Hamilton said that the system is favored by nine out of 10 parents who would encourage their children to attend. Hamilton urged support from local business leaders for further increased funding to meet the university's future demands.

"In order for this state to have a vibrant and viable economy in 2050, we will have to have a viable university system to support it," he said. " We are doing everything possible to convince Alaskans, and Alaskan legislators of that."

Hamilton reassured members of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce at the Jan. 23 luncheon that the statewide educational system is doing everything it can to provide opportunities to meet the demands of future Alaska industries and asked chamber members to spread the word.

Hamilton gave a brief speech, which he entitled "Timing is Crucial," about the university's link to the economic well-being of Alaska, in light of a proposed gas pipeline project on the horizon.

Alaska is a frontier rife with opportunity and freedoms, Hamilton said. The idea behind the bumper sticker from the crash of the oil days touting Alaska's "boom or bust" cycle, "I promise not to 'throw' away the next boom," should be a philosophy applied to the University system.

Stating that student retention is higher, and that enrollment has increased, Hamilton applauded the state Legislature for its support of the university system.

"I don't have any problems with the Legislature. They have supported the regents last eight requests for funding," he said. "I am very comfortable with the Legislature."

While the university system is working with industry for training in vocational areas, the university is on par with other Lower 48 universities, Hamilton said.

Hamilton quoted statistics from a recent public opinion survey by the McDowell Group in 2005.

The report states that four out of five Alaska residents believe that the University of Alaska is very important to the state, a 69 percent increase over a similar survey in 1999.

While Hamilton was advocating the university and extolling its impact on the state, a special committee on the university was formed in Juneau.

Seven senators will make up an oversight committee to help guide the system into the future, according to a press release.

The committee will be chaired by former UA professor and Senate Majority Leader Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak. The committee will examine several issues, including academic standards, increasing the scholars program that offers free tuition to Alaska high school seniors in the top 10 percent of their class to the top 15 percent, as well as the possibility of using tobacco settlement funds for university improvement projects and making sure the university system uses state revenues to the maximum potential.

The bipartisan committee will include Sens. Ralph Seekins (R-Fairbanks), Con Bunde (R-Anchorage), Tom Wagoner (R-Kenai), Kim Elton (D-Juneau), Lyman Hoffman (D-Bethel).

Hamilton said during a question and answer session at the luncheon that he would support moving the scholars program tuition fee exclusion to the top 15 percent of Alaska high school seniors if funding could support it.

The university president said that at this time funding for medical and dental programs were out of the question under current funding guidelines, and that the university would like to expand its Washington-Wyoming-Alaska-Montana-Idaho (WWAMI) Medical Program.