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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>The
Friday Letter</span></font></b><br>
A Newsletter for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType>
of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Idaho</st1:PlaceName></st1:place><br>
Alumni and Friends<br>
September 10, 2004<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dear
Friday Letter reader, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Idaho</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> announced <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>a near record enrollment of 12,824 students</span></b>
throughout the state on Wednesday, with <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>a
record number of graduate students and significant increases in those taking courses
on the Web. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></font></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>What I find most remarkable is the very high quality of the
students we continue to attract at all levels.</span></font></b> The
university's ability to recruit <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>the most
National Merit Scholars and valedictorians in the state</span></b> speaks to
the quality of our faculty and academic programs. We attracted nine new
National Merit Scholars, which brings the total number of those high-achieving
students at the university to 34. This places us among the top two or three
schools in the <st1:place w:st="on">Pacific Northwest</st1:place> with that
number of National Merit Scholars. The freshman class also includes 69
valedictorians and 72 students with perfect 4.0 grade point averages. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>Overall, headcount was down by just a half percent</span></font></b>
from last fall's record enrollment, primarily due to a drop in the number of
non-degree seeking students - those who take just a course or two. <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>Over the past five years, UI has grown 13.4 percent
from 11,305 students in 1999 to nearly 13,000 today. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>Graduate student numbers were up at every UI location in the
state.</span></font></b> Overall, graduate enrollment grew more than 3 percent,
from last year's 2,499 to 2,578, which reflects the appeal of the research and
creativity focus of the UI's graduate programs. <b><span style='font-weight:
bold'>As the state's research university, we continue to attract quality
graduate students.</span></b> We have grown a $105 million-per-year research
enterprise that provides important financial support for students, but also
generates the innovation that is key to growing and sustaining the <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State> economy. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>The number of students taking courses through the Web and via
distance learning technologies also grew dramatically.</span></font></b> The
number of Web students alone increased 25 percent since last fall to 2,064.<b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>These increases reaffirm the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Idaho</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>'s
land-grant mission to serve citizens throughout the state. We are serving
Idahoans where they live</span></b> as well as on the <st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City>
campus and at our three research and instructional centers in <st1:City w:st="on">Boise</st1:City>,
<st1:City w:st="on">Idaho Falls</st1:City> and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Coeur d'Alene</st1:place></st1:City>. <b><span style='font-weight:
bold'>This fall's student body also is the most diverse in its history.</span></b>
The number of minority students grew nearly 6 percent to 973. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>On another topic, I want to thank all who participated in the
Vandal Pride Week activities in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boise</st1:place></st1:City>.</span></font></b>
I was very proud of our university during the course of these events, and <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>it again confirmed the remarkable depth and breadth of
support and enthusiasm for the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType>
of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Idaho</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>I congratulate <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Boise</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
on its victory;</span></font></b> I will graciously wear the blue and orange at
the next Idaho Board of Education meeting. <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>As
Coach Holt has said, we have some work to do, but I am confident the Vandals
are up to the task.</span></b> Although the score wasn't in anybody's plan, our
players kept playing and our coaches kept coaching through the end of the game.
Karen and I visited the players and coaches after the game to let them know of
our ongoing support. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Tim White<br>
President<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty,
some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they
all exist very nicely in the same box. </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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