January 22, 2019

JANUARY 22 - JANUARY 28, 2019

FEATURES

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE

OPINION

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“Beyond the Stratosphere:” NASA astronaut speaks at ANSEP celebration

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG

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Open letter to the chancellor about School of Education failures

UAA School of Education loses accreditation for certain programs Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Chase Burnett features2@thenorthernlight.org

What could have been the last first day of school for some UAA education students turned into a day of confusion. On Jan. 11, UAA’s School of Education sent out an email to education students stating that the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation did not renew accreditation for some School of Education programs.‌ At a student forum on Jan. 14, Interim Director of the School of Education, Claudia Dybdahl, said that the programs affected by the loss of accreditation are early childhood education, early elementary education, master of arts in teaching secondary education, special education and early childhood education. ‌ According to the CAEP, accreditation is, “quality assurance through external peer review. When an institution or specialized program is accredited, it has demonstrated that it meets standards set by organizations representing the academic community, professionals and other stakeholders.”‌ The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development sent out a press release on Jan. 15 stating spring 2019 and summer 2019 graduates will still have their institutional recommendation for initial licensure.‌

PHOTO BY CHASE BURNETT

However, the statement is unclear about whether future graduates of the program will still receive such recommendation.

In a Blackboard Collaborate online forum led by Dr. Ira Ortega, graduating seniors were advised to finish out their classes at UAA, while sophomores were advised to transfer to UAF or UAS. ‌ In the press release, Education Commissioner Michael Johnson states, “At a time when Alaska ranks at the bottom of our country in fourth grade reading, this critical review of the UAA initial teacher licensure programs must be taken with the gravest concern.”‌ In a video posted on Facebook, Chancellor Cathy Sandeen praised the Alaska

Department of Education and Early Development’s decision to grant licenses to students graduating in the spring and summer of 2019.‌ “We will continue to work on the process for transferring, seamless transfer, to either UAF or UAS if that’s what you want to do,” Sandeen said.‌ An FAQ and the CAEP accreditation action report has been posted on the School of Education’s homepage. ‌ According to the report, UAA failed four out of the five CAEP standards for accreditation.

UAA submitted their self-study report to CAEP in August of 2017. UAA received a formative feedback report from CAEP detailing which standards UAA didn’t meet in December of 2017.‌

They further explain the accreditation situation and its implications for students.‌ “The seamless transfer bit is what’s complicated. One-third of the credits have to come from the place you’re transferring to,” Steve Atwater, the dean of the College of Education at UAS, said in a town hall meeting with secondary education students.‌ Chancellor Cathy Sandeen was present at the Jan. 14 forum and she emphasized that graduating students would be able to graduate from an accredited institution, if not an accredited program. The entire institution of UAA is currently under an accreditation process by the Northwest Accreditation Commission.‌ UAA does not have a

timeline in place for how long it will take to reinstate the School of Education’s accreditation, but that reapplication for accreditation won’t take place until 2020. ‌ “Every person will have a different situation, so this is going to have to be very customized to the individual student depending on their situation,” Sandeen said.‌ Early education majors face the most complicated situation.

The only early education program in the state resides in UAA’s School of Education.

A seamless transfer to another early education program in-state is impossible. ‌ Keldon Irwin, elementary education, attended the forum and said, “Having individuals training to teach 3-year-olds being told that the only place within 2,500 miles where they can earn that degree is just cut out from under their feet three days ago with no prior warning, it just makes you feel like a dollar sign.”‌ Dybdahl stated at the forum that the School of Education was surprised by CAEP’s decision.

The forum was held in multiple rooms in the Professional Studies Building after room 216 was filled over capacity by students.

Students cited concerns about the uncertainty of their program and the lack of transparency by the school in questions.‌ The state board will review the timeline of the CAEP accreditation process at a work session on Feb. 4 to decide next steps. ‌

Seawolf athletes keep busy

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

In the midst of a midyear break, the athletes of UAA kept busy with training and competitions.

At the busiest point of the athletic year, seven different UAA teams were active in competition. ‌ While both basketball teams and the hockey team were already well into their seasons, skiing, gymnastics and track were just making their 2018-19 thenorthernlight.org

season debuts. ‌ Men’s Basketball‌ The team used the break to compete in four different games. The Seawolves started the break off by hosting two home games, one on Jan. 3 against Western Oregon and the other on Jan. 5 against Concordia. ‌ Both games resulted in wins for the Seawolves.

Against WOU, UAA won at 61-57 and then again at 75-66 against

CU. Sjur Berg and Tyler Brimhall made significant contributions to the wins. ‌ Berg contributed a team-high 18 points against WOU, while Brimhall accumulated the high against CU with 22 points. ‌ The team continued on to capture two out-ofstate losses against Saint Martin’s on Jan. 10 and Seattle Pacific on Jan. 12.‌ Both losses were close. UAA lost by just two points to SMU with a score of 70-68, and 13

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@tnl_updates

points to SPU at 87-74. ‌ Women’s Basketball‌ Similar to the men’s, the women’s team also competed in four games during the break. In contrast to the men, however, the women came out of the break with four wins. ‌ All four of their games were home games, played at the Alaska Airlines Center. The first two games were won against Simon Fraser (70-55) and @tnl_updates

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOWARD LAO

Caroline Kurgat broke the Division II all-time record by over two seconds at the UW Indoor Preview.

Western Washington (6850) on Jan. 3 and Jan. 5, respectively. ‌ Safiyyah Yasin helped the Seawolves win the first two games by contributing

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20 and 16 points. Hannah Wandersee also stood out with 17 points against WWU. ‌

SEE RECAP

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FEATURES

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019

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Education students seek community — and answers After the university announced accreditation for several School of Education programs had been revoked, students came together online to find solutions

By Cheyenne Mathews cmathews@thenorthernlight.org

Suzanne Snyder loves kids.

Throughout her life, Snyder has worked with children in different capacities: theater, babysitting and now as an elementary education major. ‌ This is Snyder’s last semester at UAA. She was excited to start her final internship because she is to be able to work hands-on with the students by taking over the class for six weeks of the semester.‌ On the weekend before the spring semester began, Snyder and other elementary education students received word that their program had its accreditation revoked by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. ‌ “I knew that everybody in the program has just experienced this huge blow,” Snyder said.‌ On Jan. 11, Snyder attended the first open forum on the accreditation revocation with dozens of other students.

Everyone had questions but Interim Director of the School of Education, Claudia Dybdahl, and Chancellor Cathy Sandeen did not have much information to relay. Later that day, Snyder created a Facebook group called UAA SOE Support Group.‌ “After that meeting [on Jan. 14], a lot of us were even more disheartened than when this whole thing started because UAA didn’t have any answers either,” Synder said. “I think getting as much information in one place as possible would help a lot of people, and I think that has started, but I am hoping to

get more information to the group as I receive it. “‌ By the end of the first week of school, the SOE Support Group had over 100 members who crowd-sourced their questions to one another. The group has shared CAEP reports, notes from open forums, lawsuit options, transfer information and more. ‌ Arvinelle Grandia is a senior in the elementary education major. Grandia is doing an internship in Barrow, Alaska and she has to rely on emails and Facebook for information. As a distance student, Grandia has had to tune in remotely to the Blackboard Collaborate open forums. ‌ “During the forum meeting, I think none of our questions online were answered because there was such an overflow of people with questions (naturally) that were able to attend face to face,” Grandia said.‌ Now a member of the SOE Support Group, Grandia has been able to stay connected from afar.‌ “I thought the SOE Support Group on Facebook was a great idea,” Grandia said. “It was a way to share news and pass on information to one another that some of us might not have been made aware of otherwise. It was also comforting to know that so many others were feeling the same exact way I did and that I wasn’t alone.”‌ Snyder said much of her program is based online, and so she did not have many close friendships in her program prior to the accreditation revocation. ‌ “A lot of us have been talking the past couple days and

panicking and wondering what we were going to do,” Snyder said. “I think that’s one positive part of this, I think even more friendships will be formed with having this shared experience.”‌ Graduating seniors experienced some relief when the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development stated spring 2019 and summer 2019 graduates will have their institutional recommendation for initial licensure recognized.‌ But students like Jessica Lynn Beers, early childhood education major, who were planning on graduating next fall are concerned they will not have their license recognized by the state.‌ “I don’t even want an unaccredited degree,” Beers said. “That’s not what I worked for even if the state says they’ll license.”‌ Beers became passionate for early childhood education after she began caring for her two nieces. The first years of a child’s life are the most critical, Beers said, and she hoped to give her future students a solid beginning.‌ “My nieces weren’t given a great start, and then they came to live with me, and so now it’s just reemphasized how much I want to be able to do that for other kids too.”‌ Beers withdrew from her spring semester courses following the first open forum with education students. For now, Beers’ path is uncertain as she waits to learn how her program and her degree progress will be affected.‌ For now, the education majors share memes and information in

PHOTO BY CHASE BURNETT

Early childhood education major Jessica Lynn Beers joined an online group for School of Education students after some programs had their accreditation revoked.

the support group and wait for further details to be released.

The university has posted an FAQ page for the School of Education addressing concerns about the loss of accreditation. ‌ The FAQ denies that the loss of accreditation was related to the University of Alaska system consolidation of a College of Education at UAS. That decision last year disassembled UAA’s

College of Education and moved the School of Education under the umbrella of the College of Arts and Sciences. ‌ Other UA education programs have not been affected by this decision. The UAF School of Education posted on Facebook that their programs received national accreditation from CAEP through 2024. ‌

FEATURES

03

From outer space to Anchorage

Students gather for an invitational dance.

PHOTOS BY CHASE BURNETT

Bernard Harris speaks to students about the importance of education and determination by using a Capri Sun to discuss space technology.

By Chase Burnett

features2@thenorthernlight.org

The Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program held its 24th annual celebration on Jan. 18. ‌ This year’s theme was “Beyond the Stratosphere.” The celebration included close to

100 ANSEP students from all over the state, ANSEP founder and vice provost Herb Ilisaurri Schroeder and special guest NASA astronaut Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr.‌ The event began with a traditional Alaska Native performance and invitational dances.‌ Select students were

recognized and presented scholarships for their commitment to ANSEP’s primary goals: determination, effort and approach.‌ ANSEP is composed of more than 100 corporations, philanthropic organizations, state and federal agencies, universities, high schools and middle schools. ‌

The organization was started in 1995 as a scholarship program and has since evolved into a comprehensive support network for students from sixth grade through to Ph.D. completion.‌ Harris, the first African American astronaut to perform a spacewalk, discussed the hurdles he experienced growing up in a time of great civil rights change.‌ He spoke with students about his experiences in space and how the education he received paved the way for his success in life.‌ “I believe each and every one of you has the potential to do

anything you want to do in life,” Harris said.‌ Students asked Harris what motivated him to become an astronaut, what medical procedures he performed in space and what continues to inspire him.‌ “The new ideas that are going to push us forward are right here in this room, inside one of you. The things in which you’re doing, the awards I’ve witnessed, are so important to your future,” Harris said.‌ The afternoon event was followed by an evening celebration “Beyond the Stratosphere.”‌

Glee Club is welcoming new voices

GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA

By Malia Barto

arts@thenorthernlight.org

The Glee Club at UAA is in its ninth year as an a cappella singing

community.‌ The Glee Club has been around since 2010; it has averaged around 20 students per semester.

Every semester, the club meets three times a week

to sing and rehearse for their end-of-semester recital. ‌ The musical group is ready to start their 18th season with familiar and new faces this semester by holding auditions.‌ Auditions for Glee Club are being held Sunday, Jan. 27 in room 124 of the Fine Arts Building from noon to 4 p.m. Students will sing a one-minute song of their choice in a cappella and then follow a small choreographed dance. It’s recommended to wear something comfortable for the audition.‌ “It’s really to see who’s willing to take instruction, and who’s willing to take feedback and work with it,” Austin Rochon said.‌

Rochon is the musical director for the Glee Club and a senior at UAA, majoring in music education with an emphasis in voice. He’s been a part of the Glee Club for four and a half years and has enjoyed the sense of community the club has created.‌ “We’re a family, everyone in Glee, it’s just a group of people that will listen to you and talk things out with you if you’re having any issues,” Rochon said. “That’s been my favorite thing, just knowing that I have a group of people that have my back if anything ever goes wrong.”‌ Elena Peyton-Jones, another member of the

Glee Club, echoed Rochon in his statement about the club being a family.

She says she feels “really lucky” for having met her friends through Glee Club and bonding over their love of music.‌ “There’s only one thing that I think dramatizations like ‘Glee’ and ‘Pitch Perfect’ got right, and that’s the sense of community that comes along with singing groups.

Glee Club attracts the kind of people who are excited about music, and even more importantly, excited to share music they love with other people,” Peyton-Jones said.‌ Glee Club typically meets Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during

the semester. If students cannot make the inperson audition on Jan. 27, they can send in a video submission before that day.‌ “If anyone feels like maybe they can’t sing or they don’t feel comfortable singing on stage, Glee club is a very good way to learn how to be a performer and become more comfortable with yourself,” Rochon said. “Anyone can sing and all it takes is a first step.”‌ For updates and additional information on the Jan. 27 auditions or more, find the Glee Club at UAA on Facebook under the same name or email them at uaa.glee@gmail. com.‌

SPORTS

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019

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Kastning adds two accomplished skiers to the roster

PHOTO COURTESY OF UAA MEDIA RELATIONS

Helen Wilson and Austin Huneck, recruited by UAA associate coach Andrew Kastning, will appear on UAA’s Nordic skiing team in 2019.

By Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org

UAA Nordic ski team’s associate coach Andrew Kastning kept busy during the winter break, adding new names to his roster. Included in his new recruits were two Nordic skiers: one female and one male. ‌ Austin Huneck debuted his UAA collegiate career for the 2019 season as a spring addition, while Helen Wilson will have to

wait until the 2019-20 season to get into the action. ‌ Huneck originally started his collegiate skiing career at the University of New Mexico in 2015-16. He became successful in his short time there with a top15 finish at NCAA Nationals, eighth place at regionals and 20th in the U.S. National Championships. ‌ Huneck credits his top-15 finish at nationals as his most memorable finish from his skiing career so far. ‌ Prior to coming to UAA,

Huneck competed in Sweden, where he raced in the Vasaloppet, an annual long distance cross country ski event.

Huneck posted the 943rd finish to beat out most of the 15,800 who competed. ‌‌ “I have been skiing since I was three years old,” Huneck said. “My dad introduced me to the sport and to racing.” ‌ His skiing has taken him all over the world, so naturally, Huneck decided that Alaska should be the next destination for his career. ‌ “I chose UAA because it’s a great opportunity for me to race in the western circuit, and I was excited to come to Alaska,” Huneck said. ‌ As for his time here, Huneck explained that he hopes to earn a spot competing against the top collegiate athletes in the country, as well as helping the Seawolves win competitions. ‌ Kastning is confident that Huneck will be adding strength to the men’s team due to his previous results in long distance races. ‌ Huneck is majoring in psychology but has no plans

after that. ‌ As for the women’s side of the team, Wilson will be joining the team from Eagle River. ‌ Kastning is excited for the arrival of Wilson in August. ‌ “Helen is one of the strongest in her Alaska class, and we are looking forward to working with her towards her athletic goals,” Kastning said. ‌ Wilson is both a Nordic skier and a biathlon competitor.

She competed in the Youth World Championships twice, representing the United States.

She helped lead Team USA to two top-20 finishes in the relay. ‌ Similar to Huneck, Wilson also began skiing young. She was just 7 years old when she started in Junior Nordic. ‌ She grew up in Alaska, learned to ski in Alaska and now plans to continue her skiing career in Alaska. ‌ “Alaska is a hub for Olympic skiers, and I don’t think that is just a coincidence. It is a great area to train and it produces amazing athletes,” Wilson said.

“I want to continue pursuing my skiing career and I think the best shot at that would be here in

Anchorage, at UAA.” ‌ She explained that she believes that coming to UAA will make her a stronger skier.

Wilson is excited to be able to race on many of the new venues the team travels to on the west coast of the United States. ‌ Wilson has many substantial accomplishments under her belt.

Recalling her prior successes, she hopes that the Seawolves will bring her many new accomplishments. ‌ “My greatest skiing accomplishments include qualifying for [Junior Nordic] three years in a row, beginning when I was a freshman in high school,” Wilson said.

“However, my greatest biathlon accomplishments have been competing in Junior Worlds two years in a row, as well as Junior Open European Championships and a Junior IBU Cup last year.”‌ Similar to Huneck, Wilson doesn’t have any set in stone plans with her academics, despite having a declared major in business. ‌ For more information and a full skiing roster, visit www. goseawolves.com.

RECAP: Seawolves hockey team ranks last in conference Continued from cover

Classic Individual Start.

The women finished On the women’s side, Keller-Miller off the break with games Michaela (34:54) and Jenna DiFolco against UAF (81-70) on (34:58) were the top UAA Jan. 8 and Montana State Billings (87-42) on Jan. 10.‌ finishers at 54th and Again, Wandersee 55th, respectively. With made several standout a time of 45:33, James efforts by contributing the Schoonmaker was the top team-high points during male finisher at 60th. ‌ The team continued both games, with 17 in on with the sprints. Casey each. ‌ Wright finished as the Nordic and Alpine top female at 25th, while Tracen Knoop finished at Skiing ‌ 57th for the men. ‌ As for alpine, the team The ski teams kicked competed in the giant off their season during the week of Jan. 3-8 at the U.S. slalom. Didrik Nilsen National Championships finished second overall in the men’s field with a time in Vermont. ‌ The meet started of 1:52.16. Li Djurestaal with the 10K and 15K finished sixth overall (2:00.35) in the women’s

field. ‌

Gymnastics ‌

The women’s gymnastics team kicked The UAA men’s off their season debut hockey team played in with a home meet against six games over the break, Illinois State. The two resulting in six losses. The teams competed twice, Seawolves are ranked last once on Jan. 4 and again in their conference out of on Jan. 6. ‌ While the Seawolves 10 teams, with just two wins overall and 19 losses.‌ lost the first meet (192.975 The team played two - 188.925), they redeemed games against Omaha on themselves the following Dec. 29-31, with a 0-3 loss meet with a win (192.350 and a 0-4 loss. The next - 189.275). ‌ During the first meet, two games against Lake Superior State took place team highs were solidified on Jan. 4-5, with a 2-5 by Isabelle Fox in both loss and a 1-3 loss. The vault (9.625) and floor Seawolves finished off the (9.800), Sophia Hyderally break against Northern in bars (9.700) and Hope Michigan with a 1-5 and a Nelson on beam (9.750).‌ In the second meet, Fox 1-4 loss. ‌ Hockey‌

scored the high in vault (9.700) and floor (9.825) and Hyderally in bars (9.800) and beam (9.825). ‌ Track and Field‌ The runners, throwers and jumpers of UAA began their season at the UW Indoor Preview on Jan. 12. ‌ Making her debut on the team and placing at No. 5 overall was Tylantiss Atlas, who ran the 400-meter in 58.42 seconds. ‌ Returner Akeilia Knight placed seventh in the 600-meter (1:33.43) out of a field of 32 runners.

Another returner, Danielle McCormick, placed fourth

in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:11.32.‌ Previous national champion, Caroline Kurgat, placed third overall in the 3,000-meter with a time of 9:07.05, which broke the Division II all-time record by over two seconds. The previous mark was set in 1983. ‌ As for the men’s team, returner Felix Kemboi finished 30th in the 3,000-meter with a provisional qualifying mark of 8:20.94. Jumpers Brandon Nicholson and Christopher Brake placed seventh and eighth in the triple jump, respectively.‌

OPINION

THENORTHERNLIGHT.ORG TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019

05

Teaching, learning and listening: An open letter to the Chancellor of UAA Many of us have been there. You are one night or even mere seconds away from a presentation you know people are expecting. But this time, you are unprepared. You have been in damage control for some time. You make determinations on whether to go for time or for content. Yet, had you worked half this hard for even twice this time, you would have been far more prepared. ‌ This is what many of us saw between Friday and Monday this week via email, social media, in person and on the news.

We received a vague email late Friday afternoon which when replied to, offered us “out of office” replies. We were given a meeting time that directly conflicted with the one thing the School of Education had to know about our schedules—that we were nearly all student-teaching during Anchorage School District school hours.

We were offered no product, report nor summary sheet that addressed how the SoE failed to meet the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation’s standards. Even without being armed with many answers, you did not seem to have gathered a fair amount of reasonable questions or paths to answering those questions in the period of two and a half days. ‌ How did you not assume students would ask about tuition? About resume or degree competitiveness? About how this affects our student veterans? ‌ Or generally, how did you not consider that, in the wake of either negligence, incompetence or perhaps fraud, that our trust in the university would be tainted to a level below a point where reiterations of “things are going to be fine” were certain to ring hollow? ‌ We have a real crisis before us, and I’m not convinced that a venting session was more important than addressing how we move forward and how we got here.

But in the eye of this storm, we needed and deserved some real leadership.

Leadership is not calming down a group by saying “everything is going to be fine” or “we care about our students.”

Leadership is leading us through a process, giving us checkpoints and giving us the confidence that you have a plan that isn’t dependent on the goodwill and compassion of people outside UAA. ‌ In terms of this process, many of us weren’t convinced you were teaching us

about the path behind us or ahead of us, but winging a best-guess summary. Had we been led or taught, we would have learned a significant amount more about the accreditation process, how CAEP looks at programs, what feedback we were given over the last 12 months, how probationary statuses work and what we did or did not do to prepare. ‌ Going forward, we need to learn how the university plans to make the students whole and redress our situation— which will require more than hope and compassion—but action. We can understand that we are at the mercy of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, or DEED, when it comes to scheduling, and so we wait for Jan. 22. But what can we learn before then? If we are waiting for a certification denial by the state before we plan a contingency, then the university really did not learn much. Instead, we need to learn what DEED needs from us. We need to learn how strict the UAS transfer policy of accepting only two-thirds of our coursework is. We need to learn how much power or influence does UAA President James Johnsen have to support a preferred and deserved “seamless transfer.”‌ You and SoE Interim Director Claudia Dybdahl are routinely using the term “diligently,” and I hope you indeed are employing a steady, earnest and energetic effort. I hope we are awaiting no deadline. I hope we are exercising the utmost oversight as we venture to learn what we do not know thus far.

But only students should be hoping.

This university lost its privilege to hope when it admitted to us that no contingency plan was put in place for the event that accreditation was revoked when Master of Arts in Teaching graduate student Jessica Aho asked this of you on Monday.

Your responsibility going forward is to learn, listen and act, not hope.‌ I mention listening because Monday’s forum too quickly turned to “student brings up an issue” followed by “administrator admits they understand.”

The students ought to own their part in not letting you roll up your sleeves on several of our questions before interjecting another and a constant barrage at times, but as I said in the room, our temperament was a symptom of how

little we felt heard. Even when pressed for an apology, you both apologized for the situation we were in, not for failing to oversee the various schools and colleges within UAA adequately. Not for failing to address accreditation expectations of the CAEP before our accreditation was revoked. Insufficient apologies are a telltale sign of poor listening. ‌ Listening to us also means not ignoring our frustration with this meeting being scheduled at 12:15 p.m. on a school day when we are student-teaching and then touting increased advising resources from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on weekdays. Listening to us and learning what the university needs to do will take you past 5 p.m. on weekdays. You might want to prepare for that. It might mean moving staff to assist the SoE’s research and collaboration as it aims to take action on everything on Dybdahl’s would-be poster board. The SoE should set up a command center, complete with sectors of emphasis and subordinate faculty. All the irons need to be in the fire until this is solved, and that means staff allocations and schedules ought to adjust to meet the needs of the mission. If you are listening, then you know that is how important this is. If you are listening, you know how offensive it was to have you walk out after only an hour, barring a similar forum somewhere else on campus because another university school lost accreditation. We deserved to have your attention as long as it takes. ‌ Because we are listening. And that

told us something. ‌ We are listening when you tell us to talk to faculty in the coming days when we all know this is too over their heads to say anything of credibility. ‌ We are listening when you tout the line about the last two Alaska Teachers of the Year being UAA graduates as if it was UAA preparation of them and not primarily their talent and effort. Now is not the time for political post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy. ‌ Lastly, please learn that the time for releasing information as you deem appropriate has passed. Hearing that the exact deficiencies listed for accreditation revocation would be released “if you decide to” is quite tone deaf amid a crisis that, to some degree, downplayed and hid concern from students. Unless every deficiency was related to student specifics and as such would be a FERPA violation—which I doubt. Thank you for your attention and in advance, your time and effort.‌ Respectfully,‌ Nick Tabaczka MAT Graduate Student (Class of 20182019)‌ Nick Tabaczka is graduate student completing his Master of Arts in Teaching degree within the Social Studies content area. He also earned a B.A. in Political Science in 2017. Tabaczka is also a student veteran, having served in the U.S. Army, with tours to Afghanistan and Iraq.‌‌‌‌

06

OPINION

Letter from the Chancellor To UAA Students,‌ I am sorry.‌ I know many of you are angry. I know many of you are disappointed and distressed over the situation with accreditation revocation within UAA’s School of Education. I know this news has been nothing short of traumatic for many of you in the affected programs. I am deeply sorry for the fact this situation has put so many UAA education students’ investments and aspirations in such a state of uncertainty. ‌ Based on what I’ve seen and heard, reactions from those of you across the rest of the university range from mild concern to panic or anger. So, I apologize to all of you for the stress and confusion this has caused for education students as well as students in other UAA colleges. ‌ To be blunt, having our accreditation revoked for these programs should never have happened. The process of submitting evidence to the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, or CAEP, was completed in 2017, well before I joined UAA. I can’t

change what happened prior to my arrival, but I can tell you that I am committed to fixing this. All matters pertaining to your academic welfare and safety at UAA are my responsibility.‌ You deserve better. And it’s my mission — my job — to do everything in my power to help each of you succeed with whatever education path you commit to at UAA. It’s my commitment to ensure that each of you in the affected education programs gets back on track to achieve the goals you’ve set. We are making progress.‌ I know there’s also a lot of work to be done. It’s one thing to restore confidence in UAA among those of you directly affected in the School of Education. But I’m also very conscious of a need to assure the rest of you that problems of this magnitude are not the norm.

Just to be crystal clear, the loss of the School of Education’s program-level accreditation has no impact or bearing on any other accreditation of programs throughout the rest of UAA. All other accreditation is in good standing.‌ The question has been raised, “If UAA was unaware of this serious problem at the School of Education, what

other problems exist they are unaware of?” ‌ My answer to that lies in the fact that UAA just completed a rigorous institutional-level accreditation process with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. That process forces us to be conscious of the need to continuously improve. When and where we can identify potential problems — particularly those that would impede any student’s ability to achieve his or her educational aspirations — we are committed to resolving them. ‌ What happened at the School of Education, and how it unfolded in the aftermath of the notification, has motivated me more than ever before to do what needs to be done to make your educational experience worthy of the hard work, time, money and faith you’ve invested in UAA. Thank you for your patience, and thank you for choosing UAA for your education.‌ Sincerely, Cathy Sandeen UAA Chancellor‌

UAA owes education Scrutinize the accreditors students a refund

By Ben Edwards

opinion2@thenorthernlight.org

By Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org

College students often complain that their degree is worthless. Some feel they aren’t learning enough to prepare them for the real world. Others feel the money they spent amounts to nothing but a piece of paper that employers increasingly care less about. ‌ On Jan. 11, the weekend before the first week back to school, students of the School of Education literally feared that their degree was now worth nothing after they received a vague email stating that the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation had revoked accreditation for several programs. ‌ Those programs include early childhood education, early elementary education, master of arts in teaching secondary education, special education and early childhood education.‌ Unfortunately, the university has not handled this well. The public meeting scheduled for students to hear more from Chancellor Cathy Sandeen conflicted with Anchorage School District operating times, where many students were busy teaching as a part of their internships. For those that were able to sacrifice precious time teaching to attend, their questions were answered with hollow assurances and uncertainty. ‌ Why has the School of Education failed to meet the standards for accreditation?

The only information available is the CAEP report stating that four programs only met one of their five re-accreditation standards. The report provides vague rationale coated in acronyms and jargon, and hardly anyone seems to be trying to translate for the rest of us. ‌ Luckily, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development announced that 2019 spring and summer graduates would still receive their recommendation for licensure recognized. But that leaves out the two next most important considerations: whether future graduates would even receive the recommendation to the State of Alaska to teach in the first place, and whether students who aren’t set to graduate by summer 2019 should even continue with their degree. ‌ The only excuse the university can seem to muster is that they were only notified of the council’s decision as of

recent. However true, it doesn’t account for the fact that the program failed to meet an entire 80 percent of its accreditation standards with full knowledge of the expectations of the process and plenty of time to ensure it was fulfilled. ‌ Education students are now left wondering what this means for the rest of their career. For whatever reason, UAA has failed them. The only proper restitution available, and the kind UAA has an obligation to provide, is repayment to their student accounts. ‌ Those who are seeking a master’s degree or are looking to enter competitive job pools are significantly less well-off.

When the choice comes down to two applicants whose only difference is a program that was discredited in scandal, it’s not hard to see who an employer is more likely to pick. ‌ The university can tell students that they’ll be just fine, but no matter how they put it, the degree they paid tens of thousands of dollars for is now worth less than its original value. They paid for one thing and got something different. ‌ On that basis alone, UAA should partially refund the deducted value of their degree. What that value amounts to should be determined by the university and paid out within the next two years. ‌ As for students who don’t qualify for the state’s exemption? Sophomores and juniors in their programs have already spent a significant amount of time and money trying to become a teacher. It’s unreasonable to expect them to simply finish out their classes and hope that the programs get re-accredited a few years later. The School of Education is in crisis, and cannot currently promise it will deliver on a degree that will guarantee licensure. ‌ Thus, students currently in their programs should be able to request a refund for the classes they have already taken. Alternatively, the university could help assist in the cost of transferring to UAF or UAS, where they may be able to meet the rest of their requirements under an accredited program. ‌ Giving students what they are due is the best step UAA can take to begin to restore trust in the university system, which has certainly been lost among students of the School of Education.

If UAA is unable to offer anything but assurances when one of their programs become obsolete, so will the rest of us. ‌‌

Losing accreditation was something that the UAA School of Education did not expect. As far as UAA officials were aware, most indications pointed towards a breezy renewal of the school’s credentials by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

But CAEP slammed the hammer down hard, and without any warning. UAA was notified about the revocation just as the spring semester was starting.

No probationary notice was given. The School of Education fell off its pedestal without so much as a wobble.‌ The reactionary firestorm is already in full swing, and for good reason. This is a disaster for students in that program.

Some small Band-Aids have been presented. Students slated to graduate this spring and summer will still be eligible for teacher licensure, but their records will be from an unaccredited program. Students who aren’t able to graduate that soon will probably need to transfer elsewhere. ‌ UAA is not blameless here. Many are asking how the School of Education failed to identify the red flags that CAEP apparently found. Other writers have rightly criticized the university’s handling of the fallout. But there is another angle that deserves scrutiny in this: the accrediting agencies themselves. These fearsome leviathans scour the country and render verdicts in favor of or against universities. Such decisions can make or break entire institutions, since federal financial aid is tied to accreditation.‌ Of course, some kind of regime is necessary to hold universities up to a standard and discredit those snake-oil colleges that promise worthless degrees to indebted students. So this article isn’t arguing to abolish accreditors like CAEP. Rather, this is to argue that their operations are imperfect and their judgments are punitive upon the same students that they wish to help.‌ For example, CAEP has a policy of only granting probation if the reviewee has failed one of five standards. Any more and an immediate revocation is imposed.

This policy does not serve in the best interest of any student. A sudden judgment at the start of a spring semester does not allow for “continuous improvement” as CAEP’s mission statement claims. It only guarantees a nightmare for students and faculty in the School of Education.

Is CAEP fully cognizant of the impact that its judgment had? A senior-year student who went through four years of accredited semesters only to have their final semester unaccredited might say no.‌ A probationary period would allow universities to correct errors. It would also give students more time to think about their options. They could transfer, change degrees, ride it out, graduate sooner or drop out, depending on what is possible and practical for their individual circumstances. Instead, CAEP’s suckerpunch means that everyone has to scramble to figure that out now. Given that many education students are also doing practicum and internship courses at the same time, you can imagine how stressful this is for them.‌ CAEP is just a dime a dozen though.

There are many other programmatic and national accreditors that have serious flaws in how they operate. One criticism is that they tend to over-evaluate data inputs that aren’t always meaningful benchmarks for student success. An article in the Wall Street Journal notes that major accreditors are highly concerned with trivial things like the number of books in a university’s library.‌ When accreditors over-emphasize data inputs, they often fail to recognize how difficult data accumulation can be. CAEP’s action report on the UAA School of Education cites insufficient or inconsistent data in several subjects. They are referring to the evidence that UAA compiled and submitted to CAEP. This means that the revoking of accreditation does not necessarily imply that UAA is producing unqualified teachers. Rather, it indicates that UAA failed to accumulate and organize data in a satisfactory manner. According to CAEP’s standards, UAA would have to submit enough evidence to prove that its graduates had a positive impact on their classrooms.

That’s a hefty requirement for UAA to prove since many other factors contribute to classroom effectiveness besides the quality of UAA-alumni teachers. A change in public education funding is one example.‌ Pointing fingers is only productive insofar as knowing where to demand reform. Other voices at UAA are absolutely justified to hold administrators accountable for this mess. But we shouldn’t just assume that accreditors are infallible. We ought to scrutinize them whenever necessary. After all, who watches the watchmen?‌

OPINION

07

Trump is right to pull out of Syria That’s just a realistic observation on how the strategy has developed since 2011.

It has stretched across two presidencies and four secretaries of state. It has flirted with an extensive roster of contradictory objectives and the tools to achieve them.

Toppling the Syrian regime turned into toppling the ISIS regime. Arming the Syrian rebels turned into arming the Kurdish militants. Time and time again, a series of indecisive half-measures manage to complicate the environment without achieving any objectives in completion.‌ When the game is unwinnable but you have lives and resources at stake, it’s time

By Ben Edwards to stop playing. If Trump’s decision to opinion2@thenorthernlight.org withdraw from Syria carries forward, it will be the right decision both ethically A glimmer of hope has shown itself and strategically.‌ in the administration’s foreign policy. In Obama’s initial foray into Syria started December, President Trump announced on shaky ethical grounds and it has only that the U.S. would be withdrawing its grown worse. The wisdom of replacing troops from Syria. The Pentagon has since Bashar al-Assad’s secular dictatorship affirmed that directive by preparing its with a horde of competing rebel warlords deployments for extraction as soon as it is appears just as irresponsible today as it feasible to do so. But before the ink could did when I wrote on this topic in April dry, an unlikely alliance of Republican 2018. The emergence of ISIS in 2014 war hawks and anti-Trump Democrats exposed the blunder of U.S. efforts to have emerged to criticize the cessation destabilize other governments. Had we of endless war. This is Washington D.C. not undermined the Syrian regime, it at its worst. A political mood born in the could have worked in our favor against War on Terror, where counterterrorism is ISIS. Full cooperation? No. But at the simplified down to a game of whack-a- very least, ISIS wouldn’t have an anarchic mole that has no decisive conclusion to it.‌ Syrian desert to cower in after the Iraqis But here’s the reality: remaining in reclaimed Mosul.

Syria is a no-win situation for the U.S. Any justification that the U.S. presence That’s not a proclamation of a defeatist. in Syria may have earned while fighting

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But the U.S. only viewed the Kurds as a tool against ISIS. In fact, any move to develop Kurdish statehood would come at the expense of U.S.-Turkey relations.

It could even warrant a Turkish invasion, given how hostile that country is towards armed Kurds on its border. If the U.S. remains in Syria, then the Kurds will feel emboldened to poke at Turkish border security, believing that U.S. troops will stave off any Turkish response. That’s not a dilemma we want to put ourselves in.‌ In actuality, a U.S. withdrawal from Syria is the best way to provide Kurds with a secure situation. That’s quite the opposite of a betrayal. The Syrian government would be eager to reclaim its northeastern territory, which is where the U.S. is currently operating. Russia can give them a nudge if they’re slow to move on that. Allowing Syria to station its prewar borders will work in the interests of all. The Kurds already have a tacit alliance with the Syrian government, as demonstrated when they cooperated against the rebels during the Siege of Aleppo. Kurdish security is well served if the Syrians help build a buffer against Turkey. Likewise, the Turks will prefer a border with Syria over a border with a newly-forged Kurdistan.‌ Americans should sigh in relief every time these engagements are ceased. If we are to trade blood and treasure for an objective, it needs to be defined and attainable. No such objective exists when it comes to remaining in Syria. ‌

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ISIS has now evaporated. ISIS has lost 98 percent of its territory and the viability of a terrorist caliphate has been discredited.

Its surviving members are still numerous enough to remain a threat, but stamping them out must be the work of Syrians and Iraqis, not Americans. The entire ideology of ISIS rests on the assumption that secular governments cannot provide for the general welfare of people. Combating that ideology requires establishing credibility in the governments of Iraq and Syria. Credibility to govern, protect, and foster prosperity and well-being. For as long as the U.S. maintains a presence there, that credibility will never be truly achieved. Iraq will continue to be viewed as a weak puppet state and Syria will be continuously assailed by Islamists bearing U.S. weapons. ‌ The strategy of the withdrawal lines up in our favor as well. The Syrian government controls about two-thirds of the country at time of writing, and every square mile they earn at the expense of non-governmental armies is another step towards a positive resolution. ‌ Critics of the withdrawal claim that we are betraying the Kurds. After all, we did arm them up and play them against ISIS like a game of chess. However, the feeling of betrayal is unavoidable since the Kurds were never on the same page with us about the relationship. They believed that U.S. sponsorship would pave the way for Kurdish statehoodsomething they’ve longed for ever since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

Administrative Adviser Zac Clark‌ Administrative Assistant Allie Hartman

Sports Editor Lauren Cuddihy sports@thenorthernlight.org‌ Opinion Writer Robert Hockema opinion@thenorthernlight.org Opinion Writer Ben Edwards opinion2@thenorthernlight.org

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