Claiborn talks higher education funding, being UI alumna
Candis Claiborn started at the University of Idaho studying music, but ended with a chemical engineering degree.
Along the way, the UI alumna learned what it meant to be a good instructor.
“I had the most amazing piano teacher, he was so intense and so fiery and so inspiring, and I really learned how to work hard and how to challenge myself,” Claiborn said, speaking at an open forum Friday.
Candis Claiborn
The fourth-generation Idahoan is the fourth finalist in the search for the new provost and executive vice president.
“This is a great place, and I’ve always been a very loyal Vandal and I love this institution,” Claiborn said.
Claiborn spoke about higher education funding issues, campus safety and the readiness of high school students to attend college.
Claiborn said a college education is seen as a private benefit for the individual, rather than a public good. She said the shift in public perception moved the cost of higher education from the state to the student through drops in state funding and continuing tuition increases.
State funding represents only a minority of the general budget for many public universities, Claiborn said. Despite the drop in funding, she said Idaho supports its universities to a greater extent compared to many other states in terms of the general budget.
She said UI should focus on expanding parts of the budget it has control over, such as tuition revenue, grants and gifts to the university.
“We have a lot of control over the other kinds or parts of the budget, and I think we need to remind ourselves of that, because that actually represents a huge opportunity,” she said.
At UI, Claiborn said funding difficulties resulted in low salaries for faculty and staff members compared to peer institutions. She said strong faculty members are critical to the reputation of UI and low salaries can have an effect on the ability to retain strong employees.
UI should work to address retention of faculty and staff, but the issue is not solely a salary issue, Claiborn said. She said there are many things UI can do to make sure employees feel valued and appreciated within their position, such as merit awards for best faculty or staff.
As dean at WSU, Claiborn said she knows if there is a retention threat and even worked with donors to set up a fund for retaining faculty. At times, she said retaining a faculty member would be as straight forward as meeting with them or purchasing a piece of research equipment.
Claiborn said universities must do a better job of showing the value of higher education to potential students and state legislators. She said the land-grant mission gives UI the authority to promote the university on a statewide level and conduct research in the public’s interest.
“The continued visibility in the state is really important,” Claiborn said. “Presence in Boise is really important.”
Like WSU, Claiborn said UI is far away from the state capital, where decisions on higher education funding are made, and UI needs to work harder than other universities to have a presence in the capital.
Claiborn spoke about the need to grow enrollment at UI and said Idaho needs to increase the rate at which high school students go to college. She said it has been promising to see the State Board of Education identify the increase in conversion rate as a goal. Claiborn said UI can attract high school students by offering a great experience for the cost.
Claiborn said campus safety — in particular sexual assault — is a challenge facing higher education.
“It’s an national issue and an issue on residential campuses,” she said.
Claiborn said she would work with student clubs to address sexual assault on campus.
Ryan Tarinelli can be reached at [email protected]