[Vision2020] U of I Sandpoint campus-from this morning's Spokesman

Fri Jun 29 11:40:04 PDT 2007

This type of program generally provides more of an opportunity to the non-traditional student.  Having the UI present in Sandpoint may actually help keep some of the future traditional college bound students within the state.  I haven't seen any demographics but I would think the proximity of the panhandle to Washington, Montana, and Canada would tempt some of those to go out of state.  Also, let's say they only offer certain degrees (which is what it looks like), a student could potentially start out in science and decide it isn't for them.  So maybe there is the potential they would transfer to the Moscow campus.  Those are only a couple of several scenarios I can see that would benefit UI-Moscow.  Plus, there is the saying, "never look a gift horse in the mouth."

Tim Lohrmann <timlohr at yahoo.com> wrote: Wow Carl,
  BYU-Idaho in Rexburg is already taking plenty of the mostly LDS students from the South/Southwest part of the state that used to come up to Moscow. 

  BSU is taking more of those from the Treasure Valley of course.  

  And now this new campus in the fast-growing CDA/Post Falls/Sandpoint area--- seems to be pretty dismal news for the Moscow campus doesn't it? 

  Or is that just short-sighted thinking?

  I'm sure it's a boon for the UI system as a whole, but there are only so many students to go around. 
  I wonder what input the City of Moscow and the Moscow Chamber of Commerce is having on this deal. 
  TL

  "Those 'technicalities' have a name, Bobby. They're called the Bill of  Rights."
                                                                   -----Hank Hill

Carl Westberg <carlwestberg846 at hotmail.com> wrote:
  UI Sandpoint: 'It's going to happen'

Meghann Cuniff
Staff writer
June 29, 2007

A proposal to open a University of Idaho campus in Sandpoint using private 
money needs only the approval of the state Board of Education for 
construction bids to open, and members have already expressed  support.

“It’s going to happen,” board member Sue Thilo, of Coeur d’Alene, predicted.

Under the proposal, the nonprofit Wild Rose Foundation, operated by 
Coldwater Creek Chairman and CEO Dennis Pence, will buy a 77-acre site off 
North Boyer Road from the UI for $6.25 million, construct buildings and help 
pay for course offerings.
ADVERTISEMENT

The foundation’s estimated contribution is around $30 million, said Larry 
Branen, associate vice president for the university in North Idaho.

The Sandpoint City Council unanimously approved during its Wednesday meeting 
conditional-use and development permits Wednesday that will allow 
construction on the site currently owned by the UI.

“As far as approving the concept and moving forward, we’re done,” Sandpoint 
Mayor Ray Miller said of the city’s role. “As far as turning dirt and 
actually doing something, we’ve got to wait for the board.”

The board will  consider the proposal at its August meeting in Twin Falls.

Supporters hope to offer classes beginning in fall 2009, Branen said. As 
many as 400 students could begin classes there, he said, with room for up to 
1,000 students.

UI administrators briefed the board on the proposal in February and heard 
largely positive feedback.

Branen was in Sandpoint on Thursday working on a final proposal for the 
state board, which is due next week. The plan has grown from when it was 
first pitched publicly in February to include more money from the foundation 
and more buildings, Branen said.

The campus plan that will be presented to the state board will include a 
performing arts building, a student union center, an administrative building 
with classroom space and an agriculture and biological sciences building. 
The university plans to offer a new “integrated, interdisciplinary 
undergraduate degree” at the campus that covers  agriculture, natural 
resources, biology, the humanities and a range of other areas, Branen said.

If the proposal is approved, UI research programs now located at the 
Sandpoint property would move to a nearby 15-acre parcel provided by the 
foundation. A portion of the 77-acre property would be given to the Lake 
Pend Oreille School District but would revert to the UI if construction 
doesn’t start within 20 years.

City Councilman Steve Lockwood suggested approving only the UI portion of 
the campus proposal at Wednesday’s meeting, but his motion was voted down 
out of concern that the state board would take it to mean the city wasn’t in 
full support of the proposal, Miller said.

“The rest of the councilors decided we wanted to send a positive, very 
aggressive message,” Miller said. “All in and all, it went fairly smooth. 
Which is a no-brainer; it should have.”

Pence started the Coldwater Creek clothing company  as a catalog business in 
1984 and has experienced booming growth over the past several years.

“It’s a huge company, and he’s recognizing the value of a well-educated work 
force,” Thilo said.

Bringing a university campus to the company’s hometown of Sandpoint will 
benefit everyone, Miller said.

“Having that facility will attract the kind of businesses we’re trying to 
attract,” Miller said. “The businesses that are already here will have the 
opportunity to expand and develop their work force.”

Thilo agreed.

“You could say it’s self-serving, but it’s also very generous,” she said.

A phone call to a Coldwater Creek spokesman regarding the proposal was not 
returned.

_________________________________________________________________
Get a preview of Live Earth, the hottest event this summer - only on MSN  
http://liveearth.msn.com?source=msntaglineliveearthhm

=======================================================
List services made available by First Step Internet, 
serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. 
http://www.fsr.net 
mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
=======================================================

---------------------------------
Shape Yahoo! in your own image.   Join our Network Research Panel today! =======================================================
 List services made available by First Step Internet, 
 serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
               http://www.fsr.net                       
          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
=======================================================

Tom & Liz Ivie

---------------------------------
Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story.
 Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games. 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20070629/324b249a/attachment-0001.html 