Report shows little institutional growth at UI, competition down South
Boise State University’s community college beginnings might be a joke to many Vandals, but reality has a humbling punch line.
“The trends are unmistakable,” said Steven Peterson, a University of Idaho business professor.
BSU has twice the amount of students as UI and received more state funding in 2014, according to a UI growth report by Peterson. The report also stated BSU has a growing alumni base and graduated more undergraduate and graduate students in 2013 than UI did.
UI’s growth numbers have stayed relatively stagnant, according to the report.
Peterson said UI had the slowest annual student body growth rate in Idaho from 1982 to 2013 at .8 percent, while BSU and Idaho State College grew at 2.2 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively.
“There has been almost no growth in the past 10 years,” he said.
The report states UI continues to lead the state in endowments with $188.5 million in 2012 compared to BSU’s $70.3 million. UI also has a greater overall budget than BSU by $6 million in fiscal year 2014.
Peterson said 67 percent of research in the state is conducted at UI, but that lead might not last with BSU’s future plans.
“That dynamic is changing fast,” he said. “We will be in a very different place in 10 years.”
Peterson said BSU aims to be a top-tier research university, and has sufficient financial support of a strong alumni base and corporate sponsors such as Micron.
He said UI’s dominance in the state is at risk with the rise of BSU and other four-year institutions around Idaho.
Peterson said BSU is becoming the university of choice for students in Southern Idaho — many who would have formerly attended UI.
BSU has the advantage of operating in the urban center of Idaho, with a growing population and advanced transportation infrastructure, he said.
The report indicates only 20 percent of the state population lives in Northern Idaho, while 56 percent and 24 percent live in the Southwest and Southeast parts of the state, respectively.
Peterson said the effects of a stagnant UI have a large effect on the surrounding communities.
He said his research indicates if it was not for the 3,000 additional students at Washington State University and 1,000 employees at Schweitzer engineering in Pullman, Moscow would be in a recession. He said the numbers should be slightly alarming to community residents as UI is a major employer in the area and will continue to have a strong impact on the local economy.
Peterson said the success of popular athletic programs — particularly the football team — could raise interest in UI and increase enrollment. He said athletics has to be considered as a factor in improving the university’s image and enrollment numbers.
“Whether we like it or not, football matters,” he said.
UI could grow by increasing enrollment, attracting research grants and rising donations and gifts from alumni bases, Peterson said.
He also said UI should look into reinstituting the Western Undergraduate Exchange program to increase enrollment. The WUE program, which was gutted a few years ago, gave tuition scholarships to students from other states to attend UI. Peterson said the program attracted many students given the regions east-to-west trade and transportation flow.
“I would like to see that reconsidered,” he said. “We should at least have a discussion about that.”
Peterson hopes the report informs people of the changing dynamics in higher education in the state, but said many on campus already know the reality about BSU.
“I put numbers to what people already know,” he said. “It’s not a community college.”
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected]