Attendees: Dr. Robert Hoover, Dr. Miles LaRowe, Michael Lineberry, Elda Zounar for Bernie Sikorski, Linda Milam, Jim Bowman, Carol Baldwin, Gautam Pillay, Ann Meikle Howell, Dan Hatch, Greg Horton, Alan Young, Robert Pack, Jeff Krantz,, Julie Sellars, Ann Barnes, Amy Dirks Stevens, Jennifer Fisher, Jonathan Lawson, Keith Hinckley, Glenn Wilde, Carol Spain, Marge Foster, Bob Stiger, Dr. Richard Bowen, Jim McFadden, John Hansen, Darrell Buffaloe, Jerry Wallace, and Brian Pitcher

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

Community & Business Education Needs: Michael Lineberry reported that the subcommittee met a week ago. They discussed the issue of diversity and will address the Hispanic community needs at their next meeting. He called attention to two new programs sponsored by Idaho State University: Computer Information Systems and Geographic Information Systems. He provided handouts on enrollment at both ISU and UI. The Center is a growing and viable program. Ann Meikle-Howell explained the CIS program is a degree program and a certificate program. GIS is a certificate program. Jonathan Lawson said these programs are a result of the Governor's 2001 Higher Education Initiative. A new GIS faculty member will be in Idaho Falls, another in CIS will shuttle between Pocatello and Idaho Falls, and a third full-time faculty member in nuclear engineering will be stationed here.

Michael Lineberry said a number of members have had contact with the Eastern Idaho Forum for Information Technology (EIFIT). Carol Baldwin reported they volunteered to help run the student job fair and to put student resumes on the web site. Amy Dirks-Stevens said one of the problems with attracting new business to the area is matching Information Technology students with companies. Many students leave the region once they get their degree for better jobs. This service will help recruit new businesses as it will show a supply of employees. Marge Foster said making that connection with high school students in internships would be helpful as well. She referred to the web site created by a high school student for the Chamber of Commerce. Michael Lineberry said there is a community need that we are trying to meet. Dr. Richard Bowen said there seems to be an ill fit between what the institutions are doing and what the market needs are. They are working with the institutions to develop a list of programs available that can be taken to local businesses to see what needs to be added. Jim Bowman said one of the initiatives of the technology corridor is to inventory the needs. It should be an on-going process of inventory, gap analysis and filling the gap. Amy Dirks-Stevens referred to the Donovan study as a good resource and said it is available through the Eastern Idaho Economic Development Council. Bob Stiger said we do offer MS, MS and PhD degrees in Computer Science. There is a tremendous drop out rate due to students getting good jobs with only a year of coursework. One way to curtail this would be to develop internships with businesses to keep students in school. The second reason students drop out is due to the lack of math requirements in high school. Mike Lineberry said this is an interesting and evolving topic and the institutions have been helpful. Jim McFadden is the committee member who has been the contact with EIFIT.

One of the goals and objectives this year was to improve the academic programming information available to students. Both institutions have made significant improvements to web sites and brochures. Another significant need is to have a higher education in Idaho Falls or eastern Idaho corridor web site that people can access with hot links to the institutions. Jennifer Fisher had the action item to do that with a presidential internship for a student to work part time to create the web site. Jennifer commented that while UI and EITC's web sites are very good and ISU's is improving, we really need one site to show everything available.

Facility Planning: Linda Milam reported the committee did not meet. Things are progressing. Many attended the ceremony for the new Center for Science and Technology in late August. The draft program for that facility is essentially complete. She noted changes to be made on the initial Master Plan design including access to the CST and to the current campus area. Negotiations are on-going to acquire the "thumb" property. Initial planning is underway for a building Southeast of the Student Union building that could house the Technical Library and INRA. Their current space could be used for classrooms. The University of Idaho is also working with the state on funding for the Three Falls buildings: Post Falls, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls.

Glenn Wilde discussed IDANET, an initiative supported by the Governor to provide a large broadband pipe to every county seat that would then radiate to surrounding communities. The Higher Education Technology Committee of the State Board of Education has made a proposal to create a 45 megabit communications pipe corridor that extends from NIC in Coeur d'Alene to Idaho Falls. It will go to everyone of the institutions and will go out as a hub and spoke. The goals are to get this on the agenda for the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee and for higher education to take leadership in putting in the network to serve all of the institutions. The request of $1.7 million will include the on going cost of operations, the lease of the network bandwidth, technologies and upgrades, and some support services for the institutions. That provides for the long-term network. If additional bandwidth is needed, the institutions can build of the contracts.

Linda Milam mentioned the committee had worked with the universities regarding potential entry signage east of the Willow Creek building. There has also been discussion about a distinguishing feature that could be placed at the proposed entrance on the north side of the railroad tracks.

Public Relations & Community Awarenes: Marge Foster said the subcommittee met on July 23. They reviewed plans for the exciting joint advertising effort by UI, ISU, and EITC. It includes billboards, newspaper, and radio. The billboards are up at 3 different locations in Idaho Falls and they are designed to be moved to different locations. The newspaper advertising will begin September 23.

John Hansen announced the January meeting will highlight diversity. Plenary meetings are scheduled.

A web site that would link all the higher education institutions in Idaho Falls was discussed. Jennifer Fisher thought a presidential internship could be used to provide a student opportunity. Marge Foster had talked to an EITC student who was interested in doing an internship.

John Hansen introduced Dr. Gautam Pillay, Director of the Inland Northwest Research Alliance. Dr. Pillay described the collaboration of the seven different institutions and the INEEL within INRA. Currently there are 19 multi-year research grants that are funded primarily in the area of subsurface science. Many of these will benefit from the Center for Science and Technology and the proposed Subsurface Geosciences Lab. Sabbaticals and educational opportunities are also funded. Another use of funding is to match proposals made by INRA institutions. Future opportunities will be developed through the Subsurface Science Research Institute, the Subsurface Science Initiative, the Center for Science and Technology, Subsurface Geosciences Lab, and INEEL projects (biomass utilization, material science, and energy programs. In summary, INRA is developing an alliance in collaboration with INEEL, with other national laboratories and private industry to do research together, develop business opportunities together and to foster economic development along with educational opportunities. INRA is unique in it's involvement of universities with the national labs. Bob Stiger asked if there were plans to get involved with Pacific Northwest Laboratory. Dr. Pillay is working on a memorandum of understanding in basic sciences, life sciences, and environmental management to link the INRA campuses with the PNL on broad-based initiatives. It would not be a formal role like the INEEL.

September 6-7, INRA hosted the first Subsurface Science Symposium. This is an annual event and was very successful. INEEL and INRA institutions were involved in the presentation and posters. There were 136 participants.

Mike Wright explained that Argonne is distinct from the INEEL and said discussions between Argonne and INRA relating to nuclear science are accelerating.

Idaho State University: Dr. Richard Bowen commented that INRA's development is exciting. There were efforts over a number of years to glue the institutions to the INEEL but things did not happen until now. He expressed concern over the events of September 11 and the effect of the current economy on higher education. He acknowledged President Hoover's leadership in putting INRA together.

University of Idaho: Dr. Bob Hoover agreed that the progression of INRA is exciting especially with the potential of adding another member institution. He said the internship program presented at the EIFIT meeting was one of the best conceptually designed and developed programs he has ever seen. Using the web page as a source for interaction to find interns is exciting. The Chamber of Commerce web page developed by the student is very advanced and sophisticated.

Dr. Hoover said the Three Falls concept was suggested by people in Twin Falls. Twin Falls and Post Falls would both like a facility like Idaho Falls and University Place is in need of additional classroom and laboratory space. The geographical representation on JFAC may help the Three Falls concept. A yearly appropriation like the BSU model for their Engineering Building might be another way to accomplish this.

Dr. Hoover said there is a 2% holdback. Given the revenue projections by the state it is quite likely that we will lower the base of the institutions by 2% for FY 03 and then build a budget based upon that. It is also possible that this is not as deep as we will have to go. It will slow us down and we will have to find other ways to build revenues to support the many activities we are interested in to bring education to Idahoans.

Eastern Idaho Technical College: Dr. Miles LaRowe reported that fall enrollment is very strongEITC has more FTE than ever. Health enrollments are high, work force training and community education are average, and adult education courses are curiously low. There are a number of construction and renovation projects on campus. Signage, parking lots, ADA projects, the library construction, the maintenance building construction, fiber optic connectivity and the health science building are all underway or complete. They are on time and on budget. Dr. LaRowe invited everyone to the library dedication on Tuesday, November 13. Their legislative agenda will include a request for a new health center and renovation of the old building to classrooms that should help Idaho Falls and the rural areas. Some funding will come from the Foundation. They are looking at doing a lot of LPN outreach.

BYU Idaho: Alan Young said the name change to BYU Idaho is now official. Homecoming is this week and they are celebrating the name change and future opportunities. There is a lot of construction on campus and everything is going well. Enrollment is up. All the buildings on campus will be upgraded and renovated.

Dr. Bowen said he believes there is opportunity for all in the growth of BYU Idaho. The ISU enrollment has increased 5% and he thinks this demonstrates that.

In light of the recent national events, John Hansen asked Dr. Robert Hoover to discuss how the UI has responded to different threats to the Biotechnology building. Dr. Hoover said there was concern over a threatening letter from a national terrorist organization to the university about involvement with Boise Cascade. In addition, the Environmental Liberation front is a shadowy group that has been involved in a number of terrorist activities associated with genetic research. They burned a research lab at the University of Washington. Perpetrators broke into the new Biotechnology building at the UI and sprayed acid based paint on windows that are crucial to the research being conducted. The next time they painted slogans across the institution. The UI is very concerned with this form of terrorism. Dr. Hoover is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Associations of State Universities and Land Grant Schools. He will present a proposal for the organization to be more active in getting legislation for tougher enforcement laws for domestic terrorism. There is pending legislation from a Washington State Representative and the assumption is that it won't get lost in this session. Obviously the external terrorism threat is greater now. It is chilling to think about the loss of research and the potential the research offers. As a result of the threats, the UI has changed it's security system.

Amy Dirks-Stevens said that an animal rights group killed a Dean when she worked at a veterinary school in the '80s. Vet schools have a wealth of information. Dr. Hoover agreed and said the UI has worked closely with Washington State University, which has a veterinary school. We can also learn a lot from industries like Boise Cascade. Mike Lineberry said the Defense Threat Reduction Agency is a very significant federal agency with numerous programs aimed at biological and chemical threats. Perhaps Argonne, PNL, INEEL and INRA could think about putting efforts toward planning activities to help the nation avoid the awful results of terrorism. Dr. Hoover said ISU and UI are members of the National Association of Information Assurance and are looking at infrastructure protection issues. It is appropriate to think about the role of laboratories and universities in providing research necessary for infrastructure protection and taking a leadership role. Dr. Bowen said the federal government had tried to hire the people at ISU involved in this. The staff were wise in their sense to continue the development of the programs. Jim Bowman said one of the target industries for the technology corridor is information security and information assurance businesses.

John Hansen asked if there was a possibility of another holdback and what effect is it having. Dr. Bowen said ISU would layoff 24 people June 30. He stressed the importance of keeping the new initiatives. Dr. Hoover said another effect would be higher student fees. Fees are going up significantly in other institutions.

Keith Hinckley asked if the collaborative agreement with UI, ISU and EITC was complete. Dr. Miles LaRowe said it is in the last stages. It is on his desk.

The next meeting will be January 16 at 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.