As wide-eyed new students drive up to the University of Idaho campus, possibly for the first time in a long time, they will find more than just a fresh coat of paint and endless roadwork.
This year, UI gets a renovation deep within the administration — a new legacy with the newest president, Scott Green.
Green is promising something former president Chuck Staben couldn’t — he knows Idaho inside and out. He has made a point of emphasizing his deep connection and love of the state. Raised in Moscow, Green spent his childhood right behind his grandfather — the former UI athletic director — in the halls and rooms of Idaho’s memorial gym. As a former UI student body president and a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, he has no shortage of his own ties in campus history. Green says he understands students because he was one here. And with that in mind, he is hopeful to be able to understand student needs across campus.
In his early weeks, Green has made good headway with the hiring of Idaho’s first female athletic director, Terry Gawlik, to take steps to address the university’s budget issues — there is plenty he needs to tackle.
Idaho has been through a lot in the past year, from JAMM faculty member Denise Bennett’s administrative leave and the chaos that followed, to Rob Spear’s dismissal and the exit of Staben. The university has seen its share of ups and downs. Now, UI needs a president not only planning for the long game but alsothe day-to-day life.
It is clear Green wants to be that guy.
“Where am I going to go? The University of Idaho is the only place I want to work, so I am here until either the community doesn’t want me here anymore or the State Board, or I can’t function, I am just unable to, old age,” Green said in an interview with The Argonaut.
While Green promises to stay, students need more than a promise. Students deserve to see visible change. And while long-term plans and changes are needed, so is being able to make those changes not just three years from now but in the next semester — so students who will walk across the Kibbie Dome stage in five or 10 months can see the new story of the University of Idaho and leave sharing it with pride.
In his initial weeks in office, Green has made a point of making his face known within the community and across the state. Green is making it his mission to share “our story.” Maybe right now this university doesn’t know exactly what that story is, but Green seems eager and prime to rewrite the books.
Cheers to a new story.
— Editorial Board