A $356 million annual draw from the general fund tells me that every resident of this state has a say in what happens at UAA/UA.  If the regents and students want to dictate their own destiny, all they have to do is eliminate state funding.............do that and you can do whatever you want.
http://kcaw-org.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2016_02_02-AnIntroductionAKFiscaFactsChoices.pdf

Page 18 and 29.........of UAA's own study.............