KTUU and KTVA highlight UAA accelerated law school admissions program

KTUU Channel 2 News and KTVA Channel 11 News recently highlighted UAA's partnership with University of Washington School of Law to provide qualified UAA students the opportunity to earn a baccalaureate degree and law degree on an accelerated schedule - typically in 6 years instead of 7.

See the full news stories here:
"Earn a law degree on an accelerated plan," KTUU Channel 2 News. 20 Nov 2014.

"UAA and UW partnership for law students." KTVA Channel 11 News. 13 Nov 2014.  Story begins at 37:01 on video.

Earlier this year, UAA and Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon, established a similar agreement for an accelerated admissions - 3+3 - program.

Read more about the accelerated admissions agreement.  Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Justice Center Legal Studies Program Coordinator, is the contact for questions about these programs. dkperiman@uaa.alaska.edu or 907-786-1125

UAA and UW School of Law partner for accelerated law school admissions program

At the signing of the agreement - l to r: Prof. Betsy Baker, J.D., UW School of Law; Dr. André Rosay, UAA Justice Center Director; Prof. Deb Periman, J.D.,UAA Justice Center; Dean Kellye Testy, UW School of Law; UAA Chancellor Tom Case;
Dr. David Yesner, UAA GraduateSchool Associate Dean; Dr. Susan Kaplan, UAA College of Health Senior Associate Dean; Monica Kane, UAA Academic Affairs Assistant Provost

UAA and the University of Washington School of Law have partnered to provide qualified UAA students the opportunity to earn a baccalaureate degree and law degree on an accelerated schedule - typically in 6 years instead of 7. UW School of Law Dean Kellye Testy and UAA Chancellor Tom Case signed an agreement at a ceremony on November 13 at UAA.

Students from any major may enter law school once they have completed course requirements in their discipline, UAA's general education requirements, and 90 credits. This agreement will allow students to reduce the cost of their undergraduate education and overall student loans, and enter the work force one year earlier. Before receiving a law degree from UW, students must complete an externship or clerkship in Alaska.

Earlier this year, UAA and Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon, established a similar agreement for an accelerated admissions - 3+3 - program.

Read more about the accelerated admissions agreement.  Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Justice Center Legal Studies Program Coordinator, is the contact for questions about these programs. dkperiman@uaa.alaska.edu or 907-786-1125

Alaska Victimization Survey website redesign now online

The Alaska Victimization Survey (AVS) website has been redesigned and is now online. The AVS is conducted annually by the State of Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center.

The survey provides estimates of intimate partner violence and sexual violence experienced by adult women in Alaska as follows:

• 2010: Statewide estimates
• 2011: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Bristol Bay 
• 2012: Kodiak, Sitka, and Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
• 2013: Matanuska-Susitna, Kenai Peninsula, and Ketchikan

2014 estimates will be released in late 2014.

A look at the 6th Annual Women in Law Enforcement Recruitment Fair

Students at the recruitment fair.

The 6th annual Women in Law Enforcement Recruitment Fair sponsored by the Women Police of Alaska (WPA) was held on October 22, 2014 at the UAA Student Union and attracted numerous UAA students interested in law enforcement career opportunities. Attendees had the opportunity to talk to federal, state, and local law enforcement agency representatives. Exhibitors included:

L to r: Andrea Jacobson, Alaska State Troopers, WPA
Board member; APD Det. Michele Logan, WPA President.

• Alaska Air National Guard
• Alaska Club
• Alaska Department of Corrections
• Alaska State Troopers
• Anchorage Airport Police and Fire
• Anchorage Police Department
• FBI
• IRS Criminal Investigation
• Juneau Police Department
• U.S. Marshals Service
• Women Police of Alaska

Explosives Detection K-9 "Elvis" from the Anchorage Airport Police & Fire Department attended the event. For photos of K-9 "Elvis" and other participants and attendees, see below.

L to r: Airport Police - Officer Trent Scott and K-9 "Elvis";
Officer Wesley McQuillin; Officer Crystal Miller; and
Sgt. Xavior Brown.

Alaska State Troopers exhibit table.

L to r: Kyndall Jones and Michael Hill, FBI.

L to r: Alaska Department of Corrections Probation Officers
Molly Fortunato, Katie Perry, Rebecca Tuominen, and
Caroline Stevens.

L to r: SSgt. Eric Cox, TSgt. Jessica Deters, Air National Guard.
SSgt. Taylor Jordan, 673rd Security Forces Squadron.

Sue Chambers, IRS Criminal Investigation.

Det. Kim Horn, Juneau Police.

L tor r: Dr. Brad Myrstol, UAA Justice Center, and
Tahnee Conte-Seccareccia, Justice Club president.

L to r: Officer Kristin Moulton and Officer Jill Martin,
Anchorage Police Dept.

The event sponsored by the Women Police of Alaska was presented with the support of the Alaska State Troopers, the Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police, and the UAA Justice Center. Dr. Brad Myrstol was the faculty liaison for this program. Danica Bryant, UAA Career Services Center, assisted with the coordination of the event.

North to the Future - joint Alaska Law Review/Justice Center Symposium - great success

Fran Ulmer, former UAA Chancellor and Special Advisor to the U.S. State Department on Arctic Science and Policy, and Dr. William Iggiagruk Hensley, Visiting Distinguished Professor, UAA College of Business and Public Policy, were the featured speakers at the October 16 Alaska Law Review symposium - "North to the Future: Opportunities and Change in Alaska's Emerging Frontiers." Attendees included attorneys from the public and private sector, state and federal government staff, members of the public, and UAA students, faculty, and staff.

The symposium addressed the rapidly evolving changes in Alaska and the Arctic, and the challenges presented to Alaska's leaders and institutions in addressing the legal issues associated with economic development, climate change, and social and cultural impacts.

Agenda and materials are on the Justice Center website.  A video of the program will be posted there shortly.

In addition, the materials submitted for the symposium will appear in an upcoming issue of the Alaska Law Review, published by Duke University School of Law for the Alaska Bar Association.

L to r: Joe Evans, City Attorney for Kotzebue; Mara Kimmel, Institute of the North & UAA
ISER; Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Ph.D., UAA Justice Center; Dan Cheyette, In-House Counsel
for Bristol Bay Native Corporation. Not pictured: Barrett Ristroph, J.D., National Disaster
Preparedness Training Center, Honolulu and formerly with the North Slope Borough, Alaska.

L to r: Mike LeVine, Pacific Senior Counsel, Oceana; Prof. Betsy Baker, J.D.,
University of Washington School of Law; Prof. Tom Metzloff, J.D., Alaska
Law Review; Bruce Anders, Lead In-House Counsel, Cook Inlet Region, Inc.
Not pictured: Barry Zellen, Arctic Geopolitics Specialist.

L to r: Alaska Superior Court Judge Sen Tan (Ret.); Mike LeVine, Pacific Senior Counsel,
Oceana; Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D., UAA Justice Center; Prof. Hari Osofsky, J.D.,
University of Minnesota Law School; Matt Findley, Attorney at Ashburn & Mason.

This event was sponsored by the Alaska Law Review, the Arctic Law Section of the Alaska Bar Association, and the UAA Justice Center.  Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Ph.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, was the faculty advisor for this event.

L to r: Dr. Ryan Fortson, UAA Justice Center; Prof. Tom Metzloff, Alaska Law Review; Fran Ulmer;
Prof. Willie Hensley, UAA College of Business & Public Policy; Dr. André Rosay, UAA Justice Center Director.

Blaine Harden, author of Escape from Camp 14, talks to Justice Center students about his book and human rights law issues

Blaine Harden talks to students about the oppressive regime in North Korea.

Blaine Harden, author of Escape from Camp 14, one of the UAA/APU Books of the Year, spoke to Justice/Legal Studies students in classes taught by Prof. Deb. Periman, J.D., and Dr. Ron Everett, Justice faculty, on Wednesday, October 21.  Mr. Harden discussed his book and related international human rights law issues.

L to r: Dr. Ron Everett, Blaine Harden, Prof. Deb Periman, J.D.

The book tells the true story of Shin Dong-hyuk's life in a North Korean prison camp, and his escape after 20 years. Completely isolated, he knew nothing of contemporary existence - all information about history and the outside world was a stream of untruths and propaganda. Through the lens of Shin's life, journalist Blaine Harden shows the impact of information on our lives, both for good and for ill. 

Blaine Harden is an American author and journalist. For 28 years, he worked for The Washington Post as a correspondent in Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia, as well as in New York and Seattle. For four years, he was a local and national correspondent for The New York Times and a writer for the Times Magazine. He has also reported for PBS Frontline, The Economist, Foreign Policy, National Geographic and the Guardian. His latest book is The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot.

 The UAA/APU Books of the Year program, part of the Ford Foundation Difficult Dialogues Project, encourages faculty to integrate into their curriculum books selected for their relevance and timeliness.

See the UAA Says NO MORE video PSA - part of the campaign to end domestic violence and sexual assault

L to r: Simona Gerdts and Kristen Speyerer wearing t-shirts
with the NO MORE logo.
(photo by Philip Hall, University of Alaska)

This "UAA says NO MORE" video PSA was created as part of the "UAA Says No More" campaign launched during the Fall 2013 semester. This effort originated in the degree capstone project for Simona Gerdts and Kristen Speyerer, Justice majors/Legal Studies minors, who received their BAs in Justice in May 2014. The UAA video PSA features students, faculty, and staff.

As part of the project, they worked to co-brand the campaign with the "NO MORE" national campaign  — a nationwide effort to increase greater awareness and action to end domestic violence and sexual assault.

The video production and editing were donated by Eric Baldwin, Media Technician, UAA Academic Innovations & ELearning.

Following their graduation, Simona and Kristen have continued to be involved in this important effort. UAA Says NO MORE has transitioned to a statewide organization. Learn more about the NO MORE AK campaign and the UAA NO MORE Alliance, a student club.

NO MORE PSAs have been filmed by numerous organizations around the country, including recently by the National Football League (NFL). The "UAA says NO MORE" PSA has been featured on the national NO MORE website.

Dr. Barnes attends CAFE program series focusing on team-based learning facilitation skills

Dr. Allan Barnes, Justice faculty, has been attending the Team-Based Learning (TBL) Facilitation Skills program series presented by the UAA Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE)  this semester.  The most recent session was designed for those faculty who already have some background in TBL and allowed faculty to discuss the modules they have been developing or implementing and to share ideas and strategies.

This TBL series focuses on developing and implementing a team-based learning (TBL) module for a course.  Dr. Barnes is using TBL in his course, JUST 330 - Justice and Society.

Team-based learning (TBL) is an increasingly-popular form of small group learning with four components: 1) permanent teams, 2) readiness assurance, 3) application activities, and 4) peer evaluation.

TBL teachers report high levels of student attendance, preparation, participation and critical thinking, and TBL students report being more motivated and enjoying class more, even when the subject is not in their major. 

Join us on Wednesday, Nov 5 for "Stopped by Police?" - learn about your rights, what to expect and say - from panel of APD and ACLU experts

Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, moderates a panel - "Stopped by Police?" -  on Wednesday, November 5, co-sponsored by the Anchorage Community Police Relations Task Force, the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission, the Anchorage Police Department, and the UAA Justice Center.

What: "Stopped by Police?"
Date: Wednesday, November 5
Time: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Place: UAA/APU Consortium Library, LIB 307
Parking: Free in Library surface lots and East Garage by Conoco-Phillips Integrated Sciences Building

Experts from the Anchorage Police Department and the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska will discuss the topics below and answer questions from the audience:

• What to expect
• What to say
• What are my rights?
• Can an officer search my car?
• Do passengers have to provide ID?
• When can officers pull me over?
• Why do officers always shine their flashlight in my eyes?

Dr. Payne and Dr. Aguiniga awarded College of Health interdisciplinary grant to study youth homelessness in Anchorage

Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, and Dr. Donna Aguiniga, School of Social Work faculty, have been awarded one of two College of Health (COH) grants for interdisciplinary research. Their research is titled “Space, place, and home: Mapping the social environment of Anchorage homeless populations.” 

This is a pilot study to develop data collection and analysis methodology that includes place and geography in semi-structured interviews with homeless youth (18-24 years old) in Anchorage. This approach will also allow researchers to study where, when, and with whom various events and perceptions occur.The project is in partnership with Covenant House Alaska.

Drs. Payne and Aguiniga will be adapting methodology used by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania to study the routines of violence-involved youth. Dr. Payne saw Dr. Doug Wiebe of U Penn make a presentation on this methodology at the 2014 Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis (ECCA) Symposium in Kerkrade, The Netherlands, and realized the possibility of utilizing this approach to study homeless youth in Anchorage.  

Two projects were selected by COH for funding. Both project teams will present their study design, implementation, and progress report at a COH-wide event in May 2015, complete their study by December 2015, and submit their study findings for publication and/or submit a proposal for external funding by May 2016.

Alaska Victimization Survey noted at 8th University of the Arctic (UArctic) Rectors' Forum in Iceland

2014 Rectors' Forum attendees

Alaska Victimization Survey estimates were discussed at the 8th annual University of the Arctic (UArctic) Rectors' Forum at the University of Akureyri in Iceland earlier this year.  

Dean Bill Hogan, College of Health, attended the conference as UAA's representative. The Forum gathered together 46 rectors from UArctic higher education institution members, and invited speakers from 12 different countries.

This year's theme was "University Education in the Arctic Regions - Flexibility, Gender Equality, and Health."  Domestic violence was one of the issues on the conference agenda.

The Rectors’ Forums bring together leaders of UArctic’s Higher Education Institution members, and serve as a unique opportunity for the heads of these institutions in the circumpolar North to participate in a common dialogue and learning experience focused on topics of special relevance.