As Alaska Senate prepares to ax university budget, its president tries to stay upbeat - James Brooks, Juneau Empire

University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen presented an upbeat, optimistic State of the University address to the Juneau Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, but a stern reception from the Alaska Senate Finance Committee indicates more cuts ahead for Alaska’s embattled university system. “The state of the University of Alaska is strong,” Johnsen told the chamber, but later acknowledged, “our state and our university both face really serious challenges.” Johnsen’s talk to the Chamber followed two hours of testimony in front of the Senate Finance Committee, which is hearing testimony from what it calls “the big four”: the departments of Education, Transportation, Health and Social Services and the university. http://juneauempire.com/state/2017-02-16/senate-prepares-ax-university-budget-its-president-tries-stay-upbeat