Rasmuson Fisheries Expansion
Overview
What is the Rasmuson Fisheries Expansion?
In January 2007, the Rasmuson Foundation generously provided a six-year, $5,000,000 grant to the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences to elevate its fisheries program to one of national prominence. The University of Alaska has provided matching funds for the effort. This website is intended to provide more information and regular updates about the progress of this initiative.
Vision:
The University of Alaska Fairbanks will be the university of choice for training and educating the fisheries and marine resource experts needed to sustain and grow Alaska's vital fishing and seafood industries. As one of the premier fisheries and ocean sciences programs in the nation, the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences will educate the professionals necessary to guarantee the sustainability of Alaska's vast and healthy marine and freshwater resources.
The UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences developed a new undergraduate curriculum to broadly prepare students for participation in the fishing industry and community through the creation of a new Bachelor of Arts degree in fisheries.
This new B.A. degree program is characterized by experiential learning, classes from several academic disciplines, broad geographic availability to students from across Alaska, and partnerships with government agencies, fishing and seafood industry representatives and other related groups.
Our present B.S. in fisheries, which prepares students for careers in fishery harvest management and research, will be revised and strengthened by this process and we expect our vibrant M.S and Ph.D. degree programs to be commensurately strengthened as well.
More information about the Rasmuson Fisheries Expansion can be found in the links below and at left.
Major elements of the fisheries expansion include:
- The development of a Bachelor of Arts degree in fisheries.
- The revision and reinvigoration of the current Bachelor of Sciences degree in fisheries.
- The development of a fisheries minor.
- A focus on experiential, hands-on learning for students through internships and research.
- Broad geographic availability for students across Alaska through advanced distance learning technology and the Two-Plus-Two Program.
- The availability of scholarships to help students earn degrees in fisheries.
- The expansion of SFOS fisheries and oceanography faculty.
As well as:
- Increased recruitment and retention of rural Alaskan and Alaska Native students into fisheries careers.
- An emphasis on the connections between oceanography and fisheries.
- The improvement of SFOS fisheries facilities and infrastructure.
More Information:
Downloads:
- Full November 2006 proposal (1.1 MB PDF)
- First Year Action Plan (2007) (32 KB)
- Fisheries Expansion Poster (520 KB PDF)
Rasmuson Fisheries Expansion Goals
1. Develop and enhance curricula
- B.A. and B.S. in Fisheries. Refurbish catalog courses, develop new offerings, and expand delivery methods. Incorporate experiential learning as an essential component of degree (internships, field courses, opportunities for field and laboratory research).
- Develop and offer Minor in Fisheries to B.A./B.S. students in Economics, Business Administration (including Finance, Management, and Marketing Concentrations), Rural Development, Political Science, and others.
- Organize an effective internship program based on current and potential SFOS partnerships with private industry, public agencies, and NGOs.
2. Expand faculty and increase engagement and involvement of current faculty
- Increase faculty involvement in undergraduate instruction (as well as graduate instruction and research). Implement the Two + Two plan as previously presented.
- Broaden faculty expertise through the recruitment of new faculty.
3. Recruit and retain students, especially Alaska Native and rural Alaskan students
- Appoint a Recruiting and Retention Coordinator to execute our Recruitment Plan.
- Appoint a counselor and execute our Counseling Plan (e.g. ANSEP). See Appendix G for signed letter from ANSEP Executive Director Herb Schroeder to SFOS Dean Wiesenburg.
- Improve faculty advising and mentorship activities.
4. Renew and develop infrastructure and physical facilities
- Develop high-technology classrooms in Fairbanks to complement the new facility being constructed in Juneau.
- Upgrade distance learning facilities to high definition in all SFOS locations to provide opportunities for faculty at any location to deliver courses effectively.
- Upgrade facilities, furnishings, technology and infrastructure for new faculty.
- Provide necessary equipment for new faculty for teaching and research.
5. Link oceanography and fisheries through ocean observing
- Broaden faculty expertise in ocean observing.
- Integrate oceanography and fisheries education and research.
For more information about the Rasmuson Fisheries Expansion, please contact Dr. Trent Sutton, Undergraduate Fisheries Coordinator, e-mail: tsutton@sfos.uaf.edu, 907-474-7285.
If you are a student interested in studying at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, please contact Katie Murra Straub, Recruitment and Retention Coordinator, e-mail kmstraub@alaska.edu or 907-474-6786.