Mission
The Vice President for Academics, Students & Research, directs a division of services including Academic Affairs, Research, Workforce Programs, Student Success, and Distance Education. The Vice President works with the UA campuses on academic and research initiatives and collaborations to promote research in Îçҹ̽»¨. The University of Îçҹ̽»¨ is committed to working closely with all federal and state agencies and private enterprise to further develop collaboration and new exposures for future growth in all areas of science and technology.
Dr. Brian Smentkowski
Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
(907) 450-8019
bpsmentkowski@alaska.edu
System-level Coordination
ACEC facilitates inter-university coordination and communication to meet the goals
of UA's Schools of Education
Common Calendar 2018 - 2022
The Faculty Alliance Common Calendar Committee has developed a common calendar, coordinating
start dates and breaks throughout the system, and are further developing coordinated
course starting time alignment to facilitate cross-university instruction.
Information on Accreditation
All three universities, UAA, UAF, and UAS, and their respective Community Colleges
are fully accredited. In addition to institutional accreditation from the Northwest
Commission on Colleges and Universities, UA has more than 60 program/specialized accreditations
across the system.
Did You Know UAF is a national finalist to lead U.S. critical minerals innovation?
November 11, 2025
Did you know the University of Îçҹ̽»¨ powers a growing grant writing network?
October 15, 2025
Did you know UAF just released a feature documentary celebrating 100 years of Nanooks hockey?
September 30, 2025
Did you know T3 Îçҹ̽»¨ is bringing maritime career pathways to 10 coastal communities this year?
September 10, 2025
University of Îçҹ̽»¨ Regents celebrate UA's continuing excellence, approve FY27 budget requests
November 07, 2025
Regents, President Pitney praise university's community support efforts for Typhoon Halong, U.S.-Russia summit; finalize budget requests focused on recruitment, retention, graduation.
University of Îçҹ̽»¨ Southeast hosts first open house since pre-pandemic years
November 07, 2025
On Saturday, Oct. 25, the University of Îçҹ̽»¨ Southeast Juneau campus hosted an open house for community members and prospective students. It was the first event of its kind since the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Upcoming nomination period for the 2026 Edith R. Bullock Prize for Excellence
November 07, 2025
The University of Îçҹ̽»¨ Foundation Board of Directors will accept nominations from Nov. 10 through Dec. 14, 2025. The prize, along with a $20,000 award, is presented to an individual who demonstrates excellence in support of the University of Îçҹ̽»¨.
National Compliance Week at UA celebrated with new resources and leadership engagement
November 07, 2025
The University of Îçҹ̽»¨ system celebrated National Compliance Week with a range of activities and resources aimed at promoting ethical decision-making and making compliance more approachable across campuses.
UA Google Workspace: Time to tidy up your storage
November 07, 2025
As previously shared, Google is changing how storage works for education accounts, and the University of Îçҹ̽»¨ is preparing for those changes.
Delayed access to employee timesheets due to BSS9 work
October 17, 2025
In support of the University's ongoing transition to Banner Self Service 9 (BSS9), employees will have delayed access to their R23 and R24 timesheets.
Important Changes to Your Duo Security at UA
October 17, 2025
To protect your University of Îçҹ̽»¨ (UA) account and university services from increasing security threats, UA is improving its Duo Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) system.
Updated social media guidelines now available
October 17, 2025
The Office of Public Affairs has updated UA's general guidelines for personal and university social media use.