Thread by @mattbuxton

The Board of Regents is now hearing from Gov. Dunleavy directly. Follow live on alaska.edu/bor/live/

#akleg #akgov

Dunleavy, whose budget cut the university by $136M: "What I'd like to say is the university is an integral part of the state. ... The university has been a beneficiary of the state for years. ... Some of us are still living in a belief of $85 to $90 per barrel oil." #akleg

Dunleavy says his Feb. 13 budget "has caused quite a conversation for the state."

He says it's about "a new funding reality for the state" and calls "the game in Juneau about how much funding we can get for services in our districts." #akleg

Dunleavy: "I don't think there's going to be any disagreement that our outcomes could be a lot better. ... Everyone agrees with this." #akleg

Dunleavy says the budget is back in his hands and hopes that he and the university can 'come to an understanding."

He runs down a bunch of priorities of the university, including engineering, but dances around any mention of climate change. #akleg

Dunleavy has proposed eliminating all state funding for research based at UAF (which includes climate change): "I hope the regents accept this offer." #akleg

Barnhill, the OMB guy, says he's also gone around the Board of Regents and is reaching out directly to UA staff and faculty. #akleg

Barnhill says overhead costs are 45 percent. He, however, includes student services and research as part of the overhead cost. He also took out all of the community campuses. #akleg

Barnhill: :The cost drivers are in the University of Alaska. These could be legitimate but we don't need to get into that today." #akleg

Barnhill says he's been authorized to offer "$40 million as the add back."

The #akleg added back $110 million of the $136 million cut.

Again, here's the offer from the administration: Cut $20M of UAF organized research, cut $15M in research statewide, cut small business development at UAA,etc. #akleg

Barnhill: "We're engaged in an appropriation discussion."

He says the accreditation association saying that the funding could/should impact accreditation is wrong.

They also called this proposal he's giving as "strong-arm 'guidance'" to the university. #akleg

Listening to this mealy-mouthed, crocodile tears presentation it sounds like it'd be better to just take the full cut and maintain their independence and authority over the University of Alaska. The proposal is really just to hand out the cuts over two years anyways. #akleg

Barnhill says the complete elimination of funding for research is fine because the university is pretty good at fundraising.

Says maybe all the people who've written about the importance of research will pay for it themselves. #akleg

Barnhill notes that it's a two-year step down. He says by strong-arming the university into getting a $40 million "add back" they'll be able to avoid the worst impacts to students this year. #akleg

Barnhill says he doesn't support the pro-rata approach (the consortium model). He says the budget is set up so they can't cut UAS or community campuses: "The pro-rata approach by its very method ends up preserving administrative costs and cutting academic costs." #akleg

Davies says the line on the offer calling it a "proviso" budget says it looks like a "take it or leave it offer."

Barnhill says it's in the spirit of compromise. #akleg

Regent Bania falls over himself to thank Barnhill for saying it's not a take it or leave it offer.

Same with Perdue.

#akleg

Perdue invites Barnhill to meet with researchers to see what their concerns are. She says the proposals to cut $20M for UAF research and $15M for statewide research is misguided and says it'll have a bigger impact than they suggest. #akleg

Barnhill says he's not sure but the idea that state dollars need to match federal research dollars isn't right. He says corporate and private alumni can fill in just fine. "It's an opportunity to explore that because of this understanding that I don't think is correct." #akleg

Hey, at least this presentation from Barnhill ought to unite the Board of Regents at least long enough to make a decision today. #akleg

As one regent said earlier: "The House is on fire and they're pouring gasoline on it." #akleg

Regent Hughes says Barnhill's suggestion that all these cuts could so easily be made up with corporate giving is unrealistic. She says it might happen eventually but not overnight. #akleg

"I'm not negotiating because it's inappropriate. We do what we do."

She asks if the concerns about cost drivers is met would the Dunleavy administration sign off on the $40 million add back? #akleg

Barnhill says his proposed deal can be accomplished in many ways and says it's mainly a response to the consortium approach, which he says preserves too much administration. #akleg

Johnsen says a lot of these conversations have already been floated to the governor but "it's been pretty quiet" until the last couple weeks. #akleg

Johnsen also points out that Barnhill said the funding suggestions work for universities with "giant endowments." UA doesn't have such an endowment but says he's happy to have such a conversation with Barnhill and the administration. #akleg

Regents ask about the separation of allocations. Dunleavy just vetoed the UAF and UAA. Not UAS and community campuses.

Community campuses, however, relies heavily on UAA and UAF for their funding.

Barnhill says cuts to UAS and community campuses aren't permissible. #akleg

There's a lot of back and forth on this. Barnhill says no cuts for community campuses or UAS.

Johnsen says it's not practical. Says community campuses have a lot of their costs tied up in the UAA and UAF budgets. #akleg

Davies fires back. Saying that the whole premise that $135M needs to be cut from UA is false.

He says it returns 3x to the economy and "is a prime vehicle for people improving their lot in life." #akleg

Davies is getting fired up: "The reckless suggestion that we should zero out state support for research. ... We're not going to run bake sales to run the R/V Sikuliaq."

He says the same for the suggestion to zero out the Museum of the North funding.

#akleg #akgov

Davies says UA research is critical for the state and its future: "If you just close it down right now. That disappears over night. It's easy to destroy what took 75 years to create." #akleg #akgov

Davies is talking about his personal experience as the state seismologist. The university's work helped predict the explosion of Mt. Redoubt and evacuate people in its path:

"I think it's a darn good thing that we got those people out of there."

#akleg #akgov

Davies says the cuts, $136M in one year, means "We don't have time to plan anything. We just have to get stuff out of the fire."

He says the university should be afforded time to follow the #akleg position that they need to come up with a multi-year approach to step down UA.

Barnhill basically says nah. The budget cliff is here.

Says the bake sale approach should be fine to make up the funds. #akleg

Regent John Davies' defense of the university is the last part from the administration's presentation of its "strong-arm 'guidance'" to the regents.

Now back to decision-making about the future. #akleg

Ack, this should have said

Barnhill: "The cost drivers are in the University of Alaska FAIRBANKS. These could be legitimate but we don't need to get into that today." #akleg

Perdue: "The bus is driving and we're taking the wheels off right now. The cuts are too big." #akleg

Regent Bania asks if "The glide path is extended how that might have a negative effect on student enrollment. If this is taken care of immediately then students and future students would know what's to come." #akleg

Regent Teuber says that trying to do $136M in one year is creating an unhealthy university. He says the plan would be to get the cuts done in two years still but it needs to be planned. #akleg

.... so he'd be asking faculty to stay on board for one year, knowing that they'll get cut in a year. ... #akleg

Regent Garrett: "We're doing everything we can do so they can stay."

#akleg

Johnsen says if the Board of Regents signs off on Dunleavy's plan, UA would run out of money in April instead of February. #akleg

Regent Hughes- "We have to make our decision irrespective of the universe. If the universe gives us a big gift, then great, but then at least we will have planned for it."

She basically says she's unconvinced about the Gov's $40M offer. It comes with strings attached. #akleg

Sigh.

Regent Parker makes the motion for a consortium model with a decision "at some point in the future" about move to a consolidated university. #akleg

She says the University doesn't have the time, people or money to accredit the single institution and nine colleges. (which isn't what Johnsen suggested. He said use an existing accreditations and do a substantial change). #akleg

Student Regent Garrett also agrees with this. She says that the majority of emails have supported three universities. #akleg

Regent Anderson, who's been negative about consortium model. He'd prefer consolidation: "We're playing Russian roulette by not moving on this quickly and at this meeting." #akleg

Anderson: "We're going to cut $135 million whether it's over one or two years. I think we're playing Russian roulette going down this path (the consortium path)." #akleg

Perdue says there's a lot of uncertainty contained in the consortium model. She says she's not sure what direction it gives Johnsen for greater leadership in the upheaval. #akleg

She says handing off cuts and services to the chancellors is potentially wasteful. She seems to be siding with Johnsen's proposal for a consolidation with knowledge that it's planning and not implementation. #akleg

Student Regent Garrett: "The real Russian roulette we're playing is with the earth and the climate." #akleg