February 16, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2026

University of Alaska Board of Regents to meet in Dillingham to review progress on key student success initiatives

Regents will assess progress on Students First Action Agenda, approve key budget amendments, advance long-term land and facilities strategy.

(FAIRBANKS) - The University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents will meet this week at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ (UAF) Bristol Bay campus in Dillingham as part of its regular rotation of meetings held across UA campuses. Board members will receive progress updates on their Roadmap to Empower Alaska strategic plan, approve revised budget requests, and receive a detailed briefing on UA’s broad academic portfolio. The meeting comes as newly released enrollment data show a 4.6% increase in student headcount in Fall 2025, underscoring a continuing trend of progress and stability. 

“UA is strong and stable,” UA President Pat Pitney said. “While many public universities are losing students, our enrollment is growing, bucking national trends. 84% of our students come from Alaska communities, and 75% of those who graduate from our programs stay in-state long-term. The bottom line: from vocational technical certificates through professional degrees, UA is an economic engine and workforce solution that empowers Alaska.”

This is the first board meeting in Dillingham since April 2010, and the board’s meeting schedule has been adjusted to accommodate travel. The complete schedule and livestream details are available at the end of this release.

Academic and Student Outcomes

During the Academic and Student Affairs committee meeting on Wednesday, Vice President and Chief Academic Officer Brian Smentkowski will lead the board through a comprehensive review of UA’s Academic Portfolio. The spring portfolio presentation provides a snapshot of academic programs offered across the system, enrollment trends, degrees conferred, and the impact of UA programs on Alaska’s workforce. Notably, 3,421 degrees were conferred in the 2024-2025 academic year. Additional presentations on high-demand programs, capacity and targeted cost and personnel assessments are planned for the September and November board meetings.

During the full board meeting on Friday, Regents will receive an update on the new scholarship award process implemented by the UA Foundation last fall. In 2025, $6.78 million in scholarships were awarded to more than 1,800 students; for comparison, in 1990, system-wide scholarships totaled $256,000. New process changes are expected to increase applicant pools, provide more timely awards, and expand opportunities for all students by automatically enrolling students in the scholarship system and automatching them with available funds.

The Board will also assess 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.

“Improving student recruitment, retention, and time to graduation remain top priorities,” President Pitney said. “We look forward to sharing the progress made on these initiatives since they began in earnest just over a year ago and the impact they’ve already had across the system.”

UAF Interim Chancellor Mike Sfraga will lead the Board through a “deep dive” of his institution. UAF is America’s Arctic University, and the presentation will explore the unique opportunities it brings to the UA system. Of the nearly $300 million in federal grants UA received in FY25, UAF accounted for roughly 90%. UA’s quality of faculty, research opportunities, and federal agency partnerships mean the institution is well-positioned to weather ongoing uncertainty at the federal level.

Facilities, Capital, and Infrastructure

President Pitney and Vice President for University Relations Michelle Rizk will guide the Board through a discussion on UA’s FY26 Supplemental Budget requests and revised FY27 Operating and Capital Budget requests. The FY26 supplemental requests will allow UA to receive additional funds from non-state sources, and the revised FY27 requests include funding for recently reached tentative agreements (TAs) on contracts with the Fairbanks Fire Fighters Union (Local 1324) and the Local 6070 (Crafts and Trades) Union.

The Facilities and Land Management Committee will meet on Tuesday, and will be updated on the status of ongoing efforts to expand student housing at UAF and the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). Both universities have identified limited housing availability as a key restraint on enrollment growth and will present updates on their housing revitalization proposals, which have been in the works since last year.

Land Stewardship and Financial Resilience

Also during Facilities and Land Management, UA Land Management Director Adrienne Stolpe will update the Board on the status of the Land Grant Initiative. Resolving UA’s 360,000-acre land-grant deficit has been a top priority for the system for decades. Thanks to the incredible work of Alaska’s congressional delegation, particularly U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a four-year window was opened at the end of 2022 for the State of Alaska and the university to complete the steps to resolve the deficit. The university has until December 2026 to submit its selections to the federal government.

During the Audit and Finance Committee Meeting on Tuesday, UA Chief Financial Officer Luke Fulp will provide a briefing on university finances. The Board will also receive updates on ongoing internal and external audits.

Presidential Transition Preparations and Celebrating Excellence

Regents will update the public on the status of the ongoing search for UA’s next president. President Pitney will retire in May after over 3 decades of service to UA and the state of Alaska. The Board launched a national search for her replacement in January.

Finally, the Board will recognize Ronalda Cadiente Brown, who retired in December after nearly 45 years of dedication to education and 19 years of service to the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS). Among other accomplishments, Cadiente Brown led the PITAAS (Preparing Indigenous Teachers and Administrators for Alaska Schools) program during her tenure and expanded its reach statewide. PITAAS supports students who are members of federally recognized tribes in Alaska who want to become teachers and administrators in Alaska’s schools in collaboration with tribal organizations. Today PITAAS graduates are employed by 30 of 54 school districts across the state.

Committees and Meeting Timing

Because the meetings are being held in Dillingham, the schedule includes several adjustments to accommodate travel and access. Committee meetings on Tuesday will be held via Zoom. Committee meetings on Wednesday, along with full board meetings on Thursday and Friday, will take place in Dillingham. The schedule is extended throughout the week to accommodate travel.

  • Tuesday, Feb. 17

    • Audit and Finance Committee meeting (via Zoom): 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

    • Facilities and Land Management Committee meeting (via Zoom): 3:30 to 5 p.m.*

  • Wednesday, Feb. 18

    • Academic and Student Affairs Committee meeting (Dillingham): 3 to 5 p.m.*

Start time is tentative and dependent on flight arrivals in Dillingham.

  • Thursday, Feb. 19

    • Full board meeting (Dillingham): 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • Friday, Feb. 20

    • Continued full board meeting (Dillingham): 8 to 11:30 a.m.

*Time is approximate; meetings will begin at the conclusion of the preceding meeting.

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.