[Vision2020] The UI Friday Letter for August 25, 2006

[Tom Hansen]

Copied and pasted below is the UI Friday Letter for August 25, 2006 from UI
President White.

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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
Aug. 25, 2006

Dear Friends,

On Wednesday, I spoke at the fall general faculty meeting where we welcomed
61 new faculty and administrators to the University of Idaho. 
I was able to share with them how enormously optimistic I am about the
University and our opportunities. Visiting with faculty provided a great
opportunity to reflect on the momentum and progress of this past year, and
commit ourselves to a redoubling of effort going forward as we serve Idaho
and the nation. 
        
The most recent opportunity for investment in the University is in the form
of $2.5 million in legal settlement funds from the Boise project. 
Of this, $1 million will create an Impact-Hire Fund to be leveraged with an
additional $1 million from other units at the University. The 
$2 million fund will be used to support start-up costs, which include
research equipment and instrumentation, supplies and staff, to enable us to
recruit several new faculty to our research university. Another 
$750,000 will be used to jump-start our private giving enterprise as we
build resources for a comprehensive fundraising campaign. Finally, 
$750,000 will be placed in reserve for future unanticipated needs.  

We also will re-direct $250,000 in other University funds to support the
Core Curriculum, one of our key undergraduate assets, and provide 
$50,000 to create a competitive small grant program to allow faculty 
to promote and foster interdisciplinary efforts.

We must have the courage to continue to act to build on the momentum and
directions of our renaissance. I hold an unwavering belief that the
University of Idaho is a vital cog in the higher education engine that
drives Idaho's future-economically, socially, environmentally and in civic
engagement.

Tim White
President

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

The class of 2010 entered the halls of the University of Idaho on Monday. 
The incoming freshmen add to the University's already high academic
credentials with an average high school grade point average of 3.42, and 49
percent of these students rank in the top 25 percent of their high school
class. In addition, 65 incoming students ranked first in their high school
class. The freshmen class has an average ACT score of 
23.3, compared to 21.3 for all Idaho students taking the test this year, and
an average SAT score of 1100. They outrank the freshmen at any other public
institution in Idaho. Among the freshmen this fall are 16 National Merit
Scholars. In total, the University has 42 National Merit Scholars, ranking
the University as one of the top institutions in the Northwest and the top
in the state for attracting the prestigious scholars.

A series of events are scheduled Sept. 7-8 to officially kick off the
re-emergence of the College of Art and Architecture. Events are free and
open to the public. The college will hold a dedication ceremony Friday,
Sept. 8 at 3 p.m. at the west entrance of the Art and Architecture Building
next to the Commons Lawn.  A convocation will take place the same day from
4-5:30 p.m. in the University Auditorium. Richard N. Swett, licensed
architect and president of Swett Associates, will speak along with James P.
Cramer of The Greenway Group. Swett was one of six panelists who helped
select design teams for the World Trade Center reconstruction.  Cramer is
chairman and CEO of The Greenway Group of Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Ga.,
and also is the former chief executive of The American Institute of
Architects. A full schedule of events is available at
http://www.caa.uidaho.edu.

Weekly Vandal Scholarship Fund Vandal Boosters meetings are underway. Lewis
Clark Vandal Boosters, Red Lion - Lewiston, Monday breakfast at 
7:30 a.m. starting Sept. 11;

Latah County Vandal Boosters, University Inn - Moscow, Monday lunch at noon;


Spokane Vandal Boosters, Red Lion River Inn - Spokane, Wednesday lunch 
at 11:45 a.m.; 

Ada County Vandal Boosters, Big Easy Concert House - Boise, Wednesday 
lunch at noon;

Canyon County Vandal Boosters, Noodles - Nampa, Thursday lunch at noon; and
Kootenai County Vandal Boosters, Best Western Inn - Coeur d'Alene, Thursday
lunch at 11:45 a.m.

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Take care, Moscow (you, too, Vandals).

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
UI '96

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Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.

- Author Unknown
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