[Vision2020] State of the University of Idaho

Sun Aug 19 00:27:12 PDT 2012

The students at UI voted an end to this kind of discrimination in 2003, and North Idaho College students in 2000. The nice thing is that most the bigots are older and fading away while the more open minded people are younger and coming into positions of power and influence.

When any of these council members run for office again I am going to print up some fliers for them with the Dixie Flag in the background. 

Donovan J. Arnold

From: Scott Dredge <scooterd408 at hotmail.com>
To: donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com; donaldrose at cpcinternet.com; v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm; rforce2003 at yahoo.com; idahovandal1 at live.com; viz <vision2020 at moscow.com> 
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2012 12:00 AM
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] State of the University of Idaho

Amazing.  And it probably won't change any time soon.  Even Micron added sexual orientation to their anti-discrimination policy after being beaten over the head by the shareholders (the owners of the company).  And that was over 5 years ago.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/660217122/Micron-adapts-policy-to-bar-anti-gay-bias.html?pg=all

Looks like Moscow is just frozen in time.

Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2012 23:45:11 -0700
From: donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State of the University of Idaho
To: scooterd408 at hotmail.com; donaldrose at cpcinternet.com; v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm; rforce2003 at yahoo.com; idahovandal1 at live.com; vision2020 at moscow.com

Scott, that is OK. The Moscow City Council isn't up to date on anything either. Most the City Council members that voted against sexual orientation as being protected from discrimination will brag to you about their decision if you ask them. Their ridiculous reasoning is that protecting someone from discrimination on the bases of gender identity and sexual orientation is discrimination against the majority. Which is very confusing to me because the vast majority of people I know have a gender identity and sexual orientation. But you know, stupidity and bigotry are usually synonymous. 

Donovan J. Arnold

From: Scott Dredge <scooterd408 at hotmail.com>
To: donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com; donaldrose at cpcinternet.com; v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm; rforce2003 at yahoo.com; idahovandal1 at live.com; viz <vision2020 at moscow.com> 
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2012 8:42 PM
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] State of the University of Idaho

Thanks Saundra.  I wonder why it took so long for the geniuses in higher education to figure how to walk through the apparently egg shelled filled path toward equal benefits.  What changed since 2008 when they cowardly side stepped the whole issue instead of just offering benefits already covered by the insurance carrier?

And sorry Donovan (and Saundra), I am not up to date on what's going on with the Moscow City Council.  I saw something about a 5-1 vote against something seemingly gay rights related.  Can you send me a link or a cut an paste online or privately so I can blast them publicly too?

-Scott

Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2012 18:28:26 -0700
From: donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State of the University of Idaho
To: donaldrose at cpcinternet.com; v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm; scooterd408 at hotmail.com; rforce2003 at yahoo.com; idahovandal1 at live.com; vision2020 at moscow.com

Good job by the Faculty Council! Now we just have to get rid of the bigoted policies of the Moscow City Council. Or get rid of the bigoted members of the city council.

BTW. If anyone wants to claim me as their "other adult" to give me benefits I am open to that invitation LOL. And I can be cute in right light at the right angle since I lost 75 lbs of ugly fat. J/K. 

Donovan J. Arnold

From: Rosemary Huskey <donaldrose at cpcinternet.com>
To: 'Saundra Lund' <v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm>; 'Scott Dredge' <scooterd408 at hotmail.com>; rforce2003 at yahoo.com; idahovandal1 at live.com; 'viz' <vision2020 at moscow.com> 
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2012 6:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State of the University of Idaho

Thanks, Saundra.  Even in Idaho once in awhile the good guys win!
Rose

From:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Saundra Lund
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2012 5:55 PM
To: 'Scott Dredge'; rforce2003 at yahoo.com; idahovandal1 at live.com; 'viz'
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State of the University of Idaho

In part, Scott wrote:
“U of I does very little of these things.  No bold aspirations and no guts in even doing the right thing such as extending benefits to domestic partners of their faculty.”

Try to keep current, Scott  J

http://www.uidaho.edu/benefits

Annual Benefits Enrollment on the Horizon
As a result of the University’s continued effort to provide world class benefits, exciting new additions will be rolling out for 2013. One of the highlights of the plan is the Other Eligible Adult policy. This policy allows adults who are financially interdependent and share a household to potentially qualify for health benefits. It may also cover the children of other qualified adult individuals in a household. Additional information on this change will be available in early October.

New Tuition Benefit Available Now
With spousal tuition benefits remaining unchanged, employees will now have the option of using a new 50 percent in-state tuition reduction benefit for one of their children beginning fall 2012. Contact the Benefits office if you would like additional information on this new tuition benefit available now.

Now, I admit that I don’t know what “potentially qualify” for health benefits means, but I’m anxious to learn.

Here’s a little more information from an email my dh received Wednesday from VP Ron Smith, :
“As Kenton Bird, the new president of the Faculty Senate said, "By expanding health benefits to other qualified adult individuals in a household, we are providing an important benefit to our employees. Many of the University's peer institutions offer a similar benefit, so this will enable us to be competitive in the hiring of top-tier faculty and staff. At the same time, this action boosts the morale of current employees and demonstrates the University's commitment to fairness. The University Faculty was unanimous in support of the change when the policy was considered in April - a vote that prompted spontaneous and resounding applause."
One might think there would have been an article in the Daily News about these two items, but I’ve not seen anything, at least not yet.  It’s also possible I missed something, but since the usual wing nuts haven’t deluged the Opinion page, I don’t think that’s too likely.

Saundra

From:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Scott Dredge
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2012 2:26 PM
To: rforce2003 at yahoo.com; idahovandal1 at live.com; viz
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State of the University of Idaho

My hat is off to bSU.  They want something, they go after it, they get it.  U of I does very little of these things.  No bold aspirations and no guts in even doing the right thing such as extending benefits to domestic partners of their faculty.  Seems to me the leadership at the U of I is just fine with the status quo so it's onward and upward for bSU and I wish them well because their guts is paying dividends with glory.  Say all you want about graduation rates, research, and even a self designation of 'flagship'.  Bottom line is that you can still get a marketable degree from the U of I and you can still be gainfully employed on their payroll as well so it does serve a tremendously useful purpose for the citizens of the city of Moscow and the great state of Idaho.  It is a functional institution that will be around long after I've dropped dead myself.

-Scott
Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2012 12:41:11 -0700
From: rforce2003 at yahoo.com
To: idahovandal1 at live.com; vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State of the University of Idaho
I wonder where the critics have been? Nellis took over in 2009 at the depth of the country's worst recession since the 30s. He had to cope with a 25% reduction in state appropriations over three years. And the present state leadership? has indicated that the reduction in funding is the "new normal". The bold visions put forth by Hoover & Co. are not likely to be realized. Like all visionary leaders, Hoover thought that by providing excellence, more state resources would be forthcoming. He greatly overestimated the vision of Idaho's political leadership. Small and smaller (or dumb and dumber) is now the word from Boise (except for football, of course).

I sat though enough briefings on the Boise project to understand how it was going to work. Hoover was right that UI's future depended on diversifying political support outside Latah County, and he tried to cultivate state support by placing programs in strategic locations, particularly Boise. However, the funding for the three buildings in the Boise Center was essentially a real-estate play. Commercial development in the blocks West of the center was supposed to pay for the project. When the Boise commercial real-estate market collapsed in 2001-2 the funding for the academic buildings went with it, leading to the events that sunk the Hoover administration. The developers walked away with their cut, and the University was left holding the bag.

It was really in trouble before that, in that the role that the UI was going to play in Boise was never actually worked out. The Deans were being urged to come up with programs for Boise, but could never identify unique academic needs that only UI could fill. Law, sure, but at that time the ABA wasn't approving branch programs and moving the whole program to Boise wasn't economically or politically feasible. The Boise market was mostly frosh-sophomore general ed, or mature, place-bound students who wanted part-time courses. BSU had that market cornered. The Board of Education wasn't going to allow duplication of basic education programs, so where the students were going to come from to fill four buildings was never clear.

Ron Force
Moscow Idaho USA
From:Carl Westberg <idahovandal1 at live.com>
To: vision2020 at moscow.com 
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2012 12:09 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] State of the University of Idaho

I wanted to share these thoughts from a U of I alum in Boise, posted on Vandal Venue, regarding the current state of the University of Idaho.  While the immediate subject is athletics, the post is about far more than that.  He writes of an overall ennui surrounding the entire institution.  He gave permission for me to cut and paste.  I think he has some interesting thoughts.  In quotes, his post.....
"Those are interesting observations, and they seem to be consistent with what I sense is going on at the U of I.  Nellis seems to be more of a caretaker president than one who is seriously pushing forward on anything.  I understand I only see a very small snapshot of what is actually going on up there, but if that’s the snapshot I’m seeing it says something about the perception the school is getting down here."

"The “autopilot” characterization of the university is spot-on to me.  Not going anywhere.  Stayed.  Static.  Unchanging.  I feel like the U of I has been on autopilot for a decade or more, and in the meantime it has substantially eroded its mantle and role in higher education in this state.  We have gone from being the undisputed leader to alarming irrelevance.  We are letting others control the discussion of what our school is and what it means to the state.  We are declining to show up for our own defense."

"I think another poster said awhile ago that the biggest tragedy about University Place was that it didn’t get finished.  As much as the whole University Place caused havoc for the school (from which the school has not yet recovered and may not ever), the vision was right while the execution was wrong.  Hoover understood that if we didn’t grow we would die.  He understood that the new battle for higher education relevance in Idaho was taking place in the Treasure Valley.  He understood that if we didn’t make the school prominent here we would lose exposure, then relevance, and then the school as we knew it.  And that’s exactly what is happening.  Ever since the project got halted and the U of I was crucified in the media for the financial aspects of it we have lost any semblance of leadership at the school that actually wants to move the U of I forward."  

"The biggest reason why this has happened over the last 10 years is that the culture of the school has just given up.  There is no push from the base to move things forward, so the administration feels just fine not doing anything.  Those of us who post on these message boards are not the true representatives of the Vandal base.  No, the true representative of the Vandal base doesn’t really think much about Vandal football or athletics or even what is going on in Moscow anymore.  They live their lives, go about their daily affairs, and don’t really care about what is happening to the old alma mater.  The base isn’t so much asleep as it has become the living extinct."

"There is no push from the base, so there is no push from the leadership.  The base doesn’t care, so the leadership doesn’t act.  The battle is raging and our school is essentially not participating.  There is no inspiration anymore."          End of his post......  

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          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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