U Alaska prioritizes its way through budget cuts - ELWOOD BREHMER, ALASKA JOURNAL OF COMMERCE

UAF is absorbing a $20 million budget reduction this year, and is prioritizing funding for classes and research by taking a greater share of the cuts in administrative offices. University of Alaska leaders are trying to minimize the impact of budget cuts on the new school year while at the same time remodeling operations to make institutions statewide more efficient. In raw numbers, the UA System absorbed a $26.3 million cut from the Legislature to its unallocated General Fund appropriation, according to the operating budget approved by the Board of Regents. However, the actual cut is closer to $31.4 million, UA officials say, when unfunded fixed cost increases, such as pay raises for union employees are included. Most union faculty and staff throughout the system received 2 percent pay increases July 1, the beginning of the 2016 state fiscal year. http://www.alaskajournal.com/Alaska-Journal-of-Commerce/August-Issue-5-2015/UA-prioritizes-its-way-through-budget-cuts/