Mission
The Vice President for Academics, Students & Research, directs a division of services including Academic Affairs, Research, Workforce Programs, Student Success, and Distance Education. The Vice President works with the UA campuses on academic and research initiatives and collaborations to promote research in Alaska. The University of Alaska is committed to working closely with all federal and state agencies and private enterprise to further develop collaboration and new exposures for future growth in all areas of science and technology.
Dr. Brian Smentkowski
Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
(907) 450-8019
bpsmentkowski@alaska.edu
System-level Coordination
ACEC facilitates inter-university coordination and communication to meet the goals
of UA's Schools of Education
Common Calendar 2018 - 2022
The Faculty Alliance Common Calendar Committee has developed a common calendar, coordinating
start dates and breaks throughout the system, and are further developing coordinated
course starting time alignment to facilitate cross-university instruction.
Information on Accreditation
All three universities, UAA, UAF, and UAS, and their respective Community Colleges
are fully accredited. In addition to institutional accreditation from the Northwest
Commission on Colleges and Universities, UA has more than 60 program/specialized accreditations
across the system.
Did you know UAA engineers and computer scientists are using AI to decode brain signals?
October 01, 2026
September 11, 2026
August 26, 2026
Did you know UAA's automotive and diesel program is taught entirely by its own graduates?
July 22, 2026
$330,000 raised at UAF's 2026 Blue & Gold celebration
October 02, 2026
Donors and partners at Saturday's Blue & Gold Celebration raised $330,000 to support scholarships and other programs at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, topping last year's total by more than $15,000.
UAS Sitka expands hands-on mariculture opportunities with floating lab
October 02, 2026
New facility to support seed cultivation, aquaculture and fisheries research, maritime skills and visitor education.
Annual Title IX Responsible Employee notice & required training reminder
October 01, 2026
All students, employees and volunteers are required to complete the annual UA Safe Title IX Training by Oct. 31, 2026. Review training requirements, reporting responsibilities and available resources.
UAS Evening at Egan lectures to spotlight community, starting Sept. 18
September 18, 2026
The five-lecture series spans Indigenous language education, high-altitude agriculture, glacial floods and unlikely alliances.
Software Request process form updates
October 02, 2026
UA is streamlining the Software Request process to simplify the form while upgrading how we review vendor risk and accessibility.
More room to roam: Faculty/staff storage totals increase
September 18, 2026
UA faculty and staff will receive additional Google and Microsoft storage space as total storage limits increase from 15 GB to 20 GB. Learn what the change means and how storage limits will be implemented beginning Oct. 1.
Upcoming Google Workspace changes: What's happening
September 04, 2026
As previously shared, the University of Alaska has been working to better manage Google Workspace storage totals. The next few months bring some important, concrete steps toward that effort. Below is information about the additional changes users can expect.
Managing your digital footprint: Kaltura Media
August 20, 2026
Learn how to manage your Kaltura media library and prepare for upcoming accessibility and media retention changes.