As we begin the 2018-19 academic year, our university is well-positioned to continue delivering for our students, our state and our world. We have a breadth and depth of leadership that should give us all optimism. In the Friday Letter this fall, I plan to introduce you to those Vandal leadership voices. As a united team, we will continue to make progress on our Strategic Plan goals. Our first strategic goal is to “Innovate,” delivering research and scholarship that makes an impact on Idaho and beyond. In June, U of I researchers including Eva Top, Craig Miller and Holly Wichman in the College of Science and Shirley Luckhart in the colleges of Science and Agricultural and Life Sciences, secured nearly $5 million in NIH funding to study questions about antibiotics, vaccines and diseases like malaria. In July, associate professor Jason Karl in the College of Natural Resources and his team earned part of a $1.28 million USDA grant to better understand grazing patterns on large rangeland landscapes. We’ll keep building on the quality and scope of that kind of work across our $109.5 million research enterprise. We’re also committed to “Transform” the lives of students through an outstanding educational experience. Already a leader in first-to-second-year retention, we want students to be supported all the way through to graduation and careers. This fall the “VandalStar” shared information platform that we’ve implemented will help us consistently coordinate our service for students, whether it’s advising, tutoring or counseling. We’re also continuing our “Vandal Ideas Project” internal award program and are asking faculty, staff and students to take on the “Transform” goal and develop projects that enhance the student experience and lead to more positive outcomes. Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives Cher Hendricks and College of Science Dean Ginger Carney are spearheading that initiative. University-wide, we’ve made progress, and I know that will continue. Our “Engage” goal has a number of objectives, and key among them is bringing more students to postsecondary education. We’re going to continue fine-tuning the implementation of initiatives such as Direct Admissions and the Fast Forward dual-credit program. This fall we’re operationalizing a policy called “Deferred Admissions” – or “Durable Admissions” – that keeps the door open to more students. If you’re a student who’s been admitted to U of I, but you need to take time to complete military service or perhaps a religious mission, we’ll now defer your admission for up to four years – no need to reapply. Our philosophy is that in those deferral situations, people gain life experience and maturity. They can focus on their experiences and know they have a set plan to come back to the University of Idaho when they’re ready. We also want to continue to make U of I a great place to live and work – to “Cultivate” a valued and diverse community. Our Global Student Success Program and International Programs Office continue to offer international students a pathway to a great U of I experience. We practice inclusion and diversity across our efforts. We’re also continuing to work on market-based compensation initiatives in order to recruit and retain the faculty and staff who drive U of I success. Finally, two big projects demand our attention. We can and will get the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena across the finish line – this long-awaited project is absolutely critical for our student-athletes, our university and our community. We’re also continuing to develop the Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE) project, the outstanding research dairy that this state needs to continue to thrive in the dairy and food processing sectors that have become so important to Idaho’s economy. We have had challenges going into this year. But where our university succeeds, it has always been as a united effort. With focus and determination, I know we’ll continue to deliver the excellence that so many expect from the Vandal family. | | Go Vandals! Chuck Staben President | | | Continuing to Open Doors for Future Vandals A retired international business professor at Eastern Oregon University and former president of Oregon Coast Community College, Bob Costi ’73 helped create a Vandal volunteer recruiting team in Portland, his hometown. Nicknamed the “bridge recruiter” among friends, Costi recruits homeless students camped under bridges in the city. “If you just talk to these kids, they will listen,” he said. “I show them that U of I creates this indescribable passion to pursue an education and better your life.” Bob’s commitment to U of I also includes his estate plan, which provides for the creation of the Robert and Betsy Costi Scholarship Endowment to recruit Oregon and Washington students to U of I. “The University of Idaho still excites me as much as it did in the late 1960s,” Bob said. “I am grateful to the university for opening doors for me and am blessed to give back. Higher education is extraordinary, and no one should take it for granted.” For more information about making a gift in your will to the University of Idaho, contact Sharon Morgan at morgans@uidaho.edu or toll-free at 866-671-7041. | | U of I Among Princeton Review's 384 Best Colleges The University of Idaho is listed as one of the The Princeton Review’s “Best 384 Colleges” for 2019 as one of the nation’s outstanding colleges and universities, based on factors including the excellence of academic programs. The tutoring, test prep and college admissions services company tallied the rankings based on its surveys of 138,000 students at universities nationwide, asking questions about a school's academics, administration, student body and more. The Princeton Review said U of I “is truly a school that invests in its students. Despite its large size, the university manages to create a ‘personalized learning experience’ for all undergrads." The organization also cited U of I’s “networking opportunities” for undergraduates and “the fact that ‘the faculty here really cares about the students and genuinely wants to see them succeed.’” U of I has made The Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges” list multiple years running. | | U of I Adds Organic Agriculture Center in Sandpoint The University of Idaho College of Agricultural and Life Sciences has established a new presence in Sandpoint and Bonner County with the acquisition of the Sandpoint Orchard. The 48-acre property was acquired by U of I through a donation from Dennis Pence of Sandpoint and his family. The orchard will be known as the Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center and be the first in the U of I system to focus on organic farming and organic-certified production systems. The center will offer educational programs in organic and sustainable agriculture production. Public programs are expected to focus on biological control, pollinators, soil health, native plant landscaping, horticulture, organic food processing and marketing, food safety and nutrition. Plans call for the center to offer hands-on internships for U of I and North Idaho College students to help boost enrollment in agricultural programs and strengthen U of I’s presence in North Idaho. A celebration will take place Oct. 23 to highlight planned outreach and education opportunities at the new U of I center. | | | | |