The presidents of Idaho’s four-year higher education institutions appeared before the Idaho Legislature this week as a united front for two joint presentations. That’s a big deal, and an early step in a collaboration we hope will benefit all of Idaho. My colleague, Idaho State University President Kevin Satterlee, presented Monday on behalf of Boise State University President Marlene Tromp, Lewis-Clark State College President Cynthia Pemberton and me as we answered questions and made our case for Idaho higher education before the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee and the Senate Education Committee. We are in the Presidents Leadership Council, which meets monthly to discuss ways we can better serve Idahoans. This group includes presidents of the four-year public institutions, community college presidents, the state’s career and technical education administrator and the State Board of Education executive director. Results from our discussions can already be seen in a joint philosophy on affordability and accessibility for Idaho students. In December, the four-year presidents committed to freezing in-state, undergraduate tuition for the coming year. Keeping tuition flat ensures more students can attend, persist and graduate from our institutions and be ready for careers. Another important collaboration with our public sister institutions is development of a joint cybersecurity educational offering. Gov. Brad Little’s budget recommends $1 million to be shared among the institutions toward this effort. Our goal is to make Idaho an authority in cybersecurity education while also meeting our state’s workforce needs. The University of Idaho is a leader in this field as one of the National Security Agency’s first seven National Centers of Academic Excellence in cyber defense education. U of I students continue to excel in national cybersecurity competitions, challenges that test their ability to recognize and defend our country against cyberattacks. Our partners can help as we advance this effort. It’s important our colleges and universities collectively meet the needs of our students, our communities and our employers. We want to play to our unique strengths while serving the entire state. The University of Idaho plays a vital role in our cultural and economic fabric. Combine our $1.1 billion economic impact with that of our sister institutions and the statewide investment in higher education creates a $3.3 billion contribution to Idaho’s economy. That’s an investment in our future, and the entire Gem State. |