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Eight areas were reviewed:

• Health
• Science/Arts/Humanities
• Management and Business 
• eLearning 
• Engineering 
• Education 
• Research 
• Career and technical education - Community Campuses

For each area, we convened two sessions, the first in Fairbanks and the second in Anchorage. Participants were selected by provosts, deans, directors and faculty leadership and represent a wide spectrum of interests across the ��ū�컨�� system.  

The meetings were conducted in a face-to-face format and by Zoom at both locations. The meetings were also live-streamed for others to view. The goal of these meetings was to explore options for academic organization and structure in the context of reductions in state support to the University of Alaska.  

The discussions during the week and thereafter will form the basis for the report that will be presented to the Board in September. This began the process to advise the Board regarding a plan to transition to a single institutional accreditation.

University of Alaska Academic Structure Change Management

Process Overview, Ground Rules, and Guidance

Session Goals:

• In a focused, systematic way, address changes being advanced by the University of Alaska Board of Regents in response to the current financial crisis and in service of the long-term vision for the university.
• Surface and address conflicting interests; identify and advance common interests.
• Generate constructive options and, to the extent possible, consensus recommendations.

Session Overview:

• Fairbanks 
  • Monday, August 19
    • Health: 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
    • Science/Arts/Humanities: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, August 20
    • Management and Business: 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
    • eLearning: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
    • Engineering: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
  • Wednesday, August 21
    • Education: 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
    • Research: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
    • CTE / Community Campuses: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
• Anchorage
  • Thursday, August 22
    • Health: 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
    • Management and Business: 10 a.m. -  11:30 a.m.
    • Research: 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
    • Engineering: 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Friday, August 23
    • Education: 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
    • eLearning: 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
    • CTE / Community Campuses: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
    • Science, Arts and Humanities: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Proposed Session Ground Rules:

• Focus on interest and options – avoid jumping to positions.
• Be hard on the issues, not each other.
• Operate with transparency – notes will be recorded live on a cloud-based, shared document.
• Issues that can’t be resolved during the session will be placed on a “parking lot” in the notes.
• Observers can communicate (in person or electronically) with participants before and after the sessions, but should only serve as observers during the sessions.

Change Management Model:

• Vision and Data
• Stakeholders and Interests
• Options and Recommendations
• Lateral Alignment

Additional Considerations:

• Participants should bring relevant data on student enrollment, faculty and staffing levels, current programs and initiatives, and other matters.
• All sessions will have virtual options for participants not able to attend in person and there will be arrangements for virtual observers.
• A facilitation team will guide the process, led by Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Brandeis University, and involving skilled facilitators from within the University of Alaska system.

Workshop First Principles

 

During the work sessions, there was informal dialogue among the team leading and facilitating the sessions that surfaced the following points as potential “first principles” going forward:

 

● Serving students: An overarching commitment, serving students, current and future.

 

● Honoring Indigenous cultures: An overarching commitment, honoring and respecting indigenous cultures and values.

 

● Agile Institution: The aim of being an agile institution, responsive to emerging local needs.

 

● Vertical and Lateral Alignment: The importance of mechanisms for horizontal collaboration (lateral), in addition to the importance of decisive and inclusive leadership (top-down), combined with broad engagement and action (bottom-up).

 

● Geographic and cultural context: Education matched to the Alaska context, both geographic and cultural.

 

● Transformative research: Appreciation for the transformative role of research addressing natural, technological, and social challenges facing society.

 

● Increased self-sufficiency: A shared priority for reducing the dependency of the university on State funding.

 

● Deliberation and Action: A need to balance the time required for deliberation and the importance of decisive action (where inaction is potentially costly).

 

● Plan, Do, Check, Adjust: The need for use of a Plan, Do, Check, Adjust (PDCA) approach to continuous improvement (not just “Plan, Do … Plan, Do … Plan, Do” but including thoughtful “Check, Adjust”).

 

● Anticipating Accelerating Rates of Change: The importance of anticipating an accelerating pace of change in technology and society, as well as across higher education, with the overarching dual aims consistent with those of other societal institutions--maximizing creative value and mitigating harm.