Walking into the newly renovated Education Building at the University of Idaho hardly feels like leaving the outdoors.
Walls made almost completely of glass let in natural light. The modernized classrooms have a great view of campus and a roof-top terrace lets students bask in the sun.
Two years ago the project started due to the building being deemed “at risk,” said James Gregson, associate dean of the College of Education.
“The building was characterized as asbestos rich,” Gregson said. “Normally I think of rich in a positive way, but this time, not so much.”
Joleen Evans | Argonaut
Students relax and study between classes in the newly renovated College of Education.
There were more issues than the asbestos, though, Gregson said. He said the building’s faults were extensive. Some of the downstairs staff had to keep cans of bug spray on hand for the wasps that frequently snuck into the building through faulty walls.
Gregson wasn’t alone in his distaste for the old building. Marta McClintock, assistant dean of development, was in charge of the fundraising for the new building.
“We’ve always had excellent programs and stellar faculty,” McClintock said. “Now we have an amazing building to house it.”
She said fundraising was hard work, but she also received a great deal of support. The state contributed $7 million to fix the asbestos problem, the university matched that amount and McClintock and the College of Education raised another $4.5 million on their own.
“We received lots of donations,” she said. “Ranging from $5 to $50,000 or more.”
Three years ago, Gregson said, the college was getting ready for parent orientation at the same time accreditors were coming. Student work was displayed on all of the walls. The night before orientation, disaster struck. A heavy downpour penetrated the leaky roof and ruined the display.
“Now, we currently have the latest, greatest instructional technology, not only at the University of Idaho but in the state for colleges of education,” Gregson said.
McClintock agreed that the new building will be a large draw for students to the education department.
“I think that it will help with our recruitment,” Gregson said, “We have one of the highest retention rates in the state and university. We’re working to improve it.”
As of fall of 2015, there were 1,249 students enrolled in the College of Education, said Daniel Campbell, director of assessment and accreditation.
Of the graduates, however, both Campbell and Gregson agreed that on average the state of Idaho only retains a slight majority of the new teachers.
“We’ve been looking at these numbers,” Campbell said. “We’ve been looking at them because of the teacher shortage in Idaho.”
Gregson said fewer teachers are recommending the career to their children and other students, and every surrounding state pays a higher starting salary.
“This year, we saw for the first time schools really struggling to find core subject teachers,” McClintock said.
Enrollment in every teacher education program in the state has dropped, Gregson said. According to data from the Idaho State Board of Education, in the past six years the amount of teachers leaving their jobs in the state has steadily increased, while the number of newly certified teachers in Idaho has steadily decreased. In the 2013-2014 academic year there were 934 teachers who sought certification, but nearly 2,000 teachers also left their jobs.
In light of this, the College of Education is launching new initiatives to draw in a more mature crowd to teaching as a second or third career.
The problem isn’t unique to Idaho either. McClintock said across the nation there are fewer students enrolling in education programs, but there is a higher demand for teachers.
“It’s not just about the money, but it’s also about people feeling respected,” she said.
Though the threat to education is looming, the College of Education is trying to play a small part to resolve the crisis. Both McClintock and Gregson agreed that the renovated building is one of the first steps to a brighter future for education.
“If we don’t do something now, it’ll continue to get worse,” McClintock said. “With recent legislation, though, I feel like we’re doing something, that there’s more hope.”
Carly Scott
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