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SB118 • 2026

ADD FACULTY MEMBER UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS

An Act relating to the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS
Last action
2025-04-15
Official status
(S) FIN
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details about administrative requirements or additional impacts on decision-making processes.

University of Alaska Faculty Representation Act

This act amends the composition and requirements for the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska by adding a full-time tenured faculty member as one of twelve regents.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a new section to the uncodified law of Alaska, naming this Act as the 'University of Alaska Faculty Representation Act'.
  • Changes the number of Board of Regents members from eleven to twelve.
  • Requires that at least one regent must be a full-time, tenured faculty member employed by one of the three University of Alaska campuses.
  • Specifies that if a faculty member regent leaves their position as a full-time, tenured faculty member, they will no longer serve on the Board and a new nominee from the list submitted under AS 14.40.150(c) must be appointed within 60 days by the governor.
  • Establishes that the term of office for a faculty member regent is two years.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Board of Regents of the University of Alaska
  • Full-time, tenured faculty members at the three campuses of the University of Alaska

Terms To Know

Board of Regents
A governing body for the University of Alaska that makes important decisions about university policies and operations.
Tenured faculty member
An academic position at a university where the professor has long-term job security, usually after several years of probationary service.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if no suitable faculty members are nominated or elected.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect the overall decision-making process of the Board of Regents.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-15 873

    (S) REFERRED TO FINANCE

  2. 2025-04-15 873

    (S) FN1: (UA)

  3. 2025-04-15 873

    (S) NR: CRONK, BJORKMAN

  4. 2025-04-15 873

    (S) DP: TOBIN, STEVENS, KIEHL

  5. 2025-04-15 873

    (S) EDC RPT 3DP 2NR

  6. 2025-04-14 Min

    (S) Minutes (SEDC)

  7. 2025-04-14 Text

    (S) Moved SB 118 Out of Committee

  8. 2025-04-14 Text

    (S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  9. 2025-04-11 Text

    (S) -- MEETING CANCELED --

  10. 2025-04-11 Text

    (S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  11. 2025-03-26 Min

    (S) Minutes (SEDC)

  12. 2025-03-26 Text

    (S) Heard & Held

  13. 2025-03-26 Text

    (S) EDUCATION at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  14. 2025-03-05 423

    (S) EDC, FIN

  15. 2025-03-05 423

    (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

ADD FACULTY MEMBER UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS
An Act relating to the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB0118A -1- SB 118
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0697\A

SENATE BILL NO. 118

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY THE SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Introduced: 3/5/25
Referred: Education, Finance

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State o f Alaska is amended by adding a new section 3
to read: 4
SHORT TITLE. This Act may be known as the University of Alaska Faculty 5
Representation Act. 6
* Sec. 2. AS 14.40.120 is amended to read: 7
Sec. 14.40.120. University governed by Board of Regents. The University of 8
Alaska shall be governed by a Board of Regents consisting of 12 [11] regents. 9
* Sec. 3. AS 14.40.130 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 10
(f) In addition to satisfying the requirements in (a) of this section, at least one 11
of the 12 regents must be a current full-time faculty member wh o is employed at and 12
has acquired tenure at the Univer sity of Alaska Anchorage, the University of Alaska 13
Fairbanks, or the University of A laska Southeast based on the g uidelines of that 14
campus. A person appointed as a regent under this subsection fo rfeits the office if the 15
34-LS0697\A
SB 118 -2- SB0118A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

person is no longer a full-time, tenured faculty member. The go vernor shall appoint a 1
successor from the list of faculty member nominees submitted un der AS 14.40.150(c) 2
within 60 days after a forfeiture or vacancy in the office, sub ject to confirmation by 3
the legislature under AS 14.40.150(a). 4
* Sec. 4. AS 14.40.140 is amended to read: 5
Sec. 14.40.140. Term of office. Except for a student regent as specified in 6
AS 14.40.150(b) and a faculty member regent as specified in AS 14.40.150(c) , the 7
term of office of a regent is eight years. The term of office b egins on the first Monday 8
in February of the year in which the appointment is made. Each regent serves until a 9
successor is appointed and qualifies. 10
* Sec. 5. AS 14.40.150 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 11
(c) At least one member of the Board of Regents must be a facu lty member. 12
The faculty member shall be appointed from a list of nominees s ubmitted to the 13
governor. The governor shall ma ke the appointment from the list within 60 days after 14
the list is submitted. The list must consist of the names of tw o faculty members 15
selected by each of the three faculty senates of the University of Alaska, for a total of 16
six nominees, after an election is held by each faculty senate. Elections shall be 17
conducted under rules established by the Office of the Governor. The term of office of 18
a regent appointed under this subsection is two years. The term of office begins June 1 19
of the year in which the appoin tment is made. An appointment of a successor made 20
under AS 14.40.130(f) shall be for the unexpired term of the original appointee. 21
* Sec. 6. AS 14.40.200 is amended to read: 22
Sec. 14.40.200. Quorum. Corporate business may not be transacted at any 23
meeting of the Board of Regents unless at least seven [SIX] regents are present, the 24
majority of the whole board to approve the same. 25
* Sec. 7. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 26
read: 27
TRANSITION: INITIAL APPOINTMENT. The University of Alaska shall hold 28
elections for nominees and submit the list of nominees to the g overnor as required by 29
AS 14.40.150(c), added by sec. 4 of this Act, on or before February 1, 2026. 30