UAA 2025
The UAA 2025 Strategic Plan is a framework that defines, communicates and brings to life our shared expectations for UAA by the year 2025. The plan builds on our strengths and focuses attention and resources on delivering high-quality education to meet the needs of the people of Alaska and build a better future. After months of meetings at all levels of our institution, including with alumni and community partners, UAA 2025 consists of five key aspirations and subsequent strategies to achieve each of them.
Mission
UAA transforms lives through teaching, research, community engagement and creative expression in a diverse and inclusive environment. Serving students, the state and the communities of Southcentral Alaska, UAA is a comprehensive, open access, public university established on the ancestral lands of the Dena’ina, Ahtna Dene, Alutiiq/Sugpiaq, Chugachmiut and Eyak peoples.
Vision
We are known as a university of distinction, transforming lives and communities.
Aspiration #1: We put students first.
- UAA becomes a student-centered institution.
- Equity gaps in student learning and achievement are narrowed.
- Students are retained, persist and graduate at increasing rates.
- Students develop and achieve UAA’s Core Learning Competencies.
“There needs to be more appreciation for all the ways UAA stepped up to care for students during this past year. The financial support provided through the Dean’s Office, the emotional and medical support provided by Student Health and Counseling, the way Residence Life diligently worked to meet the needs of on-campus students. The list goes on and on. And as we come out of this pandemic, it’s my hope that UAA will continue to work just as hard to ensure a stable learning environment for all of us.” — Tuan Graziano, Junior in Economics and Vice President of the Union of Students at UAA
“There needs to be more appreciation for all the ways UAA stepped up to care for students during this past year. The financial support provided through the Dean’s Office, the emotional and medical support provided by Student Health and Counseling, the way Residence Life diligently worked to meet the needs of on-campus students. The list goes on and on. And as we come out of this pandemic, it’s my hope that UAA will continue to work just as hard to ensure a stable learning environment for all of us.” — Tuan Graziano, Junior in Economics and Vice President of the Union of Students at UAA
Aspiration #2: We create a culture of equity and inclusion by embracing diversity.
- Increase student, faculty and staff diversity.
- Address and strive to eliminate systemic racism from our policies and practices.
- Create a sense of belonging and community for marginalized groups.
- Strengthen existing partnerships and develop meaningful new ones with Alaska Native tribes, corporations and organizations.
- Focus and align priorities within the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan with these strategies.
“From a historical perspective, our institutions have not always lived up to our ideals. In fact, they have often failed to include all peoples as equal partners and participants. We want UAA to be a place where everyone belongs — a place where all peoples, all backgrounds, all communities are welcome. And that means ensuring that their voices are represented in the decision-making process.” — Jennifer Booz, UAA Chief Diversity Officer
“From a historical perspective, our institutions have not always lived up to our ideals. In fact, they have often failed to include all peoples as equal partners and participants. We want UAA to be a place where everyone belongs — a place where all peoples, all backgrounds, all communities are welcome. And that means ensuring that their voices are represented in the decision-making process.” — Jennifer Booz, UAA Chief Diversity Officer
Aspiration #3: We embrace our role as a trusted and respected community partner.
- Demonstrate value and meaningful progress on UAA 2025 aspirations.
- Align and communicate UAA capacity to meet community needs.
- Deepen and expand community engagement beyond current level.
“UAA has been critical to our success at ATS by providing good quality engineering graduates. We never could have grown over the past 20 years without UAA’s commitment to meeting our industry’s needs. Importantly, UAA and its graduates are deeply rooted in the state. It’s clear that they’re not only working for themselves, but for the long-term success of Alaska.” — David Rand, M.B.A. Business Administration ’00, CEO of ATS Alaska
“UAA has been critical to our success at ATS by providing good quality engineering graduates. We never could have grown over the past 20 years without UAA’s commitment to meeting our industry’s needs. Importantly, UAA and its graduates are deeply rooted in the state. It’s clear that they’re not only working for themselves, but for the long-term success of Alaska.” — David Rand, M.B.A. Business Administration ’00, CEO of ATS Alaska
Aspiration #4: We positively impact communities and the world through innovation.
- Strengthen interdisciplinary initiatives.
- Enhance scholarship, service and teaching related to the Arctic, aligned with UAA’s mission.
- Increase external sponsorship of research, scholarship and creative activities, expanding student opportunity where possible.
“Alaska has always had a resource extraction economy, but we’re seeing more and more that this model isn’t sustainable. If we want to stay relevant, we need to develop value-added innovations. We need to create high-demand products right here — and research plays a key role in this. For example, the microbes I research can extract rare earth elements from the ground without the toxic chemicals used elsewhere. This innovation is inexpensive, it’s better for the environment and it could allow us to compete in a global market.” — Brandon Briggs, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
“Alaska has always had a resource extraction economy, but we’re seeing more and more that this model isn’t sustainable. If we want to stay relevant, we need to develop value-added innovations. We need to create high-demand products right here — and research plays a key role in this. For example, the microbes I research can extract rare earth elements from the ground without the toxic chemicals used elsewhere. This innovation is inexpensive, it’s better for the environment and it could allow us to compete in a global market.” — Brandon Briggs, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
Aspiration #5: We accelerate excellence through continuous improvement.
- Reduce barriers and redundancies in administrative processes.
- Enhance revenue and financial sustainability through increased enrollment, external support, fundraising and fee-for-service entrepreneurial activities.
- Strengthen UAA’s environmental sustainability practices.
“As a project manager, I’m all about taking ideas and making them a reality. And turning ideas into reality isn’t a straight line — it’s a journey. We have to learn at every turn, both from our successes and our failures. We have to capitalize on the diverse strengths and perspectives of our community of stakeholders. And we have to always be moving forward.” — LuAnn Piccard, UAA 2025 Tri-chair, Project Management Department Chair
“As a project manager, I’m all about taking ideas and making them a reality. And turning ideas into reality isn’t a straight line — it’s a journey. We have to learn at every turn, both from our successes and our failures. We have to capitalize on the diverse strengths and perspectives of our community of stakeholders. And we have to always be moving forward.” — LuAnn Piccard, UAA 2025 Tri-chair, Project Management Department Chair