Attendees: Miles LaRowe, Mary Ann Carlson, Don Bird, Glenn Wilde, Keith Hinckley, Jennifer Fisher, Jim McFadden, John Hansen, Ann Meikle-Howell, Marge Foster, Carol Spain, Linda Milam, Bob Stiger, Mike Wright, Mike Lineberry, Susan Prestwich, Linda Trocki, Harold Blackman, Dan Hatch, Gary Higley, Jim Mills, George Boland, Randy Hurley, Cliff Brady, Ruth Brady, Lew Rodriguez, Greg Horton, Mark Young, Carol Baldwin

Chair John Hansen welcomed everyone. He asked Keith Hinckley to inform the Council of the action taken by the University Place Oversight Council (UPOC). Keith said that the UPOC is comprised of the Presidents of the institutions and announced that President Bowen and President Hoover have appointed John as Chair and Jim as Vice Chair of the Advisory Council. John asked if every had reviewed the minutes of the last meeting and asked for a motion to approve the minutes. Linda moved approval of the minutes. Seconded. Approved.

John introduced the eight new members: Mark Young, Karen Leibert, Susan Prestwich, Linda Trocki, Jeff Krantz, Lew Rodriguez, Jim Mills, and Mary Ann Carlson.. He requested approval of their appointments. Cliff so moved. Seconded. Carried. The new members have been assigned to one of the Subcommittees and that list (Attachment 1) is being distributed. The assignments are not locked in concrete and members may change if they would like. John formally recognized the make up of the Executive Committee: Glenn Wilde of the UI; Jennifer Fisher of ISU; Bob Stiger of the UI; Ann Meikle-Howell of ISU; the Chair of the Advisory Council, John Hansen; the Vice Chair, Jim McFadden; Immediate Past President, Keith Hinckley: and Linda Milam, Mike Lineberry, and Marge Foster, the chairs of the standing Subcommittees. He asked for a motion to acknowledge and approve the make up of the Executive Committee. Mark moved. Seconded. Carried. John said Council started out informally and as University Place has grown and matured the Advisory Council might consider adopting simple by laws to begin to provide structure for its growth and development. The Executive Council will consider this.

John asked that Council members to introduce themselves to the group for the benefit of the new members. Introductions rotated around the room. John said he is delighted with the make up of the Advisory Council.

John acknowledged the good work of the people whose terms have expired. He recognized Cliff for his support and dedication to University Place through his work on the Advisory Council and presented Cliff with a certificate and engraved letter opener. Others who were not present will receive their recognition in due course. John presented Keith with a clock for his work as Council Chair. He thanked him for his past dedication and continuing participation.

John explained that he had sent letters to the new members and that there will be an orientation for them. He and Carol will coordinate setting a date with them via e-mail. He also called attention to the Web Site that included the meeting minutes, committee assignments, and membership. That address is: http://www.if.uidaho.edu/upoc/upoc

Idaho State University: Jennifer relayed greetings from ISU President Richard Bowen. This group is very important to him and he would be here if he could. She acknowledged Keith’s leadership in working on the inter-institutional effort. The ISU is engaged in a $102 million capital campaign as part of their Centennial Celebration. To date $80 million has been pledged. The campaign will be used to fund the new performing arts center, new scholarships, faculty and program development. A great deal has been accomplished at University Place since the March 1998 agreement. We have 54 full degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, 50 courses of study, 250 faculty, and 3,000 students. All of the individuals who have been part of this effort are truly dedicated to providing education services to the upper Snake River valley. Activities that fall under the scope of this collaboration are academic programs, joint student services, and sharing facilities and management responsibilities. Quality is a critical key and the education at University Place is equal to the education provided at the main campuses.

Jennifer reviewed how the leadership of the Center works. The University Place Oversight Council (UPOC) provides policy direction. It is made up of the Presidents of the institutions, the chief academic officers and the Executive Director of the State Board of Education. Jennifer, Ann, Glenn and Bob are staff. The Local Operations Committee (LOC) meets monthly via compressed video and includes Jennifer, Glenn, Ann, Bob, the UI and ISU site registrars, the facility manager, and the budget officers. The LOC deals with local issues such as security, parking, programs, and classroom utilization and keeps a lot of people informed on a daily basis. The Presidents through the UPOC wanted to hear from business, industry and school districts in the area so the Advisory Council was formed. The Advisory Council serves an important role in an advisory capacity.

President Bowen’s presentation to the Joint Finance and Appropriation Committee included a plea for faculty equity. The faculty to student ratio and salary competitiveness are not where we would like them. The budget includes 12 new Arts and Science faculty with several in Idaho Falls, 10 permanent faculty across the state to help alleviate the critical shortage in health professions, and $1.2 million one time funding to meet the need for physics and biology labs in Idaho Falls. The new labs will be ready by fall. If it were not for EITC we would not be as healthy. They are providing space for 22 of our courses.

University of Idaho: Glenn reiterated the importance and quality of the Advisory Council leadership. He recognized Keith’s leadership in progressing from tough times, to a DMZ, and now moving beyond. The Advisory Council is critical in helping form programs and objectives and further higher education in Idaho. He thanked John for his leadership and work gathering new members. There is renewed interest from campus as we work with the INEEL, local communities, the Idaho Innovation Center and business and industry. UIIF offers graduate programs and professional education with some undergraduate programs. The focus is in areas of local concern and assisting southeast Idaho economic development in partnership with ISU. The UI is also engaged in a $150 million fund raising campaign.

The search for a new Dean for UIIF is underway and the Dean of the College of Engineering, Dave Thompson, chairs it. The search committee includes 6 local people including John. The pool of candidates has been narrowed to five at this point. Glenn recognized Bob for his success in involving faculty in strategic planning and direction. He commended Bob for his effectiveness in looking at new programs and initiatives. He said that also speaks to the caliber and energy of the staff.

Glenn said President Hoover would like to have been here but he is in Washington, D.C. working on the farm bill. Provost Pitcher is the President of the Association of Higher Education and is attending their meeting in Florida.

Eastern Idaho Technical College: Miles LaRowe said the news is good and the College goes well. The enrollments are solid or are increasing. They have had a record setting year. They have extended a helping hand to Lewis and Clark State College as they need help with the new CEO and program commitments made to the State Board in the past. EITC is actively engaged in the Governor’s rural initiative and are extending services in Region Six. The greatest success is with Teton Valley Hospital. There are 22 students in the LPN program. Salmon is asking for help and they are trying to help as much as possible by being actively engaged in the economic development issues.

Miles addressed the challenges facing EITC. The first issue is the library. The expansion is on time. They will open bids on February 27 and hopefully it will be complete in September. The Governor endorsed $33,000 in move-in funds for equipment and furniture and $10,000 to help out with the collection. One reason they have pursued the expansion so vigorously is the threat of accreditation sanctions. One critical component still exists. The Governor didn’t endorse funding for on going operations. All other colleges do receive money for that but EITC has to use student fees. The collection is sparse. He encouraged everyone to voice their support with decision-makers from Boise for the on going funding of library operations. The second issue is salary equity. Salary competitiveness is critical throughout the state. EITC loses personnel to government and industry and surrounding state institutions. Faculty are being offered double and triple amounts in other states. It is a major issue.

John asked Miles to talk about enrollment later in the meeting so they could move forward to Linda’s presentation since she had a plane to catch. He noted that Dr. Bird would make the Ricks College report as part of Item 9.

Facility Planning: Linda reported the subcommittee met in early December and distributed the Master Planning and Facilities Subcommittee Recommendation (Attachment 2). She reviewed the recommendations. Miles asked if the information had been sent to any one else. Linda said she hoped the Council would endorse and send them on to the appropriate university folks to the extent it was appropriate to include in the budget processes and requests for funding. Miles asked if the Governor had expressed an interest. Linda said he had expressed an interest in the number of libraries and how they function for the Idaho Falls campus. John called for a motion to approve. Linda moved the Higher Education Advisory Council approve the recommendation of the Facility Planning Subcommittee. Seconded. Carried.

Public Relations and Marketing: Marge distributed and reviewed the copies for the Subcommittee Mission, Goals and Action Items (Attachment 3) and the report on the January 17 meeting (Attachment 4). Linda T. asked who developed the web site. Ann responded Dave Anderson. Dave is the IT person for the UIIF. Lew asked if balloons with the logo could be used for the Cinco de Mayo fiesta on May 5 and 6. Marge thought it was a good idea and will talk more with Lew.

Community and Business Education Needs: Mike L. said the Subcommittee had not met. They will meet soon with new members. One of the recommendations from their last meeting was to develop a new questionnaire. In the past the staff found the information from the old questionnaire useful.

Glenn explained the 3 tiered levels of input. Level one is to engage the community. The Advisory Council provides advice and support at this level. In level two the LOC utilizing input from the Advisory Council and staff to frame and formulate policy and action. Level three is action by the UPOC on policy recommendations. For the past two years the signed agreement between UI and ISU has provided the framework. As objectives and perspectives have changed the framework has been adjusted. It is a working document and can change. Key actions approved by the UPOC in their November meeting were:

• Facilities Manager - There have been problems with who does what. Now there will be a single individual who takes responsibility, expedites the process, and makes decisions on site.
• Facilities Management Financial Support - This determines how funding for management of the three buildings is distributed.
• Maintenance Personnel - LOC recommended reclassification and appropriate pay for maintenance personnel.
• Additional Security - An additional $40,000 per year was added to the budget.

Jennifer added that reports and updates were given on:

• Parking - The campus is growing and there is a need for additional parking and a way to fund it.
• Space - There is need for additional classroom space
• Telecommunication space - The current space is completely utilized.

She said the process of working with the UPOC is getting better as the partnership matures. It is now three years old.

Bob introduced this item as an outgrowth of concern by the Executive Committee over the alphabet soup we deal with on a daily basis. They thought it would be a good idea to review what is behind the letters.

Center for Science and Technology (CST): Bob referred to the Master Plan map and said the CST would be the first building built on the north campus. The funding is in place with $1 million from HUD for the UI to provide planning, $1.2 million from HUD for the City of Idaho Falls to provide infrastructure and a $5-6 million grant promised by the Governor. The CST is an academic research facility meant to provide space for research and teaching professors. We hope to involve the Inland Northwest Research Alliance significantly and have state of the art communications. The CST will be tied to the Subsurface Geosciences Lab (SGL). We have a letter of intent from Bechtel to rent half of the CST until the SGL is on line. Regarding the timeline, Request For Qualifications from Architectural Consulting Services went out January 8. Proposals are due February 2. One of Bob’s graduate students is putting together a program for the building so the report will be ready for the architects. We will move through design approval, early site preparation, core and shell contract and the internal contract. January 2003 is the targeted move in date. The tight schedule is dependent on weather.

Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA): Harold Blackman provided a copy of his presentation (Attachment 5). INRA is a consortium of seven institutions. Harold credited President Hoover for initiating the alliance working with President Bowen and the other institutions to it. The primary goal is to provide research to benefit the Inland Northwest. It utilizes research to maximize the educational institutions efforts with graduate programs. He called attention to slide 9 that outlines the management of INRA. INRA contributes to the INEEL by revitalization of scientific and academic eminence in the labs. The Sabbatical program and the Educational Research program are other examples of collaboration. INRA will participate in the Subsurface Geosciences Lab. The Mission Statement really explains what INRA is about. It is a geographic alliance that links the seven member institutions.

Subsurface Science Initiative (SSI): Mike Wright began by saying how important the interschool collaboration in Idaho Falls is to the National Laboratory to meet their goal of hiring and upgrading scientific capability. INRA is also important in that respect. He distributed a handout of his presentation (Attachment 6). The Subsurface Science Initiative is composed of two parts: The Subsurface Research Program and the Subsurface Geosciences Laboratory (SGL). The SGL will be a 200,000 sq. ft. scientific facility. It is unique in that it will have an array of equipment to conduct meso scale experiments. The equipment will be big enough to simulate field experience and processes can be accelerated to gain data more quickly. There will be a large Geocentrifuge that can twirl 2 ton loads at 100 gravities. One hour in the machine will simulate 10,000 hours fluid flow in the field. There will be 12 large bays with high ceilings and 30 labs. It will be a major undertaking. They are ready to move now into concept design. $400,000 was approved by the last congress for conceptual design and review. That should be complete by 2002. It is scheduled to open mid 2007.

Idaho Innovation Center (IIC): John said Jeff Krantz is the new IIC Director but was not here. He continued that there have been preliminary discussions between ISU and the UI regarding the possibility of taking on the responsibility of the center. This is in the early stages and it would be premature to predict what will happen.

ISU/UI: Jennifer said most ISU students are undergraduates and most UI students are graduates. She does not have the complete information but will mail graphs to the Council. It does look like enrollments are up again. Glenn said he is pleased with the progress. The 5% increase is being met by the same resource base which is a credit to the fine staff.

EITC: Miles said FTEs are up and distributed graphs of the EITC enrollment (Attachment 6).

Don Bird said the name would be changed in the summer. They anticipate 11,500 students on campus at one time. They will offer 46 Bachelor degrees and 17 Associate degrees. The three track system where students attend 2 of the 3 tracts will allow them to bring in 42,000 students per year. The four year enrollment increase will bump up the ceilings from 11,500 to 14,500. They will start the new institute building as soon as the frost leaves the ground. It will be similar to the one at ISU. The classroom building will take a little longer but also will be started when the frost leaves the ground. There will be a lot of remodeling and additions. The make up of students will be about the same with 72% from out of state and 28% in state. There will be 100 new faculty and a lot of support staff. Eight Bachelor programs will be on line this fall, another 8 in the next year and then those numbers will get larger over the next 3-4 years. Evening school will be extended for Rexburg and Idaho Falls. There is an interest in increasing the numbers of Ph.D. faculty through hiring and encouraging professional development among the current faculty especially in the science areas.

ITEM 10: Report on the Student Union Building

Ann told us the SUB is 99% complete and the Grand Opening is scheduled for February 8, 3:00-4:00 p.m. The building was funded by the ISU students in Pocatello for this campus and by a donation from Samuel H. Bennion. It sits on UI Foundation land. It will be a great one-stop shop for students. It has a day care, computer lab, bookstore, food service, multi purpose room with a portable stage, student services, career and counseling center and information desk. She extended an invitation to everyone to attend.

Collaborative Funding: John suggested a resolution to endorse support for the $2 million collaborative funding for programs and development of infrastructure. It is floundering in the Legislature. The resolution could be transmitted to the Presidents, the State Board of Education and the Legislature. Mike L. so moved. Seconded. Carried unanimously.

Jennifer suggested sending a bulleted page developed by Ann, Bob, Glenn and Jennifer to explain how the spending would work. John said that would help the legislators. Glenn said the local leadership needs to push to get the funding. John said it would help if Governor Kempthorne could give his support. Glenn said he would accept it as an assignment to Presidents Hoover and Bowen to communicate that support even if it isn’t specifically in the budget.

Diversity: John wondered how we could develop more diversity on the campus and suggested reaching out to different ethnic groups to let them know what we have and to respond to their needs. Keith said that as we look at this campus it does not reflect the diversity in the community. John said that EITC does a good job and perhaps we could explore this area with them.

Land Swap: John has discussed the 19.2 acre Idaho Department of Lands parcel with President Bowen and the IDL. He is convinced everyone is working in good faith on this tough issue. The land was tagged onto a comprehensive swap that went into the Public School Endowment. The Endowment is a sacred trust that requires selling the land at public auction, for fair market value or rent it at fair market value. This has been upheld by a number of court decisions. IDL is willing to rethink it but it may have to be acquired at market value and we may need to come up with the funding. People are working on it and progress is being made. We are confident the parcel will ultimately be acquired it in time.

John thanked everyone for coming. Meeting was adjourned.