Trying times reinforce the neighbor-helping-neighbor attitude that Alaskans unfailingly exhibit every day, and particularly in times of distress. In these unprecedented times, it will take all of us working together to sustain our state and our communities. The University of Alaska (UA) moved almost all of its courses to alternative methods of delivery — predominantly online — and while this transition has been stressful, the generosity of our telecommunications partners has made it easier. Their partnership in offering our UA community faster, affordable home broadband services removed the financial obstacles and streamlined our transition to UA’s work-from-home directive.
The support for UA in providing greater access to connectivity at lower or no cost is recognized and greatly appreciated by the Board of Regents and by our students, faculty and staff. We know that there are many across the state, including our partners in the K-12 system, our telecoms are supporting during this crisis, and we are so thankful for all that they are doing.
I know that we are all doing everything we can to keep our families, employees, and in our case, students safe. The contributions of our telecommunication firms to that effort has made all the difference. On behalf of the Board of Regents and all of us at the University of Alaska, we thank them for their caring and partnership with us. We will weather these unprecedented times together as we strive to do what’s right for our university, our communities and our state.
— Sheri Buretta
Chair, UA Board of Regents
Anchorage
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