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Mike Hostina Honored with 2019 Staff Make Students Count Award

Mike Hostina, general counsel at University of Alaska Statewide, is one of four staff members who will be honored during the June 6 Board of Regents meeting with the Staff Make Students Count award for providing outstanding service to students.

Staff members lay the foundation for our students’ success. From providing emotional support when a student is discouraged or help with applying for financial aid, ����첥 staff members support just about every aspect of our students’ experience.

Each recipient will receive an award plaque, a lump-sum of $1,000 and two domestic airline vouchers from Alaska Airlines. The Staff Make Students Count Awards were established in 1999 to recognize outstanding service to ����첥 students.

From his nomination letter:

Mike’s work is performed mostly in the background advising administrators on issues of compliance, liability, and process. Because his work is mostly behind the scenes, he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves for his steadfast commitment to working toward an environment that protects the right of all students to seek an education in a safe environment that is free from barriers like harassment and discrimination.

When faced with pushback over compliance issues, Mike will always advocate for the right answer to a problem. In his mind, the “right answer” is the one that abides by the law and does what is best for students. Mike’s sense of integrity is unwavering, and his advice to administrators always has that bedrock quality. His steady hand is often needed in times of uncertainty and it is because of his ability to remain constant in the face of turmoil that his actions aren’t always noticed, but that makes them no less important to the success of the university community.

Statements of support:

In reflecting on the qualities common to recipients of the “Staff Make Student Count” award, terms such as “servant leadership,” “student success,” and “dedication” come to mind. While these terms may not commonly be used to describe a lawyer categorically, these are appropriate words to describe General Counsel Mike Hostina. Mike is dedicated to the success of students, and ultimately, the success of the university. Mike is a quiet force at the university. His counsel is on‐point, insightful and delivered respectfully. Mike excels at strategy development. Despite his busy schedule and the exhaustive long hours he works, Mike always make time to meet with me. Not only is he wise, but Mike is an accomplished writer and is usually the unnamed author when important university issues call for a polished final document.

In everything Mr. Hostina does, service to students and impact to students is his first consideration. This was demonstrated most recently in the ����첥A School of Education loss of accreditation issues. Mike was a relentless advocate for students always pushing us to ask ourselves, “but what is best for students and their future? It is not about us, it’s about them.” He wanted to make sure students had a path to licensure and therefore a path to getting a job whether inside Alaska or outside Alaska.

As General Counsel for the University of Alaska, it would have been perhaps more typical that Mr. Hostina would put the legal interests of the University first – to “protect the institution”. However, in working with him, I have seen that Mr. Hostina has consistently approached our Title IX and Accreditation issues from the position that we need to do what is best for the students at our university, even if it might result in some “negative publicity” for the institution or its leaders.