[Vision2020] The Friday Letter

[The UI Friday Letter]

University of Idaho
Office of the President
Moscow, Idaho 83844-3151
Phone: 208-885-6365
Fax: 208-885-6558

The Friday Letter
A Newsletter for University of Idaho Alumni and Friends
May 14, 2004

Here's the latest news at the University of Idaho:

* President-designate Tim White was on the Moscow campus last week primarily 
for the naming and first organizational meeting of the university's new Vision 
and Resources Task Force. The group "brings together diverse voices to discuss 
a common purpose - developing clarity and alignment for our future, one that 
strategically and rigorously aligns high quality program offerings with the 
resources we can reasonably expect to generate," White said. More information 
about the task force, which comprises UI faculty, staff and students, is 
available at www.uidaho.edu/budget.

* Moody's Investors Service has re-affirmed UI's underlying, long-term A-1 debt 
rating with a stable financial outlook despite the institution's recent 
financial challenges. Citing UI's 17 percent enrollment growth over the past 
five years and substantial increases in its research funding base, Moody's 
said, "...the university's core business strengths continue to support its 
rating despite several challenges."

"While appropriations for the current fiscal year are up moderately, the 
university will need to implement further cost containment efforts over the 
next several years in order to maintain fiscal balance," Moody's evaluators 
wrote. "Management has evidenced an ability to make difficult decisions as 
reflected in a 1 percent decline in total operating expenses in FY2003 and some 
improvement in operations over the previous fiscal year." The evaluators noted 
that UI's financial reserves are relatively thin, in part as a result of the 
University Place project in Boise.  They also said UI "has implemented stronger 
internal controls, with increased layers of oversight, to prevent similar 
problems from developing." Laura Hubbard, interim vice president for finance 
and administration, attributed the positive rating, in part, to the leadership 
of Interim President Gary Michael. "Moody's analysis gives us an important 
external validation of the improvements we have made as well as key areas we 
need to continue to focus on and improve in order to remain successful," 
she said.
 
* "Dairy Beef: Maximizing Quality and Profits" distance education program, 
which includes UI and institutions from throughout the western United States, 
has received an American Distance Education Consortium's Excellence in Distance 
Education Award for 2004. Joe Dalton, dairy extension specialist in UI's Animal 
and Veterinary Sciences Department, located at the Caldwell Research and 
Extension Center, is one of the program's lead specialists; he also is involved 
in developing and translating key modules for Spanish-speaking dairy employees. 

* Two students from the College of Natural Resources were recognized by the 
Morris K. Udall Foundation this year, the fourth consecutive year that UI 
students earned the national recognition. This year's winner is Adair Muth, a 
junior from Missoula, Mont., studying natural resources ecology and 
conservation biology. Mackenzie Shardlow, a junior from Post Falls studying 
wildlife and natural resources ecology and conservation biology, received an 
honorable mention. The Morris K. Udall Foundation awards the $5,000 
scholarships to honor the late U.S. Congressman and his commitment to the 
natural environment and conflict
resolution.

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