We’re embarked on another exciting academic year at the University of Idaho. In what will be the last year of my presidency at U of I, I continue to be excited about the progress we’ve made toward our mission and focused on what we can achieve in the year ahead. I outlined that in my State of the University address on Sept. 25. The university has strong leadership, from the administration through the faculty and staff ranks, and is well-positioned to continue succeeding in its forward-looking mission. We’re focused on student success, research excellence and initiatives that support key goals for our students, our community and our state. | | Go Vandals! Chuck Staben President | | | Fenway Group Adds Work Experiences for Students Building on success delivering career opportunities for students and graduates, in spring 2018 U of I began a partnership with the Fenway Group. Based at U of I in Moscow, Fenway hires Vandal students on campus and manages their contract work in information technology (IT), primarily web application development, for outside companies such as Southwest and CenturyLink. Students earn a competitive wage in a fast-paced environment addressing business-critical needs. Over 18-24 months in the program, students receive mentorship, professional development and networking opportunities — and can go on to work for the companies on whose projects they’ve contributed. The Fenway Group has already outgrown its original space as it scales up to 18 students in the program for fall 2018. | | | ICCU Arena Progress The proposed Idaho Central Credit Union Arena took an important step toward the finish line in January 2018 with a $10 million naming rights gift from ICCU. The arena fulfills a longstanding need at U of I for a standalone facility to support student-athlete success. The 4,200-seat venue will strengthen recruiting, rally fan excitement and improve the residential campus environment. A unique, wood-engineered design puts an Idaho imprint on this facility. With fundraising currently at about $38 million of the $51 million project, and near-final drawings complete, groundbreaking is anticipated for Spring 2019. | | Idaho WWAMI Facilities Add Critical Resources The growth of the Idaho WWAMI medical education program to 40 students per year, with much of the curricula in Idaho, necessitated new and expanded facilities in Moscow. The new, downtown Gritman Medical Center building, which opened in summer 2018, offers a state-of-the-art anatomy lab and other teaching spaces. The university is also renovating the Idaho WWAMI Medical Education building in Moscow; the $4.625 million project, in progress and slated for completion by May 2019, is funded in part by the Permanent Building Fund. | | Experienced Administrators Take on New Leadership Roles The University of Idaho welcomes several longtime Vandals into new leadership roles at the university. Dennis Becker, professor and Policy Analysis Group director, is interim dean of the College of Natural Resources. Ben Hunter, associate dean, took the helm July 1 as interim dean for University Libraries. Sean Quinlan, history department chair, began May 29 as interim dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. Jerrold Long recently began work as term dean at the College of Law. And Pete Isakson is interim athletic director. Each leader brings a depth and breadth of experience to the position: Becker earned a doctorate at U of I in 2002 and returned in 2015; Hunter has been with U of I since 2006; and Quinlan has been a Vandal since 2001. Long joined U of I's faculty in 2007. Isakson is in his second stint as a Vandal after many years in senior leadership at Washington State University. | | Rangeland Research Moves Ahead Two related U of I projects have been selected to receive a total of $1.28 million in USDA grant funding. The “Deploying CERT” (Climate Engine Rangeland Tool) program deploys GPS-collared cattle to southern Idaho and northeastern Oregon to better understand grazing patterns on large rangeland landscapes. The Rangelands Partnership 19-state collaboration of rangeland professionals and librarians improves access to rangeland management information and literature through a national grazing land information system that pairs satellite imagery with technology to track cows and field estimates of forage. In June, the university celebrated the naming of the Rinker Rock Creek Ranch, a 10,000-acre rangeland research site that U of I intends to purchase with support from the Rinker naming. | | Permanent Building Fund Advisory Committee Visits U of I The Permanent Building Fund Advisory Committee visited the University of Idaho at Moscow in September, joined by Division of Public Works staff and other leadership. Attendees toured several sites that have benefitted from Permanent Building Fund investment, including the Administration Building lobby, the Food Research and Ag Science building lobbies, the Music building, Ridenbaugh Hall and University House. They also visited two key Idaho WWAMI medical education facilities: the under-construction facility on Sweet Avenue, supported by PBF investment, and the new anatomy lab and classroom spaces at the recently opened Gritman Medical Center building in downtown Moscow. The university’s top PBF priority for FY20 is planning funding for a new Tribal and Diversity Center to facilitate a welcoming and resource-rich campus for all students. | | VandalStar Information System Implemented VandalStar, broadly implemented this fall, is a shared information platform that helps identify at-risk students and supports consistent interventions across campus. The program enables faculty, advisors and student success staff to send alerts about a student’s academic performance, acknowledge strong performance, and refer students to additional support services. VandalStar also allows students to schedule online appointments with faculty, advisors and student success staff in offices such as Career Services, Student Support Services, TRIO, the University Honors Program, Pre-Health Advising, Veterans Advising, Academic Coaching and Supplemental Instruction. Students can check in to the Vandal Success Center and drop-in tutoring through VandalStar-powered kiosks. For faculty members, VandalStar has been implemented for fall 2018 in all 100-level courses – including an early warning grade assessment – and all undergraduate courses for spring 2019. | | Idaho CAFE Regionally Distributed Model The proposed Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment project supports Idaho’s dairy and food processing sectors with the research expertise and talented graduates for continued, sustainable growth. With $10 million designated from the Permanent Building Fund, U of I is embarked on defining the project, raising funds and choosing locations. A regionally distributed model in the Twin Falls and Jerome areas will offer a research dairy, a separate outreach and education center, and a food processing pilot plant at the College of Southern Idaho. | | | | |