Chancellor's Biography
Chancellor Sean Parnell
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Sean Parnell serves as Chancellor of the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼. Since his appointment in 2021, Chancellor Parnell has pursued key initiatives focusing on college affordability, student success, and positioning ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ as a trusted community partner. The Chancellor works to advance ±«´¡´¡â€™s role as Alaska’s largest workforce provider, and the flagship university for health and Arctic public policy.
Chancellor Parnell’s tenure has included key initiatives and achievements:
Affordable and Accessible Education - Putting students first by making ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ more affordable and accessible for students. The university has held tuition steady for multiple years, expanded scholarships and decreased fees. Chancellor Parnell also created ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ Caucus to foster dialogue and problem-solving within the university community. This helps ensure student, staff, faculty and ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ leadership can collaborate together in removing barriers to student success and creating a student-centered campus experience.
Financial Sustainability - Chancellor Parnell worked with UA System leaders, the Governor and elected leaders to bring ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through building support with policymakers and community partners, ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ is recovering from budget reductions and pandemic losses towards a stronger fiscal outlook.
±«´¡´¡â€™s Strategic Plan - ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ has a clear mission as a university – creating opportunity for Alaskans through education. ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ is attaining a bright future through collaboration and advancing several strategic plan and initiatives.
ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ 2027, our strategic plan, casts a vision for our university’s identity: ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ transforms lives. The plan outlines how we achieve this vision. A vision ensuring ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ as a student-centered university. A place where each person belongs, and is welcomed and respected. A future for ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ as a trusted and respected community partner.
±«´¡´¡â€™s Anchorage Campus Master Plan was recently updated and approved by the UA Board of Regents after an inclusive, two-year process. The plan establishes how ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ will maximize its facilities and real estate assets to advance our strategic plan. In 2022, ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ kicked off a Strategic Enrollment (SEM) Management Planning initiative with a plan for enhancing recruitment and retention of students expected in 2023.
Alaska’s Trusted Community Partner - ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ actively engages with communities, industry school districts, the military, and policymakers. We are showcasing our students’ achievements and our world-class workforce programs. We share our faculty’s applied research, providing real world solutions for issues facing Alaska. ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ is a leader in health, engineering, aviation, business, public policy and economics. Chancellor Parnell advances ±«´¡´¡â€™s message and highlights the university’s valuable role as a partner for Alaskans and our global community.
Expanding Dual-Enrollment Opportunities - College-level learning doesn’t have to wait for college. ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼ collaborated with K-12 teachers and school districts to create new educational opportunities for young Alaskans. Dual-enrollment programs allow students to simultaneously earn high school and college credit. These programs create pathways for a wide range of careers, from STEM and aviation to civics and health. This innovative approach improves student achievement, and creates an on-ramp for an affordable college education.
Chancellor Sean Parnell
Prior to becoming Chancellor, Parnell was an attorney practicing law in Alaska for
twenty-five years. Parnell served as the 10th Governor of the State of Alaska from
2009-2014. His leadership expanded funding for education, helped combat domestic violence
and sexual assault, and lifted Alaska to record economic prosperity and employment.
The Chancellor previously served in the Alaska State Legislature, including two terms
in the House and later in the Alaska State Senate where he was Co-Chair of the Senate
Finance Committee. He was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2006 and became Governor
of Alaska in 2009.
Chancellor Parnell is a graduate of East Anchorage High School. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Pacific Lutheran University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Seattle University School of Law.
The Chancellor and Sandy Parnell have lived in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley for more than 35 years, and are the proud parents of two daughters and four grandchildren.