Blog: Dermot Cole
UAF review suggests changes to strengthen, improve operations
Published Monday, August 17, 2009
The University of Alaska Fairbanks needs to spend tens of millions to enhance its utility system and renovate or build new dorms.
It doesn't have that kind of money sitting around, so perhaps it should look for a private partner to lower costs and improve service.
That's one of the ideas put forward in a consultant's report that is bound to be a major topic of discussion at UAF in the months ahead.
My column today is on the 23-page report from Terry MacTaggart that outlines a host of changes aimed at strengthening the institution.
My column is at http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/aug/17/consultant-says-uaf-needs-reform-its-image-highlig/
The complete report is at http://www.uaf.edu/chancellor/communications/AlaskaReport0809.pdf
MacTaggart says the utility system and the dorms are potential candidates to study for "outsourcing or partnering with the private sector or another public entity."
"Both areas have large capital costs looming. There appear to be enough potential private partners to make a serious examination of this potential worthwhile," he said.
•Out of 13 elementary schools, only about 10 kids had to be excluded today until the children returned with proof that they had the chicken pox vaccine or some other needed immunization. Those are the preliminary numbers from the school district.
"It's been a wonderful response," said Maureen Kauleinamoku, nursing supervisor.
Many parents showed up at school today with shot records for their kids, while others had their children vaccinated within the past week, she said.
•Denali Center resident Dennis Southworth made it to Seattle to see the Mariners play Sunday. His friend Kathy Carrico says it was a miracle, due in part to the efforts of about 50 people from Fairbanks.
Southworth, 57, is confined to a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis. He is a big baseball fan and watches games on TV whenever he can.
Two nurses volunteered to go on the trip with him, along with Carrico. She said the Mariners treated him well, as did Alaska Airlines and all the people they've encountered since leaving Fairbanks early Sunday.
He can't sit up in an airline seat, so eight seats had to be arranged, which was made possible by donations of air miles from people and businesses in Fairbanks.
He watched the afternoon game from along the third base line of Safeco Field and the Mariners put a welcome message up for him on the scoreboard.
He got a signed ball and a jersey. Carrico said he was resting this morning, before flying back to Fairbanks this evening.
Carrico has been working for more than a year to help Southworth see a Big League game.
Seattle beat the Yankees 10-3.
•With the filing deadline today, more candidates have entered the local races. Daniel S. Osborn filed for Assembly Seat A, while Philip Newton of North Pole filed to run for Seat G against incumbent Mike Musick.
The other Seat A candidates are Matthew Want and Eric Grabber.
William Stodden became the fifth candidate for borough mayor.
Sharon McConnell filed for School Board Seat G. The other candidate in that race is Thomas W. Garrett.
How many new dorms has Anchorage received over the years compared to the Fairbank's campus. Face it, while Fairbanks is the home base of the University, Anchorage is where students choose to go.
FreeDarfur, I would say you are only partially right. For students interested in the Liberal Arts Anchorage is a better choice. However, students interested in science and engineering tend to attend UAF because those programs are weak/non-existent in Anchorage.
I don't know that I would say UAA has a better liberal arts program; my degree comes from the CLA at UAF and I can safely say that I was impressed with the value and quality of education.
That doesn't mean that UAF as a whole wouldn't benefit from some improvement. As noted, some of the facilities are aging and need to be upgraded or replaced, and there is definitely some administrative streamlining that could benefit the University.
Also, people need to remember that UAF serves a much different purpose from UAA. UAA is designed as a campus to serve a large urban center, in the same vein as Portland State or the University of Houston. UAF is seen in the outside world as the "destination" school of Alaska; that's why we get most of the research funding and have the Land/Sea/Space Grant designations. It's up to the administration and alumni to make sure it lives up to that billing, and while I think definite strides have been made, there is still work to do. And although there are some obvious infrastructure improvements to be made, I think it ultimately starts with recruiting more and more in-state students to get their college education in Alaska and not Outside, and better yet to give them compelling reasons to stay in-state. UAF has made some major strides with in-state recruitment, but now the challenge is to both keep the recruitment up and give them compelling reasons to stay.
yeah we need to spend more state money on UAF....
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