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University of Alaska Anchorage interim chancellor appointed to permanent role

By: Corinne Smith, Alaska Beacon

Cheryl Siemers began her role as interim chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage on May 16, 2025, succeeding chancellor Sean Parnell. (UAA Photo)

The University of Alaska president appointed Cheryl Siemers to the permanent role as University of Alaska Anchorage chancellor, following ten months serving as interim chancellor, the university announced on Wednesday.

UA President Pat Pitney appointed Siemers to the interim role last May after former Alaska governor Sean Parnell retired, and then extended her tenure in October. Pitney said the decision followed an extensive hiring process, and after reviewing the four finalists and community and stakeholder feedback, decided to extend Siemer’s interim term to provide “needed certainty and consistency at the leadership level.”

Siemers will step into the permanent chancellor role on March 8. UAA serves an estimated 12,000 students on the Anchorage campus, at the Kenai Peninsula College, Kodiak College, Matanuska-Susitna College and Prince William Sound College.

“She’s been embraced by the UAA community, and it’s clear that her continued leadership will provide critical institutional stability and forward momentum,” Pitney said in a statement with the announcement on Wednesday.

“Cheryl has been a steady hand at the wheel for UAA; her commitment to the institution, community partnership, leading enrollment growth, and enthusiastic support for UAA’s dual mission vocational and workforce training make her the ideal person to continue leading UA’s largest institution,” Pitney said.

A spokesperson for the university said that Siemers’ salary information as chancellor was not immediately available on Wednesday.

Siemers thanked the university for its confidence in her leadership.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve our students, faculty, staff and university community,” Siemers said in a statement on Wednesday. “Stepping into the permanent role now offers the opportunity to extend continuity with a long-term strategic focus to ensure that the progress we’ve made together accelerates forward.”

Prior to the UAA interim chancellor position, Siemers served as the director of UAA’s Kenai Peninsula College. She joined the college in 2002, and taught as an adjunct then full-time faculty member in the Department of English, then as assistant director before becoming director of the college. She holds a master’s in English from UAA and a Ph.D. in rhetoric and linguistics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

University of Alaska requesting more funding for employee compensation and mental health services

The University of Alaska Southeast campus in Juneau as seen on May 25, 2022. (Photo by Lisa Phu/Alaska Beacon)

NOTN- The University of Alaska is asking state lawmakers for millions in additional funding next year, saying the money is needed to stabilize operations, cover rising costs and address campus safety and student mental health needs.

University officials outlined their fiscal year 2027 budget request Monday to the Alaska House Finance Subcommittee.

The university’s highest priority for FY27 is a $15.2 million increase in unrestricted general funds for employee compensation.

University officials said the request would fund a 3% raise for union and nonunion employees under negotiated agreements, that’s about 1,100 faculty members, 640 adjunct faculty and roughly 420 graduate employees covered under union contracts. Another approximately 2,700 nonunion staff would also receive a 3% increase

“President Pitney has always tried to ensure that we have a very disciplined negotiation, and we want to respect the legislative process. we’re presenting numbers that are viable in the grand scheme of things, knowing the budget pressures that exist within the state.” Said University Liaison Chad Hutchison.

Officials said 53% of the university’s operating budget goes toward employee compensation, with much of the remainder paying for contracted services like food and custodial work.

The compensation request also includes funding to address rising health care costs. The university estimates $4.8 million in increased costs for health coverage, while the governor’s proposed budget includes $3 million so far.

Beyond pay raises, the university is seeking money for public safety across campuses. At the Anchorage campus, officials said the university police department is significantly understaffed.

“To put this in context, last year, we had about 500 police reports that resulted in cases that required a lot of police officer time.” Said Ryan Buchholdt, the Vice Chancellor for University of Alaska Anchorage, “When we look at Department of Justice statistics we should be in the realm of about 30 police officers minimum, if we start thinking about leaves and training and injuries we should probably be closer to the 44 realm. We have 15 police officers.”

The university is also requesting $900,000 for student mental health services.

“This committee will remember that the students had brought that to many of your members when they visited the capital, it is my expectation based on conversations we’ve been having with the students that they’ll probably bring those requests again, mental health services are a very high need when it comes to our students across all three campuses.” Said Hutchison.

The university reports about 20,500 students statewide, describing itself as a primary workforce provider for Alaska’s economy.

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