JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – While programs and construction projects are dwindling due to budget cuts, the University of Alaska Southeast is looking at enrollment as a way to continue contributing to the Juneau economy in the long run.
UAS Chancellor Rick Caulfield said Thursday at a Juneau Chamber of Commerce event that he is still optimistic despite a tight budget, The Juneau Empire reported.
He said the university's biggest contribution to Juneau's economy is training a future workforce.
“We wonder about what kind of opportunities are there for our kids and our grandkids looking forward, and it's even tougher as we think about the budget challenges that the state of Alaska is facing right now,” Caulfield said. “But as I look in the mirror in the morning, I'm reminded that I'm part of the graying workforce.”
He said UAS is expanding its marine biology degree program to include fishery, which could add up to 20 students. Other draws to the university include its ongoing recruitment program, “Come Home to Alaska,” which allows out-of-state students to pay in-state tuition if they have a family member who receives a Permanent Fund Dividend.
Despite growth, the school is cutting its masters of business administration, pre-engineering and early childhood degree programs. Students in those programs will be able to finish their degrees online through other schools within the University of Alaska system.
“We're putting some programs down, never a happy thing, but the world is changing and we have to change with it,” he said.
The university also eliminated several jobs and moved all bookstore sales online.
UAS contributes about $27 million into the local economy through its 322 employees. Additional jobs and funds come from the school's construction contracts.
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