Things must be hard.   It's never easy to run a small private university.  But to even discuss this drastic switch is unsettling.  Would fundamentally change their mission, DNA.  Bad idea.  They need steady funding.  But that steady funding probably isn't as locked as it appears, perhaps uneven.  And all kinds of control gets lost.   Since the one guy that held it altogether retired, and the state is in bad shape, things must be getting pretty rocky.  No wonder they are up for land development, probably the UMed Road, etc.  I feel for APU.  Am guessing that our state may have been helping, but can't now.  And here we go.  Another example of how our priorities are screwed up.  APU is gem of this town and Alaska, and probably marginally financially viable.  Prime example of where the state should be backing it to some degree, as the tradeoff is worth it.