University of Alaska Board of Regents to continue strategic future investments at November Board Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Regents to approve FY28 budgets, consider new tuition model; will discuss UA’s long-term investments, highlight statewide impact

(FAIRBANKS) - The University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents will meet in Fairbanks, November 4-6, on the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) campus to consider the proposed FY28 budget, a new tuition structure, update policies and consider new guidelines for AI use. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski will also join Regents via Zoom on Thursday afternoon for an update on federal issues.

The meeting comes roughly halfway through the Fall 2026 semester, with initial enrollment numbers showing UA on pace to roughly match last year’s enrollment of just over 20,000 students. The numbers include a notable 5% increase in first-time student enrollment, showing positive potential future outcomes for recruitment, retention and graduation. 

“As I complete my third month as president, I am excited by the positive energy and optimism on our campuses throughout the state,” UA President Matt Cooper said. “I see the great work done by our faculty and staff to support students in their education, and I see the excitement and engagement of those in our courses. The investments and strategies we set forth at this meeting will help us continue to build on a foundation of stability and realize the incredible opportunities on the horizon.”

Program-Based Tuition and FY28 Budget Proposals

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Luke Fulp and Vice President and Chief Academic Officer Brian Smentkowski will present proposed policy updates and the associated tuition rate proposal for Fall 2027, respectively. The university is recommending a shift to a new “program-based” tuition model to help simplify students’ bills. Part of the Tuition Transparency (T2) project, the program-based tuition model eliminates “lower division” and “upper division” course pricing, replacing them with a single rate tied to a student’s major or program of study. Under the new model, students will be able to more easily understand their cost of attendance, and more of that cost will be eligible for financial aid. The proposals follow the Board’s August motion to eliminate non-resident tuition.

“I’ve appreciated the feedback we received from our governance groups and the positive response to program-based tuition as a concept,” President Cooper said. “The primary goal of T2 and moving to program-based tuition is to improve the student experience through clear and reliable tuition bills. Pending Board approval, we’ll continue to request feedback and engagement from our stakeholders as we move towards implementation.”

During Thursday and Friday’s full Board Meeting, Vice President of University Relations Michelle Rizk will walk Regents through the UA's FY28 Operating and Capital Budgets. The current operating budget proposal requests an additional $22.2 million in state funds to cover compensation and other operating cost increases over FY27, and an additional $26.7 million to support key initiatives in recruitment, retention, graduation, placement, workforce, research and economic development. 

The request for compensation increases includes nonrepresented employees and those with active union contracts in FY28. UA is currently negotiating three new collective bargaining agreements with Local 6070 (Crafts and Trades) employees, graduate student employees (AGWA), and newly-unionized staff employees (CAUSE). As is standard practice, once tentative agreements are reached with those unions, funding requests for negotiated compensation increases will be made through the appropriate legislative process.

“The budget we’ll present this week invests strategically in key priorities, including recruitment, retention, graduation and placement of students,” President Cooper remarked.

Long-Term Academic Investments and Operational Strategies 

On Wednesday, Vice President & CAO Smentkowski will update the Regents’ Ad Hoc Committee on Recruitment, Retention and Graduation on the status of the Board’s Strategic Attainment Framework (SAF). SAF houses ongoing, direct efforts to improve student recruitment and retention, and to speed overall time to graduation across all UA campuses. During the Friday portion of the full Board meeting, Vice Presidents Fulp and Rizk will share recent progress on the “Roadmap to Empower Alaska,” the key strategies that UA leadership and the universities are implementing to improve operations and advance key research and Arctic Leadership efforts.

Chief Information Technology Officer Ben Shier will share the latest version of UA’s “AI Engaged” effort. In May, the Board directed UA leadership to develop a cohesive strategy around the university’s approach to artificial intelligence from a philosophical, pedagogical and operational lens. The final document incorporates feedback from students, faculty and staff across the system, and lays out a path forward for UA to help lead artificial intelligence innovation in Alaska. The statement establishes six guiding principles, four investment priorities and five system-wide expectations for each university's AI work, setting system-level direction while preserving UAA, UAF and UAS responsibility for curriculum, academic integrity and faculty instructional judgment.

“I’m grateful to students, faculty and staff for their engagement and feedback,” President Cooper said. “‘AI Engaged’ underscores that as we consider how to responsibly utilize AI across the system, student learning remains at the heart of our mission.”

Highlighting Statewide Impact

During the Facilities and Land Management Committee meeting on Thursday, UA Land Management Director Adrienne Stolpe will share a critical update on the university’s Land Grant Initiative. UA has sought a remedy for our significant land grant deficit for more than 60 years, and the spending package Congress passed at the end of 2022 included language from Senator Murkowski that provided a path to obtaining an additional 360,000 acres of outstanding lands. The largest beneficiaries of UA  proceeds received from actively managing land assets are UA Scholars (top 10% of each Alaska high school class), meaning fulfilling the land grant is a very literal investment in Alaska’s future.

During the full board meeting on Friday, Regents will review the latest report on UA’s statewide economic impact. Released earlier this year, the 2026 “Economic Benefits of the University of Alaska” report includes analysis from McKinley Research Group on UA’s broad reach and impact in communities statewide. In FY2025, UA contributed roughly $1.2 billion to Alaska’s economy and supported more than 10,000 jobs statewide. 

Committees and Meeting Schedule

Committee meetings will be held Wednesday and Thursday, followed by the full board meeting starting Thursday afternoon, and resuming Friday morning.

• Wednesday, Nov. 4
  Governance Committee meeting: 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  Ad Hoc Committee for Recruitment, Retention & Graduation: 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.*
  Academic and Student Affairs Committee meeting: 4:30 p.m.*
  

• Thursday, Nov. 5
  Academic and Student Affairs Committee meeting continues: 8:00 a.m.
  Audit and Finance Committee meeting: 9* a.m. to 1:30 p.m.*
  Facilities and Land Management Committee meeting: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.*
  Full board meeting: 3:30 to 5 p.m.*
  

• Friday, Nov. 6
  Full board meeting (Fairbanks): 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  

*Time is approximate; meetings will begin at the conclusion of the preceding meeting.

The agenda is available on the Board of Regents website. All meetings, except any executive sessions, are public and will be livestreamed. 

The University of Alaska Board of Regents is an 11-member volunteer board, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alaska Legislature. Members serve an eight-year term, except for the student regent, who serves a two-year term. The Board was established through the Alaska Constitution and is responsible for University of Alaska policy and management through the university president.

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For more information, contact Jonathon Taylor, director of public affairs at 907-201-2436 (cell), or via email at jmtaylor9@alaska.edu.

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