Summer parking enforcement
Parking permits will not be required in several of the on-campus lots during summer break, according to University of Idaho Parking and Transportation.
Visitors are now able to park in all regular spaces in any Red, Blue, Silver or Purple lots until Aug. 19.
Permits will still be required in Gold or Green lots Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as any pay-to-park and specially marked spaces.
Overnight parking is only available in any off-street Purple or Silver lot.
More information can be found on UI’s website.
UI faculty awarded grant funding for research projects
Nineteen University of Idaho faculty members received funding through the university’s Seed Grant Program for the 2019 fiscal year to support individual research projects, according to a UI news release.
The Seed Grant Program, sponsored by the UI Office of Research and Economic Development, was started to help faculty establish a scholarly program early on in their career.
It aims to promote “research, outreach and creative activities that will improve individual faculty competitiveness for external funding and/or will result in publications, patents, recognition, awards or exhibitions/performances.”
Awards ranged from $8,200 to $12,000. More information on specific recipients and their respective projects can be found on UI’s website.
UI hires new EPSCoR director
The University of Idaho Office of Research and Development hired Christian Fritsen as the new director for Idaho EPSCoR.
EPSCoR — Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research — is a partnership between federal and state organizations, which seeks to enhance “science and engineering research, education, and technology capabilities of states that traditionally have received smaller amounts of federal (Research and Development) funds.”
Fritsen will replace Janet Nelson, who was serving as the Idaho EPSCoR director in the interim, effective July 23.
He previously worked with the National Science Foundation, where he served as the director of Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems since 2015.
Fritsen has a doctorate in biological sciences from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana, Bozeman.
More information can be found on UI’s website.
Spear’s deadline approaches
University of Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear was put on paid administrative leave for 60 days April 3. Spear’s leave will end June 2. President Chuck Staben has yet to release new information regarding Spear’s future with the university.
Since Spear was put on leave, Pete Isakson, associate athletic director, has served as acting athletic director and Brian Foisy, vice president for finance and administration, has managed the finances of the athletic department.
ASUI vocally spoke out against Spear and his mishandling of a 2013 sexual assault, resulting in a 10 to 5 vote on a resolution to call for Spear’s resignation.
Faculty hiring and annual reports
John Wiencek, University of Idaho provost, penned a news release May 15, noting ideas for a new method to scrutinize all available university-wide unallocated funds within academic affairs.
Wiencek proposed the implementation of two initiatives by the next fiscal year, which were discussed with Faculty Senate leadership.
Wiencek’s first initiative would produce an annual report of past budget allocations and expenditures in academic affairs.
“Such a report allows for transparency, as well as perspective, on context and intentions for all resources deployed on campus,” Wiencek wrote.
The information would be reported to the Idaho State Board of Education.
The second initiative would bring back a hiring initiative started in 2006, but later discontinued during administrative shifts. Wiencek said he would re-implement a university-wide faculty hiring planning process.
“In this refreshed implementation, all faculty vacancies will be evaluated to ensure that the position is appropriately serving institutional needs,” Wiencek wrote. “This evaluation and hiring planning process will be conducted in collaboration and consultation with the deans.”
According to the news release, approximately 50 UI faculty positions are replaced per year. The initiative would allow for budget adjustments based on performance and future contributions to the strategic plan.
“The impact of this second initiative will not be evident for several years, as explained earlier. Starting July 1, 2018, we will monitor the total number of faculty vacancies so we can appropriately fund the strategic hiring plan in the following fiscal year,” Wiencek wrote.
Wiencek said the changes will be gradual and refined over the summer.
Hailey Stewart and Olivia Heersink can be reached at [email protected]