University of Alaska Fairbanks student leaders are calling on Gov. Mike Dunleavy to keep university maintenance funding intact, according to a letter penned by the university’s student government organization, the Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The letter, dated May 29, claims ongoing maintenance issues on campus have compromised students’ safety and welfare. It says that dorms have been evacuated because of mold, that aging elevators risk trapping occupants, and that the facilities fall short of federal accessibility standards. The letter also says that closures due to those issues have worsened housing shortages for students and faculty.
The University of Alaska system requested $60 million from the state for the next fiscal year for deferred maintenance projects. Lawmakers ultimately set aside $32.5 million for the highest priority projects, which includes repairing and modernizing some buildings at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The budget bills have yet to be formally transmitted to the governor's office. Dunleavy typically signs those bills and announces line-item vetoes in late June.
The Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks could not be reached for comment.