U of I president visits Weiser

The Vandal Truck rolled into Weiser on Nov. 10 as University of Idaho President Scott Green visited while traveling southern Idaho.
 He ate lunch with university alumni at Ruszoni’s Pizza and answered questions after giving a statement regarding the condition of the school and the upcoming semester.
 While the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for many, students in a university setting face a unique situation. The UI has worked toward keeping as traditional a setting as possible for its students, said Green, offering a combination of in-person courses as well as online.
 “You should be proud of your University of Idaho,” said Green. “We took this thing head on.”
 Every student was tested before able to enter campus and attend classes. In an effort to remain as self-sufficient as possible, the school has opened their own testing lab. UI makes their own sanitizer, has thermal energy devices around their food court, and has developed a system to test wastewater, enabling the community to control the spread of the virus. Only one death has been reported on campus, said Green. With the use of their own lab, the university was able to aid in the testing a local senior citizen facility.
 “Everybody talks about higher ed and how we don’t…react to change,” said Green. “What this team did up there at the University of Idaho this summer, I’ve never seen anything like it. They just flat out got it done.”
 Green said the pandemic was the biggest threat to the survival of the school. However with the UI remaining open through the fall semester and hopes of remaining open through the spring, he said he believes the school and community will emerge stronger.
 With the help of his team, he said his goal is to keep Moscow a vibrant town and help local businesses remain open. By keeping the campus open and running through both semesters, UI will be able to continue to contribute to the local and state economies.
 “I promised the business community I’m going to do my very best,” said Green. “Our goal is…to keep adding value in our communities. We are a $1.1 billion contributor to the Idaho economy, and we want to keep doing that because that’s what Vandals do.”
 UI requested that majority of professors teach their classes live for the fall semester, said Green. 70 percent of the classes offered are either high-flexed or live and 30 percent are online, only increasing from the previous 21 percent of online offered classes. Before the semester began, he said the situation caused a lot of consternation among professors, however now are appreciative of the classroom setup. No positive case has been traced to the classroom.
 “The minute classes started, faculty were so glad to be back with their students,” said Green. “It means that we’re doing all the right things.”
 While the UI alumni community in Washington County is significant, a limited amount of individuals were invited in order to protect Green from the virus as he travels the state. Concerns regarding recruitment and growth were inquired, with the pandemic creating obstacles with high school recruitment.
 Through the program Enroll Idaho, recruiters encourage students to continue their education at any institution but particularly at an instinution in Idaho. Through the program, students are taught to be healthier, wealthier and wiser. With a college degree, individuals are projected to live nine years longer, become wealthier over time and are shown to participate more in their communities.
 “We’ll keep fighting the good fight,” said Green.
 

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18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
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