NEWS RELEASES

June 30, 1999

For immediate release

Regents thank, recognize accomplishments of outgoing President

Members of the Arizona Board of Regents paid tribute to outgoing Board President Judy Gignac at its meeting last week. "Regent Gignac has served the interests of higher education and the people of Arizona well during her term as president," said new Board President George "Hank" Amos, III.

During her 1998-99 term as President, Regent Gignac focused on several issues identified by the Board as priorities -- the demographics of higher education, the economics of higher education, and learner centered change.

President Gignac also led the Board through the following achievements in the last year:

• Educators from around the State took a comprehensive look at the universities' role in K-12 education on two occasions. The two roundtables brought together policy makers from K-12, the community colleges, the universities, the Legislature, the State Board of Education, and the Board of Regents. The Board of Education and Board of Regents are now working together on K-12 policies.
• The universities made significant progress in aligning their teacher education programs with new K-12 academic and professional teaching standards. The professional development of teachers will be enhanced through a new Center for K-12 Improvement.
• The Regents continued to improve coordination with the community colleges. Her work on the Higher Education Study Committee and the State Board of Directors for Community Colleges has led to an emerging bond between the universities and community colleges.

• Progress was made on supporting an Arizona Town Hall next year on Higher Education in Arizona in the 21^st Century. This will be the first comprehensive review of higher education in our State in 15 years.
• The universities and private industry formulated a new intellectual properties policy to replace the old patent policy. Relations between the Board and Arizona's high tech industries are at an all time high.
• An independent committee of business leaders, reviewed university policies and practices relating to public and private partnerships.
• The Board acted to streamline the universities' capital development procedures.
• The Regents supported a request to build an Academic Technology Building at UA Sierra Vista, now know as the University of Arizona South. The multi-use instructional facility will complete an educational corridor that includes Cochise College and Buena High School. Reciprocal agreements include the mutual sharing of classrooms, public meeting rooms, libraries, and other facilities.

Regent Judy Gignac is General Manager of Bella Vista Ranches and Vice President of Bella Vista Water Company, Inc. She served 12 years (1977-1988) as an elected County Supervisor in Cochise County and has served on numerous county and state commissions. She is an ex-officio director of the University Foundation of Sierra Vista, Inc., and was active in raising community funding to build a university center in Sierra Vista. She has served as a member of the State Board of Directors for Community Colleges in Arizona, UA Medical Center, UA Presents, Arizona Utilities Investors Association and the Governor's Council on Workforce Development. She was appointed to the Board of Regents in 1994.

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