U. of Alaska President Acknowledges Contributing to a ‘Fractured’ System

James R. Johnsen, president of the University of Alaska system, shared a video message this week acknowledging that, by staying in crisis mode and refusing to consider alternative ideas from his chancellors, he had played a role in fracturing a spirit of unity the system needs to get through its latest budget cuts.

That reaction kicked in when Gov. Michael J. Dunleavy announced three months ago that he was slashing the system’s state funding by 41 percent, or $135 million, this fiscal year. The regents eventually worked out a deal with the governor to limit the cut to $70 million over three years, which took away some of the pressure, but not all of it.

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“What I’ve learned is that I stayed in that crisis mode that I was in over the spring and summer, trying to fight off that huge budget cut, and I didn’t adjust to our new, still urgent, reality,” Johnsen said.

During that time, he sent the chancellors of the three separately accredited universities, in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, an email directing them to get on board with the plan for a single university — which regents had authorized him to pursue — or be prepared to leave. The chancellors favored keeping the universities separate, which the board on Monday agreed to do — at least for now.

As he reflected on his role in the crisis that culminated in the universities’ accreditor warning that the campuses might be falling short in key categories, Johnsen said he understands that he needs “to empower more people across the university system, to be more inclusive.” He added that he also had learned “that no one person, including me, has all the answers.”

Scott Downing, president of the Faculty Senate at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, said that he welcomed the president’s statement, but that “we’ll need an ongoing, demonstrable commitment to shared governance.” Last week the senate reaffirmed a vote of no confidence in Johnsen’s leadership.

In his video statement, Johnsen urged the system to come together, as it did in the immediate aftermath of the budget cuts, to chart a way forward that’s in the best interests of students.

Daniel M. White, chancellor of the university’s flagship campus, in Fairbanks, said in an interview on Thursday that he welcomed the decision to return to the chancellors the authority to manage program reviews on their own campuses.

Cathy Sandeen, chancellor at Anchorage, said the decision to stop considering a single accreditation model will help reduce the uncertainty that has contributed to a reported 13 percent drop in enrollment at the state’s largest campus this fall. She added, in an email to The Chronicle on Thursday, that she appreciates “the board’s acknowledgement of the chancellors’ roles and responsibilities in leading Alaska’s accredited institutions, and the president’s agreement that now we must move forward.”

Katherine Mangan writes about community colleges, completion efforts, and job training, as well as other topics in daily news. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineMangan, or email her at katherine.mangan@chronicle.com.