Cheryl Siemers is the interim chancellor for the University of Alaska Anchorage. She’s been in Kodiak several times, but this is her visit in her current position.
“Even in visiting the campus this time, I love how Kodiak College makes sure its place and its space reflects the local area, the community, the culture, the history, the landscape,” she told KMXT.
Chancellors usually visit the satellite campus one or two times a year to compare notes and priorities as well as get to know the team.
“It was great to hear faculty and staff alike talk about some of the projects they’re working on, things they’d like to see,” Siemers said.
Siemers also met with the college’s student government, its advisory council, and other community leaders.
She said one of her main goals in town is to connect the staff on the island to folks with similar ideas or others with skills that could help those projects.
“I really value collaboration, both with community partners, but also with our constituents, our students, our faculty, our staff, our alumni,” Siemers said. “Like – how can we all get involved in making UAA a better place?”
Jacelyn Keys, Kodiak College’s director, said it’s a chance to bring more resources to the island community, and to share with other UAA campuses.
“It informs a holistic sense of what UAA is, because UAA isn’t Anchorage – and I think that’s come really clearly from leadership,” she said. “UAA is all five campuses, which includes Anchorage.”
UAA also has campuses focused around Prince William Sound, Kenai Peninsula, and Matanuska-Susitna area communities.
Keys and Siemers say they hope that the chancellor can come back next semester.
