Press Release: Hamilton says Legislature 'Turned UA Around' - University President Thanks Finance Committee for Funding

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Ron Irwin, Press Secretary
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For Immediate Release: February 5, 2001

Contact: Senator Dave Donley at (907) 465-3892
Representative Eldon Mulder at (907) 465-2647

(JUNEAU) -- University of Alaska President Mark Hamilton told the joint House and Senate Finance committees today the Legislature's investments have helped the University leverage millions in additional funds, attract and retain more top Alaska students and bring a critical boost to morale.

"The reason that enrollment is up, and tuition is up, and federal receipts are up, and university receipts are up, and indirect cost recoveries are up, and private giving is up, and corporate giving is up is because you made a bold and important statement last year," Hamilton told a committee room packed with legislators and onlookers.

"You said, 'Alaskans will support their university', and the echoes of that commitment are huge," Hamilton said. "You have turned this university around, partly with dollars, but primarily with the courage of your commitment."

The Legislature approved $16.9 million in additional funding for the University in last year's budget, after Hamilton promised to be accountable for showing results for the money. He said he has made good on that promise, running down a list of the university's achievements in the past year, including:

Increasing university enrollment for the first time since 1994
Increasing the number of students participating in the Alaska Scholars program granting scholarships to the top 10 percent of Alaska high school graduates to 350, up from 270 in the first year
Leveraging its increased money from the general fund to generate $5 million in funds from other sources that can be spent anywhere in the university, up from about $100,000 generated in earlier years
Leveraging a $1 million investment into $3.5 million from the National Science Foundation's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, for cold-regions engineering research
Extending a two-year registered nursing program to the university's Fairbanks and Kodiak campuses
Establishing an information technology vocational training program at the university's Juneau campus
Expanding the Fairbanks and Anchorage campus engineering programs to meet in-state market demands

"President Hamilton's message again this year was that our investments in the university have paid big dividends, and he's challenging us to continue this investment so we can continue getting such results," said Rep. Eldon Mulder, co-chair of the House Finance Committee.

"While the university has had some problems with accountability in the past, President Hamilton has said he wants to fix them," said Sen. Dave Donley, Senate Finance Committee co-chair. "I'm looking forward to a demonstration that he's been successful in making the changes necessary to ensure Alaskans are getting their money's worth from the university."

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= President Mark Hamilton, 73 K

= Dave Donley, 31 K

| Sen. Donley's Page | Rep. Mulder's Page |

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