How much collaboration goes on internally within Alaska between the campuses?

Restructuring
Restructuring that began in 1987 allowed the University of Alaska (UA) to focus significantly on achieving economies of scale through consolidation and collaboration. Restructuring was the 1987 consolidation of administrative functions and academic accreditations from 15 institutions to 3 regional Major Administrative Units (MAU’s) including a main campus and associated community campuses (Prince William Sound Community College unlike the other community campuses maintained a separate community college accreditation but is part of UAA). Restructuring brought about significant collaboration between main campuses and the associated community campuses.

The Decade in the Desert
The decade of the 1990’s was a ten-year period that accounted for a state operating funding reduction of $30 million in real dollars. This was nearly a quarter of UA’s purchasing power. Consolidation and collaboration was paramount to simply maintain programs and service delivery. During this period UAA was given primary responsibility for health and education instructional programs, UAS guided distance delivery, and UAF maintained the lead in science, graduate education, and research. There was significant collaboration among the main campus and community campuses within an MAU however, except for Juneau’s significant contribution to statewide distance delivery, each MAU’s focus remained primarily on its own region.

Current Progress
In the last three years, true collaboration systemwide has flourished. This collaboration was in direct response to the overarching goals of meeting state needs and attracting Alaskan students. When campus collaboration was largely within an MAU, each created curriculum for a degree program. Often times the curriculums of each MAU differed for the same program title. In the last few years, the process for new program development and enhanced program delivery has progressed and follows the principles listed below:

• When possible, offer a standardized program curriculum systemwide.
• When a program is expensive but a state priority, use existing accredited programs and extend delivery through other campuses.
• When possible, deliver an entire program curriculum via distance, coordinating between MAU’s for courses.

Below are a few examples of successful program implementations and delivery using these principles.

Standardize program curriculum systemwide:

• Process Technology – this program is delivered in Anchorage, Kenai, and Fairbanks using the same curriculum. It is developed in partnership with the Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium (APICC).
• Early Childhood Development – this program is based on the federal mandate requiring Head Start employees to have degrees. UA coordinated the standardization of early childhood curriculum that was acceptable to all campuses.

Use existing accredited programs but extend delivery:

• Associate Degree in Nursing – this program is accredited through UAA’s School of Nursing and is lauded for its high quality graduates. Equipment, faculty, and accreditation for the program is expensive, thus the School of Nursing is delivering the program through Tanana Valley Campus in Fairbanks, Kodiak, and new this year in Juneau. With industry support, UA is implementing a plan to double the number of UA nursing graduates in 3 years.

Deliver entire program curriculum via distance delivery:

• Associates of Arts Degree and General Education Requirements – the AA program is available systemwide via distance delivery as well as courses that will satisfy the general education requirements for a Baccalaureate degree.
• Microcomputer Support Specialist Program (MSSP) – this program is designed around industry standards and is available systemwide via distance with coordinated course delivery from several campuses. The advisory group for the program includes both industry and academic participants.

In addition to collaborative effort for instructional programs, there have been several successful efforts in research programs, and outreach. The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is collaborative program between UAF and UAA as well as state agencies and industry. UA is leading efforts for more comprehensive K-12 outreach including mentoring and certification training. All MAU’s are involved in a combined effort.

Collaborative delivery is a cost efficient method to increase access to programs. UA is reaching more Alaskans with more programs. The progress is significant, but comes with additional cost. First, it requires statewide leadership. Second, it requires extensive up front and on-going communication among interested parties and translates to time and travel. Third, it reduces individual campus autonomy in establishing academic program requirements and changes - a pillar of the academic culture. Finally, it is program expansion, and regardless of the method expansion requires additional faculty, networks/bandwidth, equipment, classrooms/labs, and staff support.

Next Steps
The next activities for enhancing collaboration within Alaska will continue to focus on meeting state needs as well as attracting Alaskan students. Leveraging specific program expertise through collaborative is also an important next step.

UA’s academic leadership is actively planning the expansion of distance delivered programs that provide broader access to students who pursue degrees in the state’s priority job areas.

The technology infrastructure was completed for extensive “Hub-to-Hub” instruction in upper division and graduate course work. “Hub-to-Hub” means main campus to main campus instructional delivery. “Hub-to-Hub” delivery provides UA the ability to leverage the expertise of specialized faculty at one campus in order to efficiently increase the breadth of upper division and graduate course offerings to students located at other campuses. Lack of breadth and availability of courses within degree programs is a primary complaint of UA students. “Hub-to-Hub” instruction is not a magic bullet, but it may be part of a solution to expand UA’s offerings as this method is utilized in existing and new programs.