UA Operational Review, Financial Aid Among Topics on ABOR Agenda

UA Operational Review, Financial Aid Among Topics on ABOR Agenda

By Nick PrevenasUniversity Communications
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The University of Arizona will present its 2016-2017 operational and financial review to the Arizona Board of Regents during the board's meeting on the UA campus this week.

ABOR conducts an annual comprehensive review of the operations and finances of each state university. The UA's presentation will cover its strategic initiatives, organizational performance levels, current and future priorities, strengths and weaknesses in relation to its peers, financial model and resource allocation, key partnerships and alliances, and anticipated responses to environmental changes.

UA President Ann Weaver Hart will lead the presentation, which will outline the University's academic and business initiatives in relation to ABOR's strategic plan. The process also is intended to enhance transparency in planning and performance.

The review is composed of three core components:

  • The background report is designed to provide the regents with an overview of the UA's progress in key areas of responsibility from the prior year relative to ABOR metrics and UA projections. The report includes short narratives, the financial aid report, UA-provided financial projections and other key data points.
  • The written business plan contains an overview of the UA's operations and financial strategies and explains what the University intends to achieve. The plan also will detail major initiatives, key opportunities and risk assessment.
  • The public policy and strategic discussion will focus on areas of greatest importance and urgency to the UA and cover the strategies and initiatives that will be pursued in the coming year.

The board also will review the 2016 student financial aid report prepared by the three state universities, as well as their financial aid plans for the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years.

In 2016, more than $665 million was given out in financial aid to more than 37,000 UA students, with the UA providing more than $182 million in institutional aid. Nearly 88 percent of students at the UA received some form of financial aid in the last fiscal year. The total amount awarded in financial aid increased 34 percent over the last six years.

The board will meet in the Student Union Memorial Center on Thursday and in the Environment and Natural Resources 2 building on Friday. Other items on the agenda (PDF) include:

  • The board will be asked to approve the annual progress report on articulation and transfer. This report's goal is to represent continued collaboration between the state's public community colleges and universities to ensure a smooth transition for students who transfer.
  • The three state universities will submit their official head counts for fall 2016 enrollment. There are just under 172,000 students enrolled in the Arizona University System, with 43,625 students (34,027 undergraduates, 9,553 graduate students) at the UA, and an additional 464 students (378 undergraduates and 86 graduate students) at UA South.
  • The 2015-16 High School Report Card is up for review. The report card focuses on how the previous year's Arizona high school graduates performed academically during their first year in higher education. The state university system saw a 6.4 percent increase in the number of enrollees compared with last year, with 87 percent admitted without academic deficiencies – a 3 percent increase from 2015.

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