<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt;color:#000000;">December 03, 2010<br>
<br>
Dear Friends, <br>
<br>
The future -- for many it's a regular point of discussion. But here at the
University of Idaho, it's a mission.
<br>
<br>
As Idaho's flagship higher education institution, we seek to prepare current
generations for future success.
<br>
<br>
We often talk about the many benefits of our research and
education. We talk
about helping communities improve their sustainability, their health
and their economic standing. We do this well, and are getting
better at it as a 21st century land-grant research university.
However, our work is measured, at the end of the day, by the success of
each individual student.
<br>
<br>
As our world has changed, post-secondary education has
become a
near-requirement for financial success. Increasingly, it is the
game-changer -- between poverty and the middle class, between the
middle class and upward mobility.
<br>
<br>
A <a href="http://cew.georgetown.edu/?utm_source=fridayletter_112310&utm_medium=email&utm_content=georgetown&utm_campaign=fridayletter" title="recent study" target="_blank">recent study</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;"> </div>
by
Georgetown University demonstrates this dramatically. In 1970, only
26 percent of middle class America had post-secondary education
or training. By 2007, that percentage had nearly doubled. Similarly,
in 1970, 44 percent of the economic upper class had some form
of post-secondary work. By 2007, this number had jumped to 81
percent.
<br>
<br>
More and more, the world in which we live is creating jobs
that demand a broad
perspective and advanced education. Unfortunately, this coincides with
the state of Idaho experiencing a decline in students seeking
post-secondary education and training.
<br>
<br>
A <a href="http://measuringup2008.highereducation.org/?utm_source=fridayletter_112310&utm_medium=email&utm_content=nationalcenter&utm_campaign=fridayletter" title="recent study" target="_blank">
recent study</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;"> </div>
by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education reported
that the likelihood of an Idaho student
attending college by the age of 19 has dropped from 40 percent in the
early 1990s to 36 percent in 2008. The national average
increased by eight percent.
<br>
<br>
Though several studies have ranked Idaho as a top state for
business
development, this is an unsustainable trend without workforce
development. New industries require an educated workforce. Idaho ranks
41st in the nation for 18 to 24 year olds enrolled in higher
education and only 11 states had fewer graduates per capita. New
businesses, therefore, are more likely to import employees for higher
paying jobs. The loss of income and opportunity for Idahoans
because of a lack of education will run into the billions based on
the lost earning potential alone.
<br>
<br>
Idaho's Career Information System is signaling that the top
10 career fields in
Idaho's near future (2016) all require post-secondary education or
training. It's the University of Idaho's mission to improve the
future by meeting these needs. We do so through education, research
and outreach...and in the process by encouraging students to
invest in themselves. We are proud to partner with the Albertson's
Foundation and others to ensure our state's people understand the
value and opportunity of higher education. And we are proud to have
the highest graduation rate in the state.
<br>
<br>
Our state legislature will begin discussing the value of the
state's investment
in higher education in early January. Economic conditions will once
again force them to make difficult choices on top of reductions
from previous years. I encourage you to fully consider what higher
education means to our state's future and to share your ideas and
opinions with your elected representatives.
<br>
<br>
Our faculty, staff and students are working every day to build a bright future
of Idaho. We appreciate your support.
<br>
<br>
M. Duane Nellis<br>
President</div><br>
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