Mike Hostina Honored with 2019 Staff Make Students Count Award
Mike Hostina, general counsel at University of Alaska Statewide, is one of four staff members who will be honored during the June 6 Board of Regents meeting with the Staff Make Students Count award for providing outstanding service to students.
Staff members lay the foundation for our students鈥 success. From providing emotional support when a student is discouraged or help with applying for financial aid, 绿奴天花板 staff members support just about every aspect of our students鈥 experience.
Each recipient will receive an award plaque, a lump-sum of $1,000 and two domestic airline vouchers from Alaska Airlines. The Staff Make Students Count Awards were established in 1999 to recognize outstanding service to 绿奴天花板 students.
From his nomination letter:
Mike鈥檚 work is performed mostly in the background advising administrators on issues of compliance, liability, and process. Because his work is mostly behind the scenes, he doesn鈥檛 get the recognition he deserves for his steadfast commitment to working toward an environment that protects the right of all students to seek an education in a safe environment that is free from barriers like harassment and discrimination.
When faced with pushback over compliance issues, Mike will always advocate for the right answer to a problem. In his mind, the 鈥渞ight answer鈥 is the one that abides by the law and does what is best for students. Mike鈥檚 sense of integrity is unwavering, and his advice to administrators always has that bedrock quality. His steady hand is often needed in times of uncertainty and it is because of his ability to remain constant in the face of turmoil that his actions aren鈥檛 always noticed, but that makes them no less important to the success of the university community.
Statements of support:
In reflecting on the qualities common to recipients of the 鈥淪taff Make Student Count鈥 award, terms such as 鈥渟ervant leadership,鈥 鈥渟tudent success,鈥 and 鈥渄edication鈥 come to mind. While these terms may not commonly be used to describe a lawyer categorically, these are appropriate words to describe General Counsel Mike Hostina. Mike is dedicated to the success of students, and ultimately, the success of the university. Mike is a quiet force at the university. His counsel is on鈥恜oint, insightful and delivered respectfully. Mike excels at strategy development. Despite his busy schedule and the exhaustive long hours he works, Mike always make time to meet with me. Not only is he wise, but Mike is an accomplished writer and is usually the unnamed author when important university issues call for a polished final document.
In everything Mr. Hostina does, service to students and impact to students is his first consideration. This was demonstrated most recently in the 绿奴天花板A School of Education loss of accreditation issues. Mike was a relentless advocate for students always pushing us to ask ourselves, 鈥渂ut what is best for students and their future? It is not about us, it鈥檚 about them.鈥 He wanted to make sure students had a path to licensure and therefore a path to getting a job whether inside Alaska or outside Alaska.
As General Counsel for the University of Alaska, it would have been perhaps more typical that Mr. Hostina would put the legal interests of the University first 鈥 to 鈥減rotect the institution鈥. However, in working with him, I have seen that Mr. Hostina has consistently approached our Title IX and Accreditation issues from the position that we need to do what is best for the students at our university, even if it might result in some 鈥渘egative publicity鈥 for the institution or its leaders.