UA president delivers grim look after years of cuts - Naomi Klouda, Alaska Journal of Commerce

The University of Alaska president painted a distressing picture of what’s occurring in the university system after enduring $145 million in cumulative state funding cuts over the past four years. UA President Jim Johnsen outlined his concerns during his annual “State of the University” speech Feb. 20 to Commonwealth North at the Cuddy Center on the UAA campus. The system has 1,183 fewer employees and 50 fewer programs than three years ago, he said. Gov. Bill Walker’s budget includes flat funding of $317 million for the UA system, down from $378 million in 2014. University wide, the college has also experienced an enrollment decline from 32,700 to 27,800 during the same period. http://www.alaskajournal.com/2018-02-21/ua-president-delivers-grim-look-after-years-cuts#.Wo8fG4PwZpg