OPINION: UAA creates opportunity for Alaska students — and the data shows it

University of Alaska Anchorage: Providing High-Quality Education for Alaskans

Introduction

Across the Lower 48, universities are immersed in questions over cost, campus discourse, and politics. In Alaska, we have a different story to tell. The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) provides high-quality, affordable education for Alaskans. Our approach creates pathways to life-changing experiences and careers. At a time when our state needs solutions, UAA is focused on delivering education that will benefit our students and our state for generations.

UAA’s Approach to Education

UAA creates opportunity through education. Through a wide range of academic programs, UAA opens doors and empowers students to shape their future. Our university combines the educational offerings of a traditional university, community college, and technical school under one institutional roof. We offer high-powered baccalaureate and graduate degrees. UAA’s applied research mission trains students while advancing solutions to issues facing our state in areas such as engineering, business, science, and health. UAA is also Alaska’s largest workforce provider. We are proud to be a “dual-mission” university, blending traditional degree programs and research with career and technical education programs. It’s an all-of-the-above approach that benefits our students and our state.

Creating Pathways for Students

Our dual mission allows us to focus on creating pathways for students through high-quality educational programs that are affordable and flexible. Unbound by the limits of traditional four-year degree programs, we provide students with choices to create an educational path that makes sense for them.

At UAA, students can take the traditional university path and pursue a four-year degree or quickly connect with a new career through training in a certificate or associate degree program. These credits and certificates stack together cumulatively, allowing students to build expertise and credentials on a schedule that fits their lives, budget, and personal aspirations. When the time is right, the credits they have earned toward certificates, associate degrees, and related training can be applied toward further baccalaureate and graduate-level degrees.

We see examples of this every day. For instance, say a member of our military stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson seeks new opportunities to advance their career. UAA meets them where they are, guiding them into the right degree program with flexible schedules that allow them to balance work and education. This person can rely on those same credits to earn a more advanced degree. Similarly, students starting their journey working as a welder or bookkeeper can utilize their credits as a foundation for future credentials or degrees.

Affordability and Success

At UAA, we know creating opportunities for students requires more than flexible academic programs. Our university makes education affordable. UAA’s tuition rate has remained the same for three years and will remain the same next year. With everything we do, UAA works to drop barriers and help students access life-changing educational and employment opportunities.

We are already seeing the success of this approach. UAA’s total enrollment is up more than 5% since last fall, bucking national decline trends. UAA’s first-year class has grown four semesters in a row. The excitement reaches outside Alaska as well. At UAA, we filled our residence halls, offering in-state tuition rates to full-time students coming north who will live in student housing and take full course loads. By growing UAA, we are growing our state and community.

Conclusion

UAA is proud to offer students access to high-quality, affordable education that opens pathways to meaningful lives

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university.
• SDG 8.6: By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education, or training.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 4.3: Proportion of population enrolled in tertiary education.
• Indicator for SDG 8.6: Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) engaged in education, employment, or training.
• No specific indicators mentioned for SDG 10.2, but progress towards this target can be measured through various indicators related to social, economic, and political inclusion.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

The article highlights the University of Alaska Anchorage’s commitment to providing high-quality and affordable education, which aligns with SDG 4: Quality Education. The university’s approach of offering flexible academic programs and pathways for students connects to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, as it aims to reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education, or training. Additionally, the university’s focus on creating opportunities for students and promoting inclusivity relates to SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

Based on the article’s content, specific targets under these SDGs can be identified. SDG 4.3 aims to ensure equal access to affordable and quality tertiary education, including university. SDG 8.6 targets the reduction of youth not engaged in employment, education, or training. SDG 10.2 focuses on empowering and promoting the social, economic, and political inclusion of all individuals.

The article mentions indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. For SDG 4.3, the indicator is the proportion of the population enrolled in tertiary education. For SDG 8.6, the indicator is the proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) engaged in education, employment, or training. Although no specific indicators are mentioned for SDG 10.2, progress towards this target can be measured through various indicators related to social, economic, and political inclusion.

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: adn.com

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