Strategic Direction update

July 31, 2012

Marmian Grimes



During last 飞别别办鈥檚 Statewide SDI Planning Meeting the chancellors from all three MAUs talked about the issues, problems and potential solutions directly related to the five Strategic Direction themes selected at the meeting.

性欲社 addressed the importance of taking a completely different look at how student success is measured. 鈥淚f we really want to know whether students are attaining their goals, then we need to know the day they enter our campuses what it is they want to attain. That implies a whole different approach toward engaging first-time entrants into the university system,鈥 said Rogers.

UAS Chancellor John Pugh discussed another key issue, which may also require a new approach. 鈥淲e have to send the message that we need 鈥榮tudent accountability鈥 if we鈥檙e going to be successful as a system. A recent national research study shows students in universities nationwide study half as much as students who studied at universities 30 years ago. If we鈥檙e going to provide a quality education system, we may have to set some bars differently鈥 at the front end. Our students need to know that higher education is a full time job. You鈥檙e going to have to put in 40 to 50 hours a week in order to succeed,鈥 added Pugh.


UAA Chancellor Tom Case talked about applying three very important elements to creating and building on key partnerships with Alaskan schools, as well as Alaska鈥檚 public and private industries.

鈥淭here are a lot of good examples of great successes between the university and partners statewide. When I reflect on what causes success, it鈥檚 really all about listening, communicating and fostering relationships. The more closely we listen, and understand, the better the outcomes,鈥 said Case.
 President Gamble noted that, 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to take a lot of courage to act on some of the issues that lie before us. If we have the courage to fundamentally change the way we do business, then we have the opportunity to make some big inroads here.鈥


  UA Strategic Direction Themes     

  • Student Achievement & Attainment

  • Productive Partnerships with Schools

  • Productive Partnerships with Alaska鈥檚 Public and Private Industries

  • Research & Development to help sustain Alaska鈥檚 Economic Growth

  • Accountability to the People of Alaska



鈥淲hat is your role in SDI?鈥

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