2.A.1 Governance Structure
The institution demonstrates an effective governance structure, with a board(s) or other governing body(ies) composed predominantly of members with no contractual, employment relationship, or personal financial interest with the institution. Such members shall also possess clearly defined authority, roles, and responsibilities. Institutions that are part of a complex system with multiple boards, a centralized board, or related entities shall have, with respect to such boards, written and clearly defined contractual authority, roles, and responsibilities for all entities. In addition, authority and responsibility between the system and the institution is clearly delineated in a written contract, described on its website and in its public documents, and provides the NWCCU accredited institution with sufficient autonomy to fulfill its mission.
The governing board for the University of ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ (UA) is the. The authority of UA BoR over the UA is established by the. Statutory provisions related to the authority of the UA BoR over the UA are contained in. The University of ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Fairbanks (ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ) is one of three separately accredited institutions, along with the University of ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Anchorage (UAA) and the University of ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Southeast (UAS), that are part of the University of ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ, i.e., the UA system.
The UA BoR is an. The regents are appointed by the governor of the State of ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ, subject to confirmation by a majority of the members of the ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ State Legislature in a joint session. Regents serve an eight-year term, except for the student regent who is nominated from his/her campus and serves a two-year term. No other boards are involved in the governance of the UA system.
The division of authority between the UA BoR, UA System Office, and the three Major Administrative Units (MAU; e.g., ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ) are clearly described and delineated in documents that are publicly available for inspection. The UA BoR maintains its bylaws and policies as stated in the compiled manuals and. The UA president is authorized to adopt regulations consistent with these bylaws and policies and maintain them in the compiled manual . The ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ chancellor is authorized to adopt policies consistent with these bylaws, policies, and regulations and maintain them as the compilation ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Policy and Procedures (Appendix 2.A.1.3). If there is a conflict between or among provisions, the order of priority is UA BoR bylaws, regents policy, university regulation, and ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ policy and procedures.
The UA BoR has clear expectations and duties as outlined in. The UA BoR delegates its authority as prudent, necessary, and consistent with law, with the board and its members ultimately retaining legal responsibility for compliance with law, governance, and fiscal stability of the UA system. Regents receive no compensation for their service but do receive per diem and reimbursement for travel expenses for attendance at board meetings or for other university purposes approved by the board chair. Each member of the UA BoR upholds their constitutional and fiduciary duty to act prudently, in accordance with law, and in the best interests of the UA system. The clearly communicates the expectations of ethical duties of all public employees in ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ, which includes the regents. As such, the Ethics Act prohibits substantial and material conflicts of interest and stipulates that regents may not improperly benefit, financially or personally, from their actions as public employees.
As one of its duties, the UA BoR will, in accordance with the ,. The UA BoR annually reviews the performance of the president, who serves at the pleasure of the board. The serves as the, administering the UA system consistent with the authority and responsibilities delegated by statute, , policy, and direction by the full board. The UA president facilitates the development by the UA BoR of the university’s direction, goals, strategy, and policies, implements the policies and objectives of the board including through adoption of regulations, and keeps the board informed of all significant developments affecting the UA system.
The UA BoR meets quarterly and has periodic ad hoc meetings that focus on time-sensitive and/or special topics. According to the meeting archive, the BoR held 18 meetings in 2025, including 11 special or emergency meetings and three ad hoc meetings (). All meetings are open and publicly available (except for executive sessions) and recorded via that are and have. Associated with each regular, full board meeting are:,,, and. Upcoming meetings and dates are shared publicly two years in advance, with meetings for 2026 and 2027 provided in .
The UA BoR is responsible for establishing, reviewing, and revising UA systemwide policies, including those related to its own organization and operation. This ongoing review is documented in the , available on the board website. The log tracks changes from 2006 to the present, demonstrating consistent policy evaluation. A was initiated by the UA system president in July 2023. requires the UA BoR to review its performance and set annual goals each year. The BoR typically conducts this work at its annual retreat, where it self-evaluates, sets goals, and discusses engagement strategies.