HB 9 Faculty Regent
This bill would add a regent who would be a current faculty member. A similar bill last session had four hearings, but did not progress out of House Finance.
The UAA FSA believes this would be beneficial to the universities.
HB 10/SB 13 Textbooks
This bill is about making information about text book costs easier for students to find.
The UAA FSA believes that this bill is unnecessary and as currently written cannot be implemented cost effectively. UAA and UAF are already enabling students to search for courses by textbook cost. Federal law already requires early posting of textbook and other material costs. The bills requirement to put the textbook cost in the registration system (known as UAonline) is not feasible without expensive additions.
A better approach is to fund an update of UAonline which would reduce difficulties in many student and employee facing areas. This could enable the desired connection of textbook search and course registration.
SB 14 Early Retirment
This bill enables the university to create an early retirement incentive.
In recent years, UAA has been understaffed, so early retirements are likely to have limited benefit.
HB 21 Health Insurance System
This bill would enable the university system to join other state entities in a joint health care program that could be created.
HB 31/SB 56 APS scholarship increase
This bill would would increase the amount students receive and broaden the categories of study covered.
The UAA FSA believes that this bill would enable more students to benefit by covering a greater percent of their cost. UAA would also benefit from the broadened categories, because UAA offers programs across all of them.
SB 88 Defined benefits retirement program
This bill would would create a new tier for state retirement programs including for the university system that would provide a version of a defined benefits program. This version would provide a guaranteed, annual income after retirement, but not provide medical care after retirement.
The UAA FSA believes that this bill would make recruiting employees easier. This is based on comparisons to other institutions and states.