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The game of higher ed

| March 14, 2014 9:00 PM

Don't bet against new University of Idaho President Chuck Staben when he takes on all comers in racquetball.

In fact, if a couple weeks on the job and a 40-minute editorial board interview are any indication, you probably shouldn't bet against Dr. Staben on anything.

Staben is a scientist by training, a researcher whose intelligence and academic discipline will keep him away from perilous cliffs in a state boasting strong high school graduation rates yet depressing continuing education numbers. There's a big gap between those two test tubes, and Staben knows his No. 1 job is to get more students in class at UI.

But Staben also is a hard-charger, both athletically and, it's our sense, in leadership roles. At the University of South Dakota, he challenged any student to a racquetball match, and if the student won, Staben would buy lunch. Staben never bought lunch.

He's also an avid cyclist, which means it won't be long before he's likely spotted on any of North Idaho's many scenic, invigorating bike trails - or maybe even in Coeur d'Alene's Ironman competition. So with a couple of exercise pedigrees, Staben appears to have the stamina to outrun many expectations.

During his Press interview, Staben acknowledged that reversing the trend of flat or declining enrollment won't be simple. But he's convinced that a degree from UI is so valuable that as the university does a better job showing them how their investment will pay off, student enrollment will rise. And statistically speaking, he's absolutely right: Numerous studies show that wages earned over a typical college graduate's lifetime far exceed the earnings of someone with no more than a high school diploma. The fact that the University of Idaho is far less expensive than many colleges and universities, particularly for in-state students, makes it an even better bargain.

That doesn't mean the only roads leading to long-term success go through Moscow or UI-Coeur d'Alene; it just means students' prospects rise significantly when they invest in a good education. And in that regard, UI's mission is even more meaningful as the state's most prominent base for teacher training.

While he's getting acclimated on campus and off, we encourage Staben to put teacher education high on his priority list and apply his scientific and collaborative skills to evaluate the effectiveness of its programs. Are UI's education programs attracting the very best and brightest prospective teachers? Are they preparing them for the manifold challenges of today's world? And what about tomorrow's?

Our land-grand university is one of the state's greatest assets. Educating the teachers and professionals of the future is a high-stakes game we hope Dr. Staben and his colleagues win 21-0.