Dana Thomas - Accreditation Information

UAF received three recommendations by the accreditation committee.
• Better connect budget to university themes
• Better connect planning to university themes
• Assess university procedures

The UAF Accreditation Committee is looking to revise UAF’s Mission Statement. The current statement says who we are and a mission statement should say what we do and why we do it. Any mission statement has to be approved by the Board of Regents. If the mission statement is revised the current mission statement will be moved to the preamble. Any suggestions of changes can be sent to Dana Thomas and must be received by March 3, 2012.

There is also a need to possibly reduce or combine indicators by which UAF must collect data and report the to the accreditation committee. If you would like a complete list of Core Themes, Objectives, and Indicators as they were presented to UAF Staff Council contact Mary Sue Dates at 474-7566 or marysue@alaska.edu. Any suggestions of changes can be sent to Dana Thomas and must be received by April 13, 2012.

Current UAF Mission Statement: The University of Alaska Fairbanks, the nation’s northernmost Land, Sean and Space Grant university and international research center, advances and disseminates knowledge through teaching, research and public service with an emphasis on Alaska, the circumpolar North and their diverse peoples. UAF – America’s arctic university – promotes academic excellence, student success and lifelong learning.

Draft New UAF Mission Statement:The University of Alaska Fairbanks integrates teaching, research, and engagement, emphasizing the circumpolar north and its diverse peoples, as it educates students for careers, leading roles in their communities, and lifelong learning.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks integrates teaching, research, and engagement, emphasizing the circumpolar north and its diverse peoples, as it educates students, preparing them for life, careers, and leading roles in their communities.

Accreditation Update

Dana Thomas, Vice Provost, informed staff council members of the accreditation process, provided handouts of the UAF Mission Statement and Core Themes, Objectives, and Indicators.  Anyone wishing to receive a copy of these documents may contact their staff council representative or the UAF Staff Council office.  Claudia Koch, Unit 7 representative, is a member of this committee.

UAF has not received a final report from the Northwest Commission for the accreditation just completed.  From the draft report given to UAF received 3 recommendations and 3 commendations.

As UAF has completed the initial accreditation process we are now beginning an ongoing cycle.  The Northwest Commission requires the accreditation process be completed every 7 years. 

1. Year One - define and/or revise university mission statement, themes, objectives, indicators, and the fulfillment of them.
2. Year Three - review the comments from the Northwest Commission of year one's information.  Make any changes to year one's items if needed or wanted.  Review resources and capacity.
3. Year Five - review the comments from the Northwest Commission of year one and three's information.  Make any changes to year one or three's items if needed or wanted.  Give data on indicator survey gathered and  how the information is used in the budget and planning processes.
4. Year Seven - review the comments from the Northwest Commission of year one, three, five's information.  Make any changes to year one, three, or five's item if needed or wanted.  Provide an evaluation of the mission fulfillment and accomplishment.  The following year begins year one again. 

At this point, the UAF Accreditation Committee is discussing revising the university's mission statement.  There is conversation about putting the "Land, Sea, and Space Grant" into the preamble.  The current mission statement states what we do, the goal is to have it state who we are and why do we do what we do.  The Chancellor's Cabinet has suggested the mission statement be one sentence.  Something easily remembered, relevant, and helpful when recruting students and/or donors.

Faculty Senate Comments

Cathy Cahill, Faculty Senate President, was present via telephone at the UAF Staff Council meeting of November 16.  She provided the following information:

• Faculty is reviewing UAF policy that affect academics and the faculty.  They are only reviewing the UAF Human Resources policies being review are those that directly affect faculty.
• Accreditation cycle is back in swing.
• Discussion about breaking commencement from one into two.  Considering a separate commencement for Masters and PhD students.  This is a very real possibility.
• Legislative forum, Interior Delegation, to come to UAF campus November 30.