02-13-19 Email to UAS Community

Dear UAS faculty and staff: 

By now you’ve probably heard about Governor Dunleavy’s proposed budget cuts for the University of Alaska and seen  President Jim Johnsen’s response. As President Johnsen states, the proposed 41 percent cut is devastating (-$134M UGF;  down from $327M in FY19 to proposed $193M in FY20). This draconian cut is the largest reduction ever proposed in the  100-year history of the university. If this cut is not reversed by the legislature, it will undermine the university’s mission  and commitment to our students. It will hurt Alaska’s economy long into the future.  

It is important to remember that the Governor’s proposal is just the starting point for legislative review. The final FY20  budget will be produced only after debate and action in the Alaska State Legislature. We may not know the outcome  until late in the spring, or even later. To counter this proposal, all of us who care about higher education in the state— students, faculty, staff, alumni, employers, and community partners—will need to speak up loudly as part of an  aggressive advocacy campaign, reminding Alaskans that UA is critical to our state’s economy and to the communities we  serve. 

As the President points out, this budget proposal would force UA to make very tough decisions which would impact all  UA campuses and programs. Here at UAS, we’ve already gone through four years of budget reductions and  programmatic cuts. We’ve been living with uncertainty and we’ve made tough decisions. As Chancellor, I’m keenly  aware of the burden and additional work that these past cuts have placed on our staff in particular. I’m grateful for the  continuing dedication of all employees in uncertain times. But the Governor’s proposal goes far beyond what we’ve ever  seen. If approved, the proposal would necessarily lead to major reductions in faculty and staff. Across UA, you could  eliminate entire campuses, delete major programs, and raise tuition dramatically and still not get to the proposed  $134M reduction. 

I will be joining the President, my fellow chancellors, and the Board of Regents in communicating in no uncertain terms  to the legislature how devastating this proposal is to our students, our campuses, and our state. President Johnsen has  called an emergency meeting of chancellors and senior university leaders for next Monday, February 18, to chart our  course as a system in dealing with this challenge. As we know more, and as UA’s response is formulated, we’ll share that  information with you. Here at UAS we’ll be using our SPBAC—Strategic Planning and Budgeting Advisory Committee-- along with Executive Cabinet and Provost’s Council to keep all informed and to invite your feedback and engagement as  we consider how to respond.  

Sincerely,