Student tuition at University of Alaska may increase by 10 percent next year under an operating budget outlined by President Jim Johnsen at Thursday\u2019s Board of Regents meeting in Juneau.<\/p>\n
For Fiscal Year 2018, Johnsen laid out a $345 million state budget \u2014 a $20 million increase over this year\u2019s state operating budget \u2014 which assumes getting $335 from the state Legislature and the other $10 million coming from the tuition increase.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think students are well aware of our position vis-\u00e0-vis other states and the tough fiscal times we\u2019re in. They understand the value of the education,\u201d Johnsen said during a presentation to the board at the University of Alaska Southeast\u2019s Student Recreation Center.<\/p>\n
Tuition has been rising over the past several years. Still, Johnsen said tuition at UA is 16 percent under the Western state\u2019s average.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recently identified as the single most affordable higher education system in the country. I think there\u2019s an opportunity to move that. We\u2019ll be coming back in November with the actual request,\u201d Johnsen said.<\/p>\n
He said he\u2019ll be collaborating with student governments to work through a tuition increase in the fall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really value their perspectives and I want very much to be working with them as we work on this particular assumption and priority,\u201d Johnsen said.<\/p>\n
[See Johnsen’s budget presentation here<\/a>]<\/p>\n He said he doesn\u2019t anticipate more learning centers closing next year (UA closed the Galena and McGrath Learning Centers this year and will be closing the Shishmaref Learning Center), but he said there will be a focus on bringing costs down at some community campuses.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve taken a strong position of protecting, supporting those community campuses and providing access to people in rural Alaska,\u201d Johnsen said. \u201cAt the same time our costs in many of those community campuses are just not sustainable, so how can we both maintain presence there and bring cost structures down? And that\u2019s the conversation we\u2019re having.\u201d<\/p>\n The $345 state budget also includes $17 million in strategic investments. They include deferred maintenance; student recruitment, retention and completion; research; K through 12 partnerships; workforce development and economic diversification.<\/p>\n During his budget presentation, Johnsen previewed a new financial model, which he said provides a clear and balanced path to sustainability. One of its goals is to achieve a state workforce of 65 percent by 2025. That means having 65 percent of Alaska\u2019s workforce be made up of jobs requiring post-secondary education. Currently, only 37 percent of the state\u2019s jobs require that. To reach the goal, Johnsen said the model requires increases in recruitment, retention and completion rates as well as increases to enrollment.<\/p>\n As the state\u2019s general fund appropriation moves down over the years, Johnsen\u2019s financial model has tuition moving up over time. Those figures will be benchmarked to national tuition averages plus the Alaska cost of living differential.<\/p>\n \u201cYou develop targets out there and then build annual budgets, annual enrollment plans, annual academic plans to hit those numbers by 2025,\u201d he said. \u201cThis becomes very powerful in terms of building partnership and coalitions with employers, with students, with chambers, with legislators because they see exactly where we\u2019re heading and the compact that we are willing to make with our state to provide cost effective, high quality and accessible education.<\/p>\n Regent Mary Hughes said Johnsen\u2019s budget presentation was the best she\u2019s heard in 15 years. She congratulated him and his team for moving the university into a positive future.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are really working on having excellence at the University of Alaska and that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean we have to have more money. It\u2019s a way of teaching Alaskans and making sure we\u2019re there for all Alaskans,\u201d she said. \u201cNot everyone agrees with everything, but we have to make decisions, and this gives us a wonderful foundation from which to make those.\u201d<\/p>\n Regent John Davies agreed that it was a great presentation, but he said it wasn\u2019t \u201csufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s missing in here is a strategic focus on \u2026 creativity. I chafe at a whole focus at a university that\u2019s just about workforce development. It\u2019s very important, but it\u2019s not sufficient,\u201d he said. \u201cI would like to see in our strategic investment a bullet that talks about citizenship or something else that reflects the importance of life beyond just work.\u201d<\/p>\n The University of Alaska this year is currently operating on a state budget of $325 million \u2014 a difference of more than $50 million from what the Board of Regents had originally requested.<\/p>\n Johnsen said the campuses \u201cdid a lot of heavy lifting\u201d to make up the gap. The university eliminated more than 500 positions, reduced the assignments or increased the workload of more than 250 positions and reduced academic programs with fewer sections and larger class sizes.<\/p>\n The UA Board of Regents won\u2019t be approving next year\u2019s budget until November.<\/p>\n \u2022 Contact reporter Lisa Phu at 523-2246 or lisa.phu@juneauempire.com.<\/p>\n Read more local news:<\/p>\n Volunteers still needed for live disaster drill Saturday at Juneau aiport<\/a><\/p>\n Indictments: Alleged home intruder told Juneau police he was just at wrong house<\/a><\/p>\n