University of Alaska administrators are working to get a cost saving plan ready by early next month. Speaking during a weekly update video Monday, UA president Jim Johnsen said development of the plan for consolidating the UA system into a single statewide institution, is getting underway this week with a survey.
”We’ve contracted with an expert surveyor, social scientist, to conduct a multi-stakeholder survey. So it’ll be available to faculty, staff, students and members of the community and alumni and our business partners,” Johnsen said. “To weigh in on their interests and what they think we ought to organize around as we build a new University of Alaska.”
Johnsen says it basically amounts to consolidating administrative services and duplicative academic programs. A board of regents subcommittee formed to work on the plan will hold a formal meeting August 28. Johnsen says the consolidation plan will be posted Sep. 5, followed by a public comment session on Sep. 9, and consideration by the full board of regents on Sep. 12.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
