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 three UAF researchers met for the first time in the Faroe Islands?
June 23, 2026
Did you know UAF is building a new model for journalism education in the Arctic?
June 09, 2026
May 28, 2026
May 13, 2026
Curious about HAARP? Catch this weekend's Science for Alaska talk
July 10, 2026
This Saturday, UAF's Geophysical Institute and Explore Fairbanks are hosting the second talk of the Science for Alaska Summer Series, featuring Evans Callis, HAARP's Research Support Services Lead.
Federal Lobbying Disclosure Act: reporting reminder for UA employees
July 10, 2026
The federal Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) requires organizations that engage in lobbying to disclose lobbying activities and expenses on a quarterly basis. The University of Alaska system is required to submit this information.
Travel agency transition update - booking pause for travel after October 31
July 09, 2026
UA is transitioning to a new travel management company in October 2026. Departments should pause booking travel after October 31 and manage any unused CTM ticket credits before the changeover.
UAS, Mitchell Hamline partner to offer faster, lower-cost pathways to a law degree
July 09, 2026
The University of Alaska Southeast and Mitchell Hamline School of Law have signed two partnership agreements, enabling UAS students and alumni to earn a law degree with tuition and time savings without moving out of state.
June 19, 2026
Logging into Zoom is easy, all you have to do is click on the SSO option and sign in with your UAUsername and Password.
Duo MFA: Updating Your Authentication Method
June 19, 2026
As previously announced, the "Phone Call" method for Duo multi-factor authentication has been officially retired to ensure compliance with modern security standards, provide better reliability for users, and meet current liability requirements.
Removed Google Accounts May Block Your Shared File Access
May 21, 2026
Shared files owned by Google Accounts that have been inactive for more than 3 years will soon be inaccessible. Find out what you can do to retain access to these files.
Compliance deadline is extended as campuses continue work to enact rules for digital accessibility
May 01, 2026
The Department of Justice (DOJ) published an "interim final rule" extending the compliance deadline for the new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II web, mobile, and digital content accessibility rule by one year. This means the University of Alaska has until April 26, 2027 to reach compliance.