The approved strategic plan rests on the role, mission, and goals and commits the University to appropriate program development and services to meet identified needs within the State and region. However, programs have developed typically without additional support funding, with a consequent burden on existing programs and resources. Without an explicit plan to do so, the University has apparently relied on program expansion to attract larger numbers of students to pay the fees that help to stabilize the budget. Some critics allege that program proliferation without adequate planning and start-up funding have further weakened the University. As state support has languished in recent years, student fees have provided a larger portion of the operational budget. Since the state Constitution (for the University of Idaho) and statute (for all other campuses) prohibit tuition, the Idaho campuses have used the revenue derived from matriculation fees to free up state funds for instructional support. SBOE policy authorizes the campuses to request up to a 10 percent increase in matriculation fees annually, with no assurance of approval, but a requirement to remain within range of competitors. Any request above 10 percent must have prior authorization by the SBOE. Professional fees to cover the associated costs of delivery for professional programs have no limits, aside from what the market will bear and the SBOE will approve. The University has indicated the intention to move as many professional programs as possible to self support on the basis of a combination of matriculation and professional fees. (See Recommendation Number 1 in Conclusion below.) As a result, enrollment planning has become an increasingly critical component of institutional survival. However, the University’s Office of Institutional Research has fallen into disarray, and the analysis of student data now resides in the Registrar’s Office. Enrollment planning currently manifests itself primarily in recruitment and retention efforts (page 6-7; see rec 2).

The Departments in the College of Arts and Sciences offer a typical range of undergraduate programs at the baccalaureate level. A review of the curricula in College reveals solid programs that reflect national standards in each discipline. Enrollments appear generally strong, though some Departments rely heavily on General Education courses for student enrollment. Representatives of several Departments expressed the fear that their programs will atrophy and ultimately disappear if they cannot find ways to tie into the Health Professions mission of the University. As discussed below, the faculty of the College feel a strong need for a clearly articulated College vision and plan that includes a role and mission for each Department within the larger whole (page 12; see rec 1 and 7).

At both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the Committee encourages the College to examine the wide range of programs offered with the intent of reducing the number by eliminating programs with lower enrollments. In that regard, the Committee identified no University incentive for action of this kind. However, such a review appears critical to allow the Colleges to make the best use of limited resources (page 13; see rec 1, 2, and 5).

As a result of hiring restraints, students noted the lack of convenient sequencing of required courses; in order to complete a course sequence in a timely manner, the student must start at the appropriate semester. Both faculty and students commented on the disruptiveness of last-minute additions of sections of General Education courses as a result of unanticipated high demand. Funding for such additional offerings reportedly comes from the Vice President for Academic Affairs (according to the Dean) or the College, but without assurance. The administration’s increasing emphasis on “growing” graduate programs will, in the opinion of many faculty members, stress their ability to deliver the curriculum in their majors or the General Education requirements (page 13; see rec 1).

The physical sciences (Chemistry, Geosciences, Physics) and mathematics enjoy a relatively new and reasonably equipped facility. Biology, however, has an outmoded and run-down physical plant, a serious issue for maintaining a quality educational program in view of ISU’s statewide role in Health Sciences and allied disciplines (page 15- 16; see rec 1).

Recruitment and retention of faculty have become major issues in the mathematics and natural science disciplines. Biology, in particular, has suffered significant losses of key faculty members. In view of ISU’s statewide role in Health Sciences and allied disciplines, this matter merits close attention (page 16; see rec 1).

During the campus interviews, a common theme across the division involves a set of issues surrounding insufficient support for graduate education, particularly for graduate students. Insufficient graduate student support leads to higher faculty teaching loads, thus preventing faculty members from involvement in directing the work of graduate students in the research programs. The time crunch also affects the time available to work on grant proposals. Accepting graduate students without identifying the sources of support in advance leads to work on a “for-hire” basis which affects the students’ ability to complete their programs on time. The Interim Dean and the Chairs know of and understand these issues, but require assistance in developing creative solutions. In general, the faculty of the division respect ISU’s obligation for community college through doctoral programming. They also know, generally, but not in detail, the continuing budgetary issues facing the University. They believe, however, that institutional aspirations towards quality graduate education and concomitant research require responsive planning activities to allocate financial support to achieve those aspirations (page 16; see rec 1 and 7). Well qualified, with appropriate background for their appointments and enthusiastic about their students and their work at ISU, the mathematic and natural science faculty want very much to work with senior administration and any other stakeholders to confront the challenges facing the University.

The division Department Chairs commented specifically about the lack of a College and, by extension, University vision. Chairs of Departments that have prospered (by comparison) under the current system still point out the lack of a shared vision and firmly believe in the need for one. The Interim Dean noted that he does not submit an annual budget request to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, but instead seeks resources when the needs arise in the Departments. While some budget initiatives reflect program review results, other requests do not. Frequently, a request will come from a Department, and the Interim Dean will present it to the Vice President for Academic Affairs who rules on each one individually with no apparent reference to an identified set of priorities. The priorities of the institution apparently manifest themselves in the flow of dollars, not from an articulated listing that reflects analysis, consultation, and decision (page 17; see rec 1, 5, and 7).

The division Department Chairs identified a range of issues resulting from the positions lost in the budget reductions in 2000 and subsequently. Most believe that Department workload has remained and increased despite the reductions. The reduced number of faculty members remain responsible for an unreduced (and sometimes increased) Department workload. The Chairs, however, believe in good faith that the administration has provided assistance and positions when possible. However, these positive moves did not appear as integral elements of an overall institutional plan (page 17; see rec 1, 5, and 8).

Graduate programs in the social and behavioral sciences face many challenges as well as opportunities. The faculty members committed to graduate programs find they must take time away from undergraduate education and their own research to support graduate students. Allocations of teaching and research assistants (along with attendant Library resources) reflect historical patterns rather than a comparative analysis of Department needs. Such an analysis will mitigate the perceived inequities in the current allocation process. In addition to research and educational functions, the graduate programs provide needed assistance to Departments in teaching undergraduate courses. Without such support, some undergraduate programs will suffer. The faculty and the Chairs urge the development and implementation of a planning process based upon a vision and plan for the University and the College (page 18; see rec 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8).

Tenure-track faculty in the social and behavioral sciences have the appropriate education and credentials. A dedicated and committed group, they share a deep concern about the degree to which Departments must rely on non-tenure-track and adjunct faculty to teach needed courses, particularly in General Education. Because of recent budget reductions, some Departments have perhaps gone too far in that reliance, according to several who spoke on the issue. Once again, however, the lack of definitive information or a plan makes it difficult to evaluate the contention (page 18; see rec 1, 2, and 5).

Instructional technology support appears uneven. Numerous classrooms do not yet have appropriate technology and the Committee did not find a plan for equipping them. Comments on technology support mirrored comments about many areas of the University – very good people doing good work with too few financial resources (page 19; see rec 1).

The College [of Education] offers over 100 courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, 47 of them taught with both undergraduates and graduates enrolled. Graduate students must complete additional written work for graduate credit in these courses. Each of the fewer than 40 tenure-track faculty teaches a full course load as well as additional courses on an overload basis. The increase in graduate course offerings has raised issues about the implications for faculty workload and course instruction (page 22; see rec 1).

The College, as the University, will feel the impact of the state’s financial and political climate and the issues regarding the certification and continuing education of teachers. Examples include the expanding numbers of students enrolled in the BYU-Idaho teacher education program, an increasing number of alternative certification options, and the expanded availability of options regarding continuing professional education. These and other conditions have caused a decline in enrollments at both the undergraduate and master’s levels and stimulated an expanded discussion about graduate education. Pressures to increase enrollments and programs will continue to demand more from the faculty and staff (page 22; see rec 1 and 8).

The College has a dedicated faculty stretched thin across a wide range of course and program offerings. The appropriate policy statements and well-documented annual evaluation procedures present clearly the expectations for performance, also providing for faculty input and feedback on performance. A review of the vitae indicates that faculty maintain the scholarly agenda appropriate for the institution’s expectations. The College’s substantial outreach program provides needed services and research to the districts in the region and the state, with many of the outreach activities housed in the Intermountain Center for Education Effectiveness. Faculty also have heavy involvement in outreach efforts through the ISU Centers and on-line and web-based courses (page 23; see rec 1 and 8).

Marginal staffing and high required credits in some of the undergraduate engineering programs have led to some issues with timely completion of student programs. The Dean and involved faculty members recognize the problem, but have not as yet identified solutions. The marginal staffing with respect to undergraduate programs raises questions about the College’s ability to deliver a graduate program that meets established goals. The undergraduate and graduate programs feature robust course offerings, however the reduced faculty FTE means more teaching and less opportunity for research and the requisite pursuit of extramural funding. Clearly, the same statements apply to other programs around the ISU campus, especially during difficult budgetary times in the state. The particular complexity for ISU and the College of Engineering revolves around the importance of the INL to eastern Idaho and the importance of the ISU College of Engineering to the INL (page 25; see rec 1 and 8).

The [KCHP] Department Chairs almost uniformly reported concern about rapid program growth in the absence of proportional growth in operating funds and administrative staff. In particular, everyone agreed that programs in Boise have grown rapidly without sufficient resources to assure adequate administration and mentoring of faculty members in Boise (page 26; see rec 1).

The Chairs expressed equal concern about the long-term wisdom of placing the economic burden for professional training increasingly on the students, and the related implications of diminished state support for Health Professions programs. Many said they appreciated the feasibility of increased fees for Pharmacy and Physician Assistant students, since these professionals typically have salaries after graduation sufficient to pay higher accumulated student debts. However, the students in allied fields will not have the earning power to support significantly higher program fees, and higher fees will likely further diminish applicant pools (page 27; see rec 1).

The College planning, assessment, and instructional activities respond to the imperatives of professional program accreditation and generally exemplify best practices and can serve as models for other programs at ISU. The Directors and Chairs unanimously urge the University to plan carefully for continued growth in ways to assure adequate faculty, administrative, and operational resources to meet program objectives (page 27; see rec 1 and 5).

Clinical rotations during the fourth professional year occur throughout Idaho, with Boise serving as a significant geographic locus. Until recently, the College [of Pharmacy] has also had institutional sites in Nevada, but the opening of a new pharmacy program in Nevada has made those sites unavailable. The College has placed high priority on finding additional training sites. In addition, the College will have to take steps to assure adequate clinical facilities, particularly in view of the plan to increase the class size to 70 as specified in the strategic plan. Students who met with an Evaluation Committee member complained about the delay in notification of practice sites for AY 2005-06, as they believed, because of the excessive workload of the one faculty member responsible for clinical assignments (page 29; see rec 1 and 8).

The College has greatly reduced its graduate programs due to faculty down-sizing because of budget cuts. As a result, the College does not currently offer the PhD emphasis in social and administrative sciences. The strategic plan calls for a revival of that program, but faculty members expressed skepticism about doing so without a significant commitment of additional resources and the addition of several new faculty members in the social and administrative sciences. Some faculty members urged locating a revived PhD program in Boise. The PhD program in the pharmaceutical sciences has a recently developed action plan, which requires the allocation of adequate resources. The College’s future ability to deliver its programs and adhere to its strategic plan will depend significantly on approval of its plan to raise program fees to a level similar to other PharmD programs in the region (page 29-30; see rec 1).

The Self-Study Report identified the opportunities to add health-related programs such as associate degrees in nursing, massage therapy, respiration therapy, and medical technician. The Evaluation Committee applauds the vision of the COT, but cautions against the proliferation of academic degrees in the current operational environment. Before adding new degrees, the COT should review current degree offerings and perform a thorough analysis of the current situation (page 30; see rec 1).

The COT can gain economies by reducing the number of sections offered of certain courses while also examining the possibility of integrating courses from one curriculum into another. Departments within the COT have commenced this process, and the Committee commends the effort and suggests emulation by other Colleges and Departments on campus (page 31; see rec 1 and 5). The COT also has alternative delivery mechanisms for the courses under consideration. The examination will pay particular attention to insuring that students receive the experiential learning component integral to professional technical education. The delivery of courses in an alternative manner (i.e., distance delivery, evenings, and weekends) can overcome space constraints and allow for increased efficiencies in the delivery of courses.

As mentioned earlier, available space constrains the operations of the College, although the Committee found the buildings and classrooms adequate for the current program array. The Committee visited the facilities on and off the campus, and found those available in varying conditions of repair. In addition, the Committee observed a number of buildings without posted fire evacuation plans, properly labeled and placed MSDS binders, and properly delineated work zones, as well as insufficient numbers of fire extinguishers in laboratory areas and laboratories over-crowded with equipment. (Suggestion: The College should review and update its safety, fire evacuation, space utilization, and accessibility plans.) In general, the College and the University should conduct a careful analysis of space needs for the College and its programs and develop plans to meet identified needs (page 31-32; see rec 1).

The University has a comprehensive General Education Program developed two decades ago, and presents it in various venues and publications accessible both on and off-campus. The faculty members deliver the applicable courses directly in the classrooms on and off campus (including evenings) or, for selected courses, on-line. A recent proposal (2002) to review and update the General Education Program requirements slowed when the proposing Dean left the campus, but discussions continue. While the existing Program retains comprehensiveness and philosophical coherence, issues remain about staffing the General Education courses, given the increasing dependence on adjuncts, optimal accessibility in terms of numbers of sections and schedules, and implementation of the language requirement. Looming critical deficiencies in degree-major maintenance have contributed to lack of interest in these potential issues (page 32; see rec 1).

The Boise Center, with a programmatic focus in the Health Sciences, suffers seriously “from success.” Although ISU has made significant investments in the facilities, staffing, and programs at the Boise Center, enrollment has grown so rapidly as to outstrip the available resources. The Center has collaborative agreements with multiple healthcare institutions in the Treasure Valley area, and staff members from these institutions serve as clinical faculty. However, the Committee observed a significant need for additional space for the programs and support functions, such as library resources, and for additional support staff for both students and faculty. This Center certainly has significant potential for more growth (page 34-35; see rec 1).

ISU graduate programming has shifted over the past ten years. While total graduate student enrollment has remained flat, doctoral program enrollments have increased. The increase in doctoral program enrollments reflects stated institutional objectives, but the University did not plan for a decline in master’s program enrollments. The Office of Graduate Studies has analyzed the enrollment trends by College and degree to inform academic planning and marketing. ISU has experienced a decline in graduate student applicants as well. The reason for the decline remains unexplained, although speculation identifies the fewer international applicants after 9-11 as a significant factor, particularly in the sciences and engineering. The evidence suggests that institutional directives to expand graduate programs but without direct linkage to the ISU vision of how expansion contributes to the mission has created confusion. Planning and assessment have also become complicated by difficulties associated with obtaining meaningful and consistent data and analysis from the Office of Institutional Research (page 39; see rec 1, 2, 3, and 5).

Consistent with its mission, ISU offers a wide array of graduate programs that strive to achieve academic excellence. However, the effort to provide breadth of academic programming hinders the institution’s ability to meet its goal of achieving the highest standards of academic excellence. Academic planning appears to focus on expansion in an effort to respond to the identified needs of the state and region – a noble objective – but success requires selective prioritization in an effort to excel at a more limited array of academic programs (page 39; see rec 1).

The Graduate Faculty consists of approximately 330 faculty members as the core graduate studies resource. Appointment to the Graduate Faculty results from a selective process that considers a candidate’s scholarly maturity and professional productivity. While the Graduate Faculty appears generally adequate in numbers and sufficiently diversified within disciplines to provide an effective education to students, some programs have too few resources to meet their obligations. Students report limited availability of graduate courses in some programs due to heavy undergraduate teaching by the faculty. Access to full-time faculty at outreach locations also needs careful monitoring. If resource limitations continue to prohibit growth in the number of faculty members, Colleges will have to look for efficiencies such as those gained through program reorganization, consolidation, or elimination. While occurring on a limited basis, cross discipline-program collaboration has some potential to address resource limitations while at the same time advancing the development of emerging programmatic needs (page 40; see rec 1 and 5).

Idaho State University reportedly awards 250 graduate assistantships at the Department or College level, with the number, allocation, and stipend relatively unchanged for the past 10-20 years. Several Departments have concern that the numbers have not kept pace with the need. Graduate assistantships provide essential financial support and practical experience to graduate students. Students reported satisfaction with their graduate assistantship experiences. Research assistantships have also become available through grant monies or other external sources. (Suggestion: The University should conduct a comprehensive assessment of the assistantship program to determine unmet programmatic and student need with a resultant balancing of allocations.) The University awards 26 Doctor of Arts Fellowships each year to outstanding student recipients. The Office of Graduate Studies also provides non-resident tuition waivers to students in areas of technical study, although it appears that the non-technical areas have the greatest need for such waivers because of having fewer assistantships and other forms of financial assistance. The Graduate Student Research Committee also has $25,000 annually for the award of small grants to support thesis and dissertation research. In the last fiscal year, the allocation covered all eligible applicants. Students recommend additional travel support for attendance at professional meetings, book allowances or bookstore discounts to help defray the cost of resources unavailable at the Library or important for their personal libraries, and meal cards (page 40; see rec 1 and 5).

ISU also offers a general interdisciplinary master’s degree program administered by the Office of Graduate Studies. The Committee found little available information on this small program with an enrollment of 3 students. However, an assessment of the role of interdisciplinary studies in meeting the University mission and an articulation of the goals and expectations of interdisciplinary studies programs appears needed (page 41; see rec 1 and 5).

Decisions regarding allocations or reallocations of resources support institutional mission and goal statements. For example, the institutional goal to support outreach and to serve the regional needs of students resulted in the reassignment of positions across Student Services (Career Placement, Student Advising, Financial Aid, and Student Union management to the Idaho Falls Student Center, causing a review and reconsideration of staffing assignments at the Pocatello campus as well. However, the Committee found no comprehensive plan relating enrollments to resources needs (page 44; see rec 1).

The faculty represents a major asset to the University, with clear commitment to the mission and goals, laboring under trying fiscal circumstances and exhibiting extraordinarily strong morale, while evincing exemplary dedication to meet the needs of students. In general, the faculty provides quality advising and positive encouragement to students. The University faces a clear challenge in assuring adequate staffing for its academic offerings, and this challenge has led to uneven utilization of different types of non-tenure track faculty with resultant uneven levels in quality and number of faculty used to meet the institution’s mission and goals (page 51; see rec 1 and 5).

Despite such successes and commitments, ISU’s goal of becoming a research-extensive university appears unrealistic in the near future, given the current budgetary limitations. Setting clear and realistic expectations and priorities will prove critical to the University’s success. A pattern of giving (in policy) and taking away (in practice) resources (e.g., Office of Research funding, unfunded weighting of graduate teaching) sends mixed messages and hinders the ability of faculty to maintain continuity in pursuit of research agendas. ISU has significant potential, particularly because of the dedicated and talented faculty, realizable only through strong leadership and a clear vision (page 54; see rec 1, 5, and 7).

The Library budget meets most needs of the undergraduate curriculum, though it falls short of the needed support for graduate and research needs across all programs. A new source of revenue for the Library initiated in 2003 – an allocation of 2 percent of indirect costs generated by external grants and contracts – recognized this critical need (page 56-57; see rec 1).

The long-time Computing Services Director retired a year ago, and many changes in the Department will occur. The ISU computing support structure consists of both the centralized services already mentioned, plus a large array of system administrators, support staff, and others who run computer systems for specific Colleges, Departments, or programs, many with their own software licenses, student labs, high tech classrooms, and labs. Funding varies extremely from College to College, as does the quality of the independent computer resources. Inequities exist between computer access at the best equipped sites and the worst funded areas, which concerns many students and faculty. However, the recent retirement has afforded the occasion to focus on change and improvement in the organization, governance, and structure of Computing Services, but the effort requires a University commitment, particularly with regard to the management of institutional data (page 57; see rec 1 and 3).

With budget and planning institutionalized at the Department and College levels, some confusion persists over the budgetary process (and the budget itself) at the University level. While most Departments and Colleges have conducted some forms of assessment and planning, no evidence exists of such activities in the academic support and administrative departments and entities. Little evidence exists to support a finding of planning, budgeting, and assessment performed in concert for the University as a whole. Weaknesses in the Office of Institutional Research and the lack of a relational database management system exacerbate this problem (page 61; see rec 1, 2, 3, and 5).

Given the projected demographic changes for southern Idaho , and the new eight-year program plan prepared for the SBOE, ISU faces the need for both fiscal and programmatic planning. The main cadre of students from which the University recruits has moved steadily westward, and the University must identify new student populations for recruiting. New funding sources will prove crucial to the development to new programs. The fee structure also requires carefully review in the light of potential legislative changes. (See Recommendation Number 1 in Conclusion below.)

As one way to address the space issue on the campus in Pocatello, the University secured funding for construction of the Rendezvous Building to provide for future growth. Originally planned as a 300 bed student housing project, this complex has evolved to include 50 classrooms and service rooms, dining services, a computer center, and student union functions - in addition to the 300 beds. In Idaho Falls, ISU and Eastern Idaho Technical College have initiated planning for a joint facility to meet needs, locating this new health science building on the EITC campus. Several options exist for the necessary expansion at the Boise center, requiring careful planning for programming and financing (page 64; see rec 1).