affairs Committee (1:00 p.m.*), Regents will hear a presentation on course caps, waitlists, and online delivery, and an update on the UAS-Outer Coast collaboration.

  • The Facilities and Land Management Committee (2:00 p.m.*) will hear an update on the university student housing proposal, highlights from the Land Management annual report, and review the UAF Harper Building disposal plan.

The full board will convene on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.* and reconvene Friday at 7:30 a.m. for an executive session followed by the continuing business meeting. (*Time is approximate; meetings will begin at the conclusion of the preceding meeting.)

All committee meetings and the full board meeting will be held at the Gorsuch Commons in Anchorage; the agenda is available online.

All meetings, except any executive sessions, are public and will be livestreamed. 

The University of Alaska Board of Regents is an 11-member volunteer board, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alaska Legislature. Members serve an eight-year term, except for the student regent, who serves a two-year term. The Board was established through the Alaska Constitution and is responsible for University of Alaska policy and management through the university president.

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For more information, contact Jonathon Taylor, director of public affairs at 907-201-2436 (cell), or via email at jmtaylor9@alaska.edu.