UIDAHO: A legacy of leading

As the Associated Press article that ran in the Coeur d’Alene Press on April 30 aptly pointed out regarding the departure of President Nellis, the last two University of Idaho presidents — Duane Nellis and Tim White — have gone on to lead larger universities (White is now chancellor of the 23 campus Cal State System and Nellis as president of Texas Tech). This is not a surprise. It is what the University of Idaho is all about sending our students, our faculty and, yes, sometimes our presidents, out into the world to change their communities and their professions.

The University of Idaho’s top job is attractive. The State Board of Education hires the president at all of Idaho’s state institutions. There are proactive steps that can be taken to attract the next leader and to keep that person at the helm of the University of Idaho. To be clear, it starts with the SBOE.

First, the board needs to advocate for higher education and work tirelessly to help each president secure the funding necessary to improve the quality of their universities. Second, compensate the next president appropriately. Each university has a set of peer institutions approved by the SBOE, salaries are comparable among these institutions. That means paying differently across our state universities because Idaho’s institutions are diverse with unique missions, outcomes and peers. Third, the board should create retention incentives. This has become a common practice in higher education nationwide.

These three steps will help ensure the University of Idaho continues its long legacy of leading as the state’s flagship, land-grant university, and its research leader, as well as benefit all universities in the state.

NANCY C. McDANIEL

Executive Director

University of Idaho Foundation, Inc.