Interim chancellor Rogers seeks public opinion for UAF
Published Saturday, June 21, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — University of Alaska Fairbanks’ new interim chancellor, Brian Rogers, is looking for input from the community.
Rogers has started a transition process, a period to learn about university issues and help shape his tenure as chancellor.
The process consists of 15 committees covering such topics as enrollment and sustainability.
Each committee will meet during June to work on a report containing suggestions and priorities important to the committee.
The reports will be used to develop themes for Rogers’ convocation and to develop goals for the next two years.
A Web site has been set up to keep the public informed of committee meeting times and what happens at the meetings. The meetings are open to the public.
“We’re trying to get as much input as we can,” said Charles Fedullo, transition manager.
In addition to the Web site, meeting information has been sent to calendars at KUAC, UAF and the Daily News-Miner, and people on the UAF e-mail list have also received messages about meetings, Fedullo said.
The process doesn’t only focus on the university issues. Committees include the university’s role in community engagement and community economic development.
At the initial meeting on May 28, committee chairs decided to split the topic of community into two committees.
Kathryn Dodge, community economic development chair, said the separation of the two topics will allow for more exploration and understanding of each topic.
Dodge said the committee is still in the early stages of work, but is working on defining economic development and how to implement programs and practices.
She also points out the need to include areas other than Fairbanks because the university has campuses in Dillingham, Kotzebue and Nome.
Rogers said he has not been to every committee meeting, but plans to be more involved during the later stages.
He said he has heard some comments from the committees and said human resource issues are a common theme.
Rogers said he wants to keep the transition process as open and clear as possible.
He said since the Web site launched earlier this week he has received a few e-mail responses and that he welcomes more from the public.
Fedullo said the reports will be due to Rogers by July 7. Rogers will review and prepare them for public release later in the year.
“Our goal is for it to be ready for publication in early August,” Fedullo said.
Community Discussion
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Starting another committee is always a good thing. This guy is top flight ... started not one but, yes, 15 new committees! Go - Go - Go - BRIAN!
Brian - Spending a lot of money does not equal a good university. Focus on providing educations for Alaskan kids who cannot afford to go outside. Also increase vocational training where appropriate. Realize what UAF is and don't pretend it is a big time University. Decrease the staff to student ratio to less than the current 1 to 1.
Mr. Rogers, See if you can get someone in the biology department to come up with an anti-arrogant pill to be dispensed to all those professors/ "scholars" that think they are underpaid and under-appreciated.And then give each of the 15 committees a refillable prescription to last for 2 years. Send Davies some too. That will take some of the edge off of getting his butt kicked by someone that isn't an academic. Ouch. That hurts.
Its about time a Chancellor stepped up and did something. Jones was a joke in listening to anyone not employed directly by him had to say. It is clear UAF has a problem. Not 7 years ago it was a fight to get into student housing and last year they closed one dorm because they couldn't fill it. Prices may have gone up 200% but UAF is still a considerably cheaper option then out of state. The atmosphere that was so loved at UAF is no more. Why is that?
Arrogance my friend. From the top down. That's why. I know of a woman marketing professor uop there that used her position for personal gain and when she was confronted for it her bosses covered for her because she had a doctorate. Thank God she no longer teaches up there. But only because she retired, not because Jones or anyone else did anything about it. I never met him but I heard his wife was a nice lady. I wonder how long it will take Mr. Rogers to send Jones's hack, Jake Poole, packing.
Rogers! If you read this, you NEED a comprehensive, university-wide plan to combat cheating among your undergraduates. Plagiarism is widespread, there is no stigma attached to it, and professors do not have clear and binding rules for dealing with the offenders. If you want people to stop comparing UAF to a community college, a good first step would be ensuring that students actually earn their credits.
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