Shaping Alaska's Future

People of UA

Shaping a dialog with UA Employees - By Kate Wattum and Charles St. George

Shaping Alaska's Future is a complex vision and process. After two years of effort, the team has distilled the vision down to five main themes with 23 coorresponding issue and effect statements. There is a lot of work to do between ISSUE and EFFECT. Which asks the big question...How do we get there from here?

The main thrust of this vision hinges on changing not only how the UA community works but also how we think and feel about the work we do. Some in our community have never heard of this effort, other have. Some have tried to ignore it - some have embraced it. At this point, most everyone has at least heard of President Gamble's Shaping Alaska's Future initiative.

UA employees are the ones who will work toward each effect. Will this change process start out slow and gain momentum or will the ideas catch fire and move quickly as more people come on board?

Shaping (as it is now called) has approached the "doing phase." What does "doing" look like for you? How will these five themes take root to change the culture of your UA? We've randomly selected employees across the UA system to help explore these issues.

 

People of UA 2014

JUNE

Person #1 Beatrice Franklin, Library Assistant, Inter-Library Loans, UAS Juneau

 

Person #2 Casey Sifsof, Student Success Coordinator, Native Student Services - UAA Anchorage

 

Person #3 James Jones, Manager of Campus Operations - UAF Bristol Bay Campus in Dillingham

 

JULY

Person #4 Karen Ramsey, Student Support - UAS Ketchikan Campus

 

Person #5 Alisa Wedin, Cooperative Extension Service, Anchorage District Office

 

Person #6 Cathy Ewing, Business Analyst, UAA Enrollment Services

 

AUGUST

Person #7 Kiara Svensson, Grant Coordinator, Institute of Arctic Biology

 

Person #8 Bonnie Carroll, Marketing Manager, UA Statewide - College Savings Plan

 

Person #9 Sheila Mann, Administrative Specialist, Instruction Department of PWSCC

 

SEPTEMBER

Person #10 Marsha Ball, Receptionist, UAA School of Nursing

Person #11 Erica Iseri, Study Away Advisor, UAF International Programs and Initiatives

Person #12 Larry McGrady, Senior Support Center Analyst, OIT Service Desk

 

The names selected for these profiles are generated by a random search of the UA People Directory. If you are a UA faculty, staff and/or student please check and update your listing at https://people.alaska.edu/.