Election will impact universities

To the editor:

The role of the governor in Alaska is constitutionally designed to be one of the most powerful in the country. It matters greatly who that governor is, and where his loyalties lie. One of those responsibilities the governor has is choosing the board of regents for the university system.

The role of the University Regents is a very important one to achieving and maintaining the best possible university opportunities for our citizens. They provide both guidance and approval of university actions, programs, tuition, and policies, a crucial oversight role, as well as being a buffer and important shield of the university from direct interference by the legislature in university life.

Because the regents are so crucial to good university operation, the individual people chosen, and the governor who selects them, matter a great deal for the operation of a successful, thriving university. Sometimes the regents are strong and helpful; sometimes they are not.

Let me say this clearly: it is the governor who appoints the regents. And in 2015, four of the nine members of the board of regents’ terms expire. That means that whoever is elected governor can appoint four new regents. The student regent will also be a new appointee. Who is elected governor matters very much to the university because of this crucial juncture in choosing the university’s regents. A majority of the regents are up for either replacement or re-appointment.

So it matters greatly who is elected governor! My personal opinion as an emeritus faculty member is that Bill Walker and Byron Mallott are our best choices for governor and lieutenant governor. Please become informed, and consider this regents aspect of the election. I urge you to vote for Walker and Mallott. Need I point out that the present regents conceived the scandalous bonus pay to President Gamble this summer, which they had to take back in embarrassment?

Richard Seifert

Fairbanks