During his State of the University address, University of Idaho President Chuck Staben explained many changes that have improved the university within the past year.
He said UI exceeded $100 million in research expenditures for the first time.
Diamond Koloski | Argonaut
University of Idaho President Chuck Staben highlighted UI’s progress as a national research university during his annual State of the University address at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the International Ballroom.
The number still needs to be confirmed by the National Science Foundation, but he said it is a significant milestone on the way to his goal of moving the university up from an R2 research institute to an R1 institute. Staben said UI is the only university in the state with an R2 designation, the rest carry an R3 status.
Staben said the R1 goal will help attract students to the university.
“R1 is not an end in and of itself,” Staben said. “We would be joining elite company.”
Staben said the university’s transition from the Sun Belt Conference to the Big Sky in football was a move that had to be made.
“Ultimately, the Big Sky Conference, I believe, is the most appropriate place for our football program,” Staben said. “The decision to make this move is about what’s viable in the long term for the student athlete experience, for the student experience, for our fans and the larger community.”
At a Faculty Senate meeting, Director of Athletics Rob Spear said the switch will reduce the amount of football scholarships from 85 to 63 and UI could lose as much as $400,000 in donations.
Staben also addressed other big university events during his speech, like the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. He said the festival will return to campus and refocus on teaching and competition this year for its 50th anniversary.
“We will still bring in prominent headliners for the festival, of course,” Staben said. “But we will connect the festival more closely to our educational mission.”
Staben presented results of the Great Colleges survey that showed many traits of UI’s environment for employees had ratings from “warrants attention” to “poor.”
“This survey shows me that faculty and staff have many concerns about UI and those concerns, I believe, continue to distract us from our mission,” Staben said.
He said his main effort to increase morale is to bring employee compensation up to market value.
“A great place to work, I realize, is not just about compensation,” Staben said. “We have a shared responsibility to be excited by our mission and about where we work.”
Staben said a combination of the Direct Admit initiative passed by the Idaho State Board of Education last year and the waiving of application fees this fall for Idaho high school students will help to grow enrollment.
“Forgoing that application fee revenue is an investment in the lives of young people and in the future education and prosperity of our state,” Staben said.
Nishant Mohan
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