FRI 15 OCT 2004
Task force report open for public comment
By Nate PoppinoArgonaut Staff
For the next month, the public has a chance to share their thoughts on issues important to the University of Idaho.
Tuesday marked the beginning of the open commentary period on the University Vision and Resources Task Force report. UI President Tim White invited everyone involved with the university, whether in Moscow or other parts of Idaho, to send him comments and suggestions regarding the report until Nov. 15.
“I am committed to reading every message received, and we will then formulate responses to the themes that these messages provide, including explanation and rationale as needed to fulfill the integrity of an open and consultative process,” White said in a letter posted on his Web site.
The commentary period opened with four analyses of the report from UI administrators. Provost Brian Pitcher, Vice President of Finance and Administration Jay Kenton, Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies Charles Hatch and the eight deans of the individual colleges posted their responses on the president’s site.
“I felt like it was important to reinforce a number of recommendations of the task force such as the importance of the university looking at the long-term of what we want to be and what our mission is,” Pitcher said.
Pitcher said he tried to focus on the purpose of general education and outreach programs, but also praised the task force for its work.
“One of the themes everyone comes back to is how to prioritize and shared leadership between students, staff and faculty,” Pitcher said. “It is important to have a process that is open, thorough and fair and the task force gave good recommendations in that regard.”
Hatch also said he was impressed with how the task force worked, but had some criticisms.
“I’m concerned the investments they looked at will not achieve what they are intended to,” Hatch said. “One is in the area of retaining faculty. Their investment information for that activity will most likely be inadequate.”
Business professor Jeff Bailey, chair of the faculty council, said faculty comments to White would be broad and vary on specific topics. Bailey said he and other council members are currently planning a meeting for faculty to bounce comments and ideas off each other before sending them to the president.
“Those are meant to be really for faculty who know they have something they want to say but want to test those ideas out,” Bailey said. “Sometimes it is easy to consider things that are relevant and important to us and we are not aware of things other faculty are interested in.”
Bailey said the faculty was grateful to the task force for the amount of work it did.
“Most everybody has been appreciative of the amount of work the task force did to put this together,” Bailey said. “I think most faculty believe they didn’t really sugarcoat things. Most faculty are looking at that as being something.”
Mathematics professor Monte Boisen, a Vision and Resources Task Force member, said he thinks the task force accomplished what it was meant to.
“Our goal all along was to establish a framework for a really useful constructive conversation about what the university needs to do to solve its problems,” Boisen said. “In my opinion we’ve done that. The responses show that there is a great diversity of opinion.”
The exact steps White will take after the comment period ends are yet to be determined.
“I think he’s left that quite open-ended,” Pitcher said. “It depends on the ideas that come up. The advantage of this approach is it will not be limited to one conclusion.”
Pitcher did caution that some financial decisions might result in programs being dropped.
“In some cases we will probably need to let go of programs that we traditionally received funding for in the past but are not recommended priorities at this time,” he said.
Boisen said he thinks White will make some good decisions with the comments he gets this month.
“I feel confident that the new administration is getting a strong grip about what challenges and opportunities are about. I feel happy the task force was involved in that,” Boisen said.
In his letter, White said he doesn’t expect any specific changes in academic programs and funding until the 2006 fiscal year, though some administrative decisions may be made sooner.
Today
Philosophy colloquium: “Gay Marriage and the Moral Boundaries of U.S. Law”Idaho Commons Whitewater Room
3:30 p.m.
“UI: Idaho Gem and Other Stories”
UITV-8
6:30 p.m.
“UI Voices”
UITV-8
7:30 p.m.
“A Chorus Line”
Hartung Theatre
7:30 p.m.
ASUI senate meeting
UITV-8
8 p.m.
Saturday
HR development workshopAdministration Building, Room 217
9 a.m.
UI football vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Kibbie Dome
2 p.m.
Matsuri: Japanese Festival
SUB Ballroom
5 p.m.
“A Chorus Line”
Hartung Theatre
7:30 p.m.
Sunday
“A Chorus Line”Hartung Theatre
2 p.m.
Guest recital: piano, clarinet, voice trio
School of Music Recital Hall
8 p.m.
“America’s Role in the World”
UITV-8
8 p.m.
News Editor: Jessie Bonner
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