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April 11, 2025
Voluntold. "Voluntold" is a slang term that means to be forced or persuaded to do something you would not have otherwise chosen to do. It's the opposite of volunteering, which is when someone chooses to do something. This dear reader, is the story of how I, Chief of Police Kathy Catron, came to write this April edition of Friday Focus. Now, I didn't volunteer to write it, not because I don't appreciate the value of Friday Focus. Oh no, it's because I had no idea what to say about my upcoming retirement after 24-plus years at UAF. Me, at a loss for words? Shocking, I know. But here we are. My first thought? "Well, 'buh bye' is under 500 words!" But I figured I owed it to this platform, and to you all, to do better.
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'NoLo' course designator change
April 11, 2025
To comply with 91ÊÓƵ Senate Bill 13, UAF’s "NoLo" course designator changed to FZTC (zero textbook cost) and FLTC (low textbook cost). These courses may utilize open education resources and/or freely available resources in order to reduce textbook and material costs for students to under $40 per course.
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UAF Steel Bridge Team shines at regionals
April 11, 2025
The College of Engineering and Mines is proud to celebrate the outstanding performance of the UAF Steel Bridge Team at the ASCE Pacific Northwest Regional Competition! With an impressive build time of 10:05 -- and no penalties -- the team secured 1st place in Construction Speed.
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Summer camp openings still available
April 11, 2025
While over 2,000 camp seats have been filled, UAF Summer Sessions still has openings in many camps, and we have opened new sections. We recommend searching the "Camps by Week" or "Camps by Grade Level" to find openings that will be a good fit for your child.
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How to overcome challenges and thrive through parenthood
April 11, 2025
Join a training session on May 15 from 11 a.m. to noon that will address the signs and risk factors associated with parental burnout and provide practical strategies to thrive through parenthood.
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Staff Council awareness survey
April 11, 2025
The Staff Council's University Advocacy Committee is gathering feedback on how the Staff Council engages with staff across UAF. Please answer a few short questions so that it can better support UAF staff.
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Notice: Prohibition on purchase, use of covered foreign drones
April 11, 2025
The American Security Drone Act of 2023, signed into law on Dec. 22, 2023, prohibits the use of Federal funds, awarded through contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or otherwise made available, for the procurement or operation of covered unmanned aircraft systems manufactured or assembled by "covered" foreign entities beginning Dec. 22, 2025.
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Series: "Uni-versity: Alternative Visions for Higher Education"
April 09, 2025
Join us for "Uni-versity: Alternative Visions for Higher Education" - a two-part series on innovation in higher education. This event is available in-person and online on May 14 and 21.
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Art-o-Mat machine on campus through May 9
April 09, 2025
UAF Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning is hosting an Art-o-Mat machine this April and the first week of May. This retired cigarette machine has been refurbished to dispense small works of original art for $5.
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Staff Alliance offers summer tuition support
April 09, 2025
The UA Staff Alliance is pleased to once again offer a class fee scholarship for UA classes taken by staff to directly support their career or professional development. The scholarship, good for the 2025 summer semester, is for up to $250 per employee.
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Support available for international students, scholars
April 07, 2025
International Student and Scholar Services is a resource for international students and employees who have questions about how the changing federal landscape may affect their visa status, as well as their ability to travel internationally.
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PWSC supports Cordova Science Olympiad Team to gold medal success
April 07, 2025
Prince William Sound College proudly supported the Cordova middle school team at the recent 91ÊÓƵ Science Olympiad in Fairbanks, where students earned a gold medal in mariculture (agricultural sciences). The event provided these enthusiastic students with a unique glimpse into university life, hands-on STEM education, and the thrill of academic competition.
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Register for fall 2025 through Schedule Planner
April 07, 2025
Course registration is open for the fall 2025 semester. Students can browse available courses, generate possible schedule options and register for classes in one place with Schedule Planner.
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Join the next SOTL research team
April 07, 2025
For the 2025-2026 academic year, the SOTL@UAF program will bring together instructors across departments and ranks who ask students to write as a form of assessment -- or who previously asked students to write as a form of assessment but stopped due to the rise of LLMs like Chat-GPT. This program will build a cohort of instructors facing similar challenges in developing effective written assignments and assessing student writing as a mechanism for learning.
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April 07, 2025
Join us, May 7-8, for a two-day workshop on Problem-Based Learning and discover how its focus on critical thinking can create meaningful and lasting impacts on your students. UAF faculty will come together to explore problem-based learning and (re)design activities and courses using PBL to leverage student engagement and high-quality learning.
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Getting started with teaching and learning research
April 04, 2025
"Asking a colleague about a problem in his or her research is an invitation; asking about a problem in one's teaching would probably seem like an accusation," writes scholarship of teaching and learning researcher Randy Bass. This Teaching Tip explores the history of this troublesome dynamic, arguing that engaging in teaching and learning research can help you learn to love your teaching problems.
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Friday Focus: Celebrating staff recognition and empowering 91ÊÓƵ's future
April 04, 2025
As we close out another week, it's the perfect time to reflect on the dedication, hard work, and resilience of the staff members who make the University of 91ÊÓƵ Fairbanks a thriving hub of education and innovation. Staff Recognition and Development Day was an amazing event and was more than just a moment to say thank you -- it was an opportunity to acknowledge the vital role our team members play in shaping the future of our students, community, and state. While I recognize that SRDD only celebrates our staff, I wanted to take this opportunity to also recognize faculty and students for the amazing work they do.
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How to deal with a difficult person
April 04, 2025
Join a session on May 1 from 11 a.m. to noon, and learn to recognize and cope with common difficult behaviors in ourselves and others to help make difficult encounters more manageable.
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Master the mindset, skills and strategies to turn change into opportunity
April 04, 2025
Change isn’t just inevitable — it’s an opportunity waiting to be seized! Our Thriving Through Change collection is designed to help employees and leaders embrace change, adapt with confidence, and turn challenges into opportunities for growth.
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Register now for Lavender Ceremony
April 02, 2025
Lavender Ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 12, from noon to 3 p.m., at the Carol Gray Ballroom in the Wood Center.
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April 02, 2025
I am excited to share with you that I have asked Dr. Laura Conner to serve as UAF's next vice chancellor for research, and she has agreed. During her service as interim vice chancellor for research, Dr. Conner demonstrated a natural acuity for the position and the demands of the current times.
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Employee incentive program opens Friday
April 02, 2025
UAF employees can receive a cash incentive of up to $1,000 from the new Empower 91ÊÓƵ Incentive Program. The program, a pilot funded by the University of 91ÊÓƵ Board of Regents, will start on Friday, April 4.
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April rural staff spotlight: Ashley Dunker
April 02, 2025
Ashley Dunker, the event coordinator at the 91ÊÓƵ Sea Grant’s Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center, is the rural staff spotlight for April 2025.
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March 31, 2025
It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I share the news that Provost Anupma Prakash has announced her plan to retire on May 31, 2025. Provost Prakash has served as provost since 2018. Her service as provost spanned times of rapid change at the university. Throughout this period, she was steady in her leadership and forward-looking in her vision. Provost Prakash has effectively led from a position of competence and caring and I am grateful to her for her faithful service to UAF. Her impact on UAF and those she worked with will be long-lasting.
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New Nanook Career Closet now open
March 31, 2025
Need professional attire for an interview, networking event, or job? The Nanook Career Closet is here to help! UAF students and alumni can find new and gently used professional clothing, including shirts, blouses, pants, dresses, jackets, ties, shoes, and more, so you can look and feel your best.
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