Alaska faculty confirm no confidence in university president

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — University of Alaska Anchorage faculty has reaffirmed its vote of no confidence in the university president saying he ignored accreditation concerns and disregarded input.

The resolution was approved Friday by the university faculty senate in a 33-3 vote, the Anchorage Daily News reports . The vote comes on the heels of a cautionary letter from the accreditor of Alaska universities.

"The faculty are just deeply concerned about the future of the university," Faculty Senate President Scott Downing said.

Alaska regents should suspend University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen and statewide administrators from taking any action to consolidate functions or conduct academic reviews, most faculty members said. No action should be taken until a response to the accreditor's letter is completed with input from faculty, students and staff governance groups.

The resolution was sent to the University of Alaska Board of Regents, school officials said. Regents scheduled a meeting Monday in response the letter.

A budget crisis threatened the existence of the university system and they have since seen a one-year $135 million cut to a $25 million cut this year, regents said.

"Now that circumstances have changed, the Board has opened the process to additional options and more involvement of university leadership, faculty, staff, and students," said regents chairman John Davies.

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Information from: Anchorage Daily News, http://www.adn.com