Jan. 31, 2023

Welcome to Week 3!                                                      Daylight 6:50:16

Congratulations! By the end of this week, you’ll have made it one-fifth of the way through the entire semester. It happens that quickly. Time moves forward and the world changes. Each day the planet beneath our feet is changing its orientation to the sun. Six weeks ago, there was virtually no change in daylight from day to day and the darkest nights of winter were consistently long. Slowly, we started gaining light. At the beginning of January, we were gaining three minutes per day. Now, we are gaining over six and a half minutes per day. Once things start to change, things can start to accelerate! 

At UAF, many things are changing and the pace of change feels like it is moving faster and faster! 

In my conversations with student services units, I am hearing how hard-working people are driving to make huge steps forward every day. Financial Aid is in the middle of improving services and expanding scholarship opportunities. Our Registrar’s Office and Admissions are both working to make our processes more student-friendly. In fact, all of our administrative units are working to improve online systems and services as part of a transformative statewide $20 million investment in our student information systems. Part of this will be a more modern registration system through the Nanook Navigator (Navigate Student) mobile app. Big changes are happening here! 

Our Department of Military and Veteran’s Services is going completely digital as well. DMVS also moved to a new home in the Rasmuson Library. If you are a veteran, an active-duty service member, a member of the Coast Guard or National Guard, or a dependent, stop by their new offices on the main floor and say hello! I also just toured the 6th floor in the Rasmuson Library. If you are on Troth Yeddha’ campus, check out the work that is happening there. All the books are nearly gone and the shelves are going too. Construction on our amazing new Student Success Center will begin this spring! 

In Residence Life, we are making plans to open the newly renovated Wickersham Hall for residency this summer. Plans for the renovation of Moore and Bartlett Residence Halls are being finalized right now. Work on this awesome $25 million project will start this spring and last until August 2024.

UAF has also secured a federal grant to modernize our health science teaching facility at our Kuskokwim campus in Bethel. This will be wonderful transformation for our KuC students, faculty, and staff! 

These are just a few of the exciting improvements we are working on here at UAF. 

What changes are you implementing for spring? How is your semester going? Now is a good time to take a hard look at your weekly schedule and at your success strategies for the semester. Now is a good time for some renovations if and where you need some improvements. 

Welcome to week three of the spring 2023 term. Wherever you are, whether you are in Fairbanks, Bethel, Anchorage, Atlanta, Juneau or Utqiagvik, take care of yourself and take care of those close to you. Spring is coming! 

Things to do: 

• If you plan on graduating this spring, apply to graduate! The deadline is Feb. 1. That’s tomorrow! If you get it done on time at www.uaf.edu/reg/grad the fee is only $50. After Feb. 1, the fee rises to $80. March 1 is the final deadline.

• Check out the Nanook Events page for all kinds of things happening within our community. 

What are you changing? What should we change? Let me know at obguthrie@alaska.edu. 

— Owen Guthrie, vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management