Idaho State President Introduces Strategic Plan at Annual Fall Address

“We accomplished great things last year,” he said. “We excelled. We improved each of our campuses, we increased our research and creative activity output, we enrolled and graduated more students, we had a waitlist in student housing for the first time in recent memory. Our women’s basketball team was again the conference champions, we hosted the first ever Hispanic Youth Leadership Summit in eastern Idaho on our campus. Idaho State University was again named a top-ten military-friendly University, and our debate team closed the season with their third consecutive win on a national stage.” 

Satterlee also congratulated the campus community for receiving two commendations from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, for improvements to effectively and transparently communicate, and for cultivating a culture of fostering an inviting, inclusive, and student-centric environment.

Moving forward, Satterlee said the University Strategic Plan, approved by the State Board of Education in June, gives the University community a path forward and a plan. 

Strategic Plan goals include: 

• Strengthen programmatic excellence
• Cultivate external partnerships
• Expand research, clinical and creative activities
• Energize the Bengal community

This year, Satterlee said the University would work together to build a campus master plan to meet benchmark goals in the Strategic Plan. 

Also, during the Fall Address, Satterlee announced the University’s goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions. While Idaho State develops its long-term sustainability goal, Satterlee said the school will begin investigating the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of its buildings. All power generated from the rooftops will be distributed to students living in on-campus residence halls. Electric charging stations are already being installed at the Pond Student Union in Pocatello in response to student demand. 

“Today, we’re going to move ISU forward on the path of eventually operating in a carbon-neutral, net-zero fashion,” Satterlee said. “This year, we are going to assess and inventory our carbon footprint, collect the right data and create informed and achievable objectives that will move us toward a carbon neutrality goal. This undertaking is not going to be simple or easy. We will take the advice from experts once they have the data, but I think there are some efforts that we can begin right now.”

Some programs are already seeing success, especially in student retention, Satterlee said. Although a budget request to the state legislature for more academic advisors to support ISU’s new Navigate program was not funded, Satterlee said the University saw the need and worked with donors to help fund the program and new advisors. The University also upgraded campus housing and created Bengal Connect, which pairs first-year students with faculty and staff mentors. 

Preliminary results show that spring-to-fall retention rates were up between 3 and 7 percent over their previous five-year average. Grade point averages for first-semester students also improved, increasing their chances they will return for another semester. 

“This is significant. We are moving the needle for students and their future,” he said. “When they arrive on our campus we have a moral duty to ensure they leave with the degree or certificate that will change their stars.” 

Other 2022 Highlights

• The College of Arts and Letters is providing state-of-the-art distance education technology that allows Idaho high school students in rural communities the opportunity to directly be part of ISU classes taught by ISU faculty. 

• The College of Education launched a program to help practicing paraprofessionals earn their college degrees and obtain teaching certificates to help with the teacher shortage in our state. 

• The College of Business is creating the new Walter P. Brown Center for Sales Excellence, the first sales center in the state of Idaho. 

• The College of Science and Engineering is meeting statewide demands in rapidly growing fields by launching new programs and degrees in cybersecurity and Computer Engineering. 

• The College of Technology is solving industry workforce shortages with new certificates and degrees in Cloud Computing, Respiratory Therapy, Nuclear Welding, and Nuclear Facility Operations.

• The Graduate School recruited more graduate students and enrolled its largest class ever last fall. 

• The University recently received a $14 million gift from the ALSAM Foundation to undergo a $20 million renovation of the Skaggs College of Pharmacy’s facilities in Leonard Hall on the Pocatello campus.