Faculty Senate

UNIVERSITY ANCHORAGE

 

October 2, 2019

Dear Board of Regents,

The UAA Faculty Senate Executive Board continues to be deeply concerned about the leadership
of President James ohnsen and your continued trust in his leadership. You have been copied on
a letter to NWCCU President Sonny Ramaswamy that expresses our concerns with the process
and includes a survey of UA leadership completed by the UAA faculty.

It is obvious from the results of the survey that the faculty have little con?dence in the
president?s leadership. As we have expressed in numerous resolutions, the president has failed to
effectively engage faculty governance in inclusive decision making as required by NWCCU
standards.

President ohnsen had assured the Board that the accreditation standards including NWCCU
Standard 2.A.2, and Standard 2.A.l were being met during the process to consider single
accreditation and other administrative and structural consolidation, yet the letter from President
Ramaswamy indicates otherwise.

Faculty repeatedly raised accreditation concerns associated with consolidation as the discussion
moved from the consolidation of UAF, UAA, and UAS Colleges of Education to the discussion
concerning single accreditation. Faculty have consistently asked for cost bene?t analysis of these
massive changes and yet none have been forthcoming. One analysis of single accreditation, the
Thomas report, which indicated minimal cost savings to single accreditation, has been ignored
by President ohnsen and yet his argument for single accreditation and consolidation continues to
rest on the need to ?nd cost savings and save money.

Even more problematic has been the president?s efforts at controlling communication, which
undermines the very values of higher education and the free exchange of ideas. We appreciate
the dif?culty of your job, and as you are likely beginning to discover, the information you have
received from the president is often highly curated, making it dif?cult to determine effective
paths forward. Faculty continue to be willing to do the hard work of analysis and share that with
the Board.

Aside from the president?s leadership, we are deeply concerned that the ongoing administrative
consolidation and the expedited academic review process as currently con?gured and driven by
the president is in violation of NWCCU Standard for Accreditation 2.A.2, and Standard 2.A.1,
given its effects on areas within the chancellors? responsibility. That is why we are asking for a
moratorium on those processes.

Given the lack of communication from President Johnsen and the Board, it seems we are moving
forward with business as usual. We appreciate the dif?cult task you face, but it is imperative that
you immediately assert control of the university system to avoid endangering the accreditations
of UAA, UAF, and UAS and further undermining con?dence in your work as a Board.

I have included a resolution that the UAA Faculty Senate will be considering at their meeting on
October 4. As noted in the resolution, the UAA Faculty Senate Executive Board recommends
suspending President Johnsen and the administrative consolidation processes and academic
review discussions that are currently underway while tasking the chancellors and shared
governance with completing the report to NWCCU. That report should address the issues with
the standards for accreditation while making recommendations for change that will bring board
policy into line with those standards.

We ?rmly believe that you can reestablish con?dence in the Board by taking decisive action to
address the ongoing leadership issues with President Johnsen and reengage the voices of the

chancellors and shared governance in these important conversations.

Sincerely, 

rr" 
Scott Downim

UAA Faculty Senate President