Attendees: Rep. Lee Gagner, Dr. Miles LaRowe, Mary Ann Carlson, Dr. Richard Bowen, Dr. Bob Hoover, Carol Baldwin, Carol Spain, Keith Hinckley, Marge Foster, Mike Lineberry, Tom Gale, Glenn Wilde, Judy McPherson, Ann Meikle Howell, Jim Mills, Jennifer Fisher, Dr. Bob Stiger, Bob Hieronymous, Karen Leibert, Fred Gunnerson, Amy Dirks-Stevens, Mark Young, Lew Rodriguez, Dr. Donald Bird, Robert Pack, Mike Kuhns, Greg Horton, Joanne Reece, Brad Leathley, Randy Bennedict, Dan Dennison, Dr. Brian Pitcher, Jerry Shively, Wayland Winstead, Kent Tingey, Jonathan Lawson, and Jeff Krantz

Chair John Hansen welcomed everyone. He requested a motion to approve the minutes. Marge Foster moved approval of the minutes. Mike Lineberry seconded. Motion carried.

Mike Kuhns, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, and Jim Bowman, Executive Director of the Eastern Idaho Economic Development Council, were introduced as new members. Representative Lee Gagner was recognized.

Item 4 was moved to allow Ray Burstedt time to get to another commitment. The Labor Market Assessment for Eastern Idaho is a large document that is currently available at the Eastern Idaho Economic Development office and will soon be on the Internet. The report covers a 5 county area consisting of Bonneville, Jefferson, Madison, Bingham and Bannock Counties. Ray presented information dealing with availability of trained personnel, educational levels of the population, employer needs, commuting profiles, and labor availability and demand. During discussion, Richard Bowen expressed the concern that Idaho's greatest export is it's young people and that we need to create jobs that will keep them here.

Facility Planning: Linda Milam was not in attendance and it was noted that Facility Planning had nothing new to report.

Community & Business Education Needs: Michael Lineberry reported that the subcommittee was looking at some exciting issues including reviving the 1998 student needs survey and working with the Eastern Idaho Forum on Information Technology (Attachment 1). Michael Lineberry moved the Advisory Council recommend to the Presidents repeating, with lessons learned, the student needs survey conducted in 1998, and bring it up to date and make it more inclusive with all member institutions for the use by staff to provide programs for the whole community. Keith Hinckley seconded. Motion carried. Michael Lineberry moved the Advisory Council endorse the appointment of a subcommittee to the Community and Business Education Needs Subcommittee, chaired by Jim McFadden, to identify information technology needs and we ask the institutions to appoint members to that subcommittee. Mark Young seconded. Motion carried.

Public Relations & Community Awarenes: Marge Foster reported the Mission Statement and Goals and Actions for 2000-2001 for the Subcommittee remain the same. A logo has been selected and they will run that by the PR people from the different institutions before making a recommendation. The Subcommittee met on March 27 to review the advertising efforts of UI, ISU, and EITC using billboards, cable, TV and radio ads. They have also brainstormed additional ways to inform the public of opportunities available in Idaho Falls. Some ideas include making presentations to high school faculty meetings, get groups like the Chamber of Commerce to host events at the Center, and have students highlighted through media such as Channel 8 and the Post Register.

John Hansen requested the Council members introduce themselves. Joanne Reese introduced the architects for the Center for Science and Technology, Dan Dennison and Brad Leathley, who are with NBBJ in Seattle.

Idaho State University: Dr. Richard Bowen graciously gave credit to Dr. Bob Hoover and the UI for leadership in the Center for Science and Technology. He said ISU is pleased to be a partner in this undertaking. Dr. Bowen recognized Rep. Lee Gagner's significant contributions in arranging the appropriation for property to be used as a land trade to acquire the property for the building. He said higher education had also received good help in the legislative session from the Governor and the State Board of Education.

University of Idaho: Dr. Bob Hoover echoed Dr. Bowen's comments. He said two people were very helpful to the University this year, Jim Clark from the Post Falls area and Lee Gagner. He thanked Lee Gagner for his incredible efforts in the land acquisition. He also thanked Governor Kempthorne for his budget which Lee and Jim helped get through the legislature. Dr. Hoover gave an update on the Inland Northwest Research Alliance, an alliance of 7 universities as part of the contract with the INEEL. Dr. Gautam Pillay is the new executive director. The next meeting of the INRA Presidents will include a reception and an opportunity to meet with Dr. Pillay. INRA will play a major role in supporting subsurface science research. The Center for Science and Technology is the first phase and it will house many of the Ph.D.s needed. Funds for the CST have come from various sources: 2.5 million from HUD; 5 million from the settlement funds through Governor Kempthorne; 200 thousand lease from INRA; and rental of 50% of the space from Bechtel and INEEL. Dr. Hoover said he is extraordinarily pleased with this project. The second phase is a subsurface science facility proposed by Bechtel/INEEL. The laboratory will provide the kind of experience needed by graduate students. The next piece to accomplish all of this is the transfer of the land made possible by Rep. Lee Gagner to the State Board of Education. From discussions with Billy Shipp, the land is an aesthetically attractive location that would attract world caliber scientists.

Dr. Hoover commended NBBJ for involving the communities and institutions in the planning of Idaho Place in Boise. He is pleased with the cooperation on integrated programs with ISU and other partners across the state. Ideas to grow programs and relations with EITC are also being pursued.

Dr. Hoover expressed thanks to everyone in the Advisory Council who wrote letters and made calls regarding funding support for higher education and support for the Center for Science and Technology during the legislative session.

Eastern Idaho Technical College: Dr. Miles LaRowe thanked everyone who had worked with regards to the success of legislative funding for higher education. He extended a special thanks to Lee Gagner for all his work on behalf of the EITC students. Dr. LaRowe said in reference to the Labor Market Survey that EITC is responding to the technical needs of the area and recognizes the potential for growth. This has been a good year but he expects a better summer and fall. The LPN program has a new look. It is accepting all interested students in order to train as many LPNs as they can. Other programs will soon follow. This should complement the ISU program and all of the health care industry.

Dr. LaRowe encouraged everyone to visit the EITC campus for the State Board of Education meetings Thursday and Friday.

This summer construction will take place on the Maintenance building and the Library addition. Health Education and the Administration building are in the planning phase. Next year a land bill will be pursued to expand the campus as well as funding for the new Health and Administration building. Dr. LaRowe also thanked the legislature for funding for resources to give faculty raises. It was welcome and needed and hopefully will stem the exodus of professional employees.

Ricks College - BYU Idaho: Dr. Don Bird said President Bednar was meeting with dignitaries who came for a ground breaking. He complimented the group for the effort made over a number of years to bring higher education in the area to where it is now. There have been so many people involved and it is very important to SE Idaho. He has had questions regarding when the name change from Ricks College to BYU Idaho will take place. People can begin using BYU Idaho at any time now. There will be a ceremony this fall to officially make the change. The work to change 2 year to 4 year programs is massive. They will have 46 programs plus associate degrees for full accreditation review in 2004. Hiring new faculty was a major concern with a total of 100 needed eventually. This year 38 new faculty are needed and they had over 600 applicants. Dr. Bird discussed the degree programs and provided a hand out (Attachment 2). They plan to have nearly 12,000 FTE students on campus at any one time in a 3 track system and this could build to 15,000. There is a great deal of construction involved. They are breaking ground for the Institute Building today and another building next week. Almost every existing building will be remodeled. Housing is a major issue. There is a need for more married student housing. If the private market can not provide enough housing, BYU Idaho may have to step in to provide it.

John Hansen thanked Dr. Bird for the information and said he is also amazed at what has been accomplished to meet the needs of Idaho Falls. He recognized the impact Dr. Bowen and Dr. Hoover have had in their ability and commitment to have the institutions work together as full partners.

Lee Gagner said this year business, higher education, and economic development realized they need each other. It was this backing that led to the improvement in higher education funding. He said work still needs to be done with the eastern Idaho legislators. Only two of the representatives voted for the funding. Next year he hopes every one will back legislation relating to venture capital funds. He said this will be important for new companies starting up in Idaho. John Hansen suggested this could be worked into future meetings to help develop a strategy.

Mark Young asked what benefits might derive from INRA and from continued cooperation among the institutions. President cited two ways to look at it. First, what is in it for institutions outside the state. None of the institutions are large research institutions. Together they can grow programs in certain areas and become globally recognized. Second, what is in it for Idaho. The state gains a first rate science center and with Argonne and INEEL the cooperation will make the technology corridor a reality.

John Hansen recognized Jerry Brady's contributions and support during the legislative session.

President Hoover said it is easy for the Presidents to say "Do it." It is up to the provosts, Ann, Bob and Jennifer to carry it out. Dr. Bowen said that by pooling resources across the state Idaho has something no one else has. We can produce more with the little resources we have. It is a pleasure to work with people willing to coordinate and cooperate.

Fred Gunnerson seconded the comments. He said there are some obvious needs, i.e. classroom space. In addition, he sees a need for housing for exchange scientist and faculty. He asked the group to start thinking about housing as a way to make the area more attractive to visiting researchers and scholars.

Dr. Hoover talked about the legislative appropriation of $500, 000 to be divided between four sites. The money is to be used for infrastructure and programming. He said it may not be a significant amount of money but it is a baseline to build on.

John Hansen announced the orientation meeting and lunch for new Advisory Council members immediately following this meeting.