Navigating Idaho State University: A Comprehensive Guide
Idaho State University (ISU), a public research university in Pocatello, Idaho, has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1901. With over 250 programs offered at its main campus and satellite locations, navigating the university's facilities and resources can be a key factor in student success. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of ISU, including its history, academic offerings, campus facilities, student life, and athletic programs.
A Journey Through Time: The History of Idaho State University
The story of Idaho State University began on March 11, 1901, when Governor Frank W. Hunt signed Senate Bill 53, establishing the Academy of Idaho. The establishment of the Academy was contingent upon private land donations being made for its site. Pocatello Mayor Theodore F. Turner secured a permanent location for the academy. The Academy of Idaho officially opened its doors on September 22, 1902. Theodore Swanson secured the services of John W. Faris as the first administrator, with the title of principal.
Throughout its history, ISU has undergone several transformations, reflecting its growth and evolution.
- 1901 - 1915: Academy of Idaho
- 1915 - 1927: Idaho Technical Institute
- 1927 - 1947: University of Idaho-Southern Branch
- 1947 - 1963: Idaho State College
- 1963 - Present: Idaho State University
The end of World War I brought an influx of students to the school, and enrollment surged to more than 1,000 students. In the early 1920s, the institution officially adopted the Bengal as the school's mascot. Ralph Hutchinson was head football coach from 1920 to 1927, and he pushed to establish the tiger mascot and incorporate orange and black as the official colors. The institution was renamed in 1927, this time as the University of Idaho-Southern Branch, and continued as a two-year school, overseen by John R. Nichols. After Nichols left in 1946, Carl McIntosh, an associate professor of speech, was named the acting executive dean in January 1947. That March, the school was elevated to four-year status and officially became Idaho State College. At the age of 32, McIntosh was appointed the first president of Idaho State College, and he was one of the youngest college presidents in the United States. Although McIntosh was not originally interested in being an administrator, once the school became an independent college, he decided to remain president and see the institution through its early growing pains. Idaho State College was accredited as a four-year degree granting institution in December 1948, after much work by McIntosh and the faculty. Enrollment reached 2,000 in 1949. McIntosh left ISC in 1959 to become president of Long Beach State College, and he was succeeded by Donald E. In the ensuing years, Idaho State continuously expanded both its enrollment and the programs it offered.
The presidency of Richard (Dick) Bowen, from 1985 to 2005, is particularly regarded as an era of growth. Bowen served as the president of Idaho State for 20 years, and Connie, his wife, dedicated her time to cultivating community relationships and enhancing long-standing campus traditions. Arthur Vailas, former vice chancellor of the University of Houston System and vice president of the University of Houston in Texas, became president of Idaho State on July 1, 2006. He succeeded Michael Gallagher, who had served as interim president for one year during the transition. In February 2011, a majority of ISU faculty voted no confidence in Vailas and called for his resignation. This was also followed by a vote of no confidence by the students. Although Vailas faced mounting criticism and pressure from faculty and students to step down, he refused to resign and campus tension intensified. Vailas announced his retirement in August 2017, but he continued to serve as president until the expiration of his contract on June 17, 2018. He was succeeded by Kevin D. Robert W. is the current president.
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Academic Landscape: Colleges and Programs
Idaho State University is organized into several colleges, each offering a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs. These colleges include:
- College of Arts and Letters
- College of Business
- College of Education
- College of Health Sciences
- College of Science and Engineering
- College of Technology
ISU offers two doctoral level nursing programs after the Idaho State Board of Education approved a doctoral degree in advanced nursing practice, which will now give ISU two doctoral-level nursing programs. ISU's new doctoral experimental psychology program, the only program of its type in Idaho, accepted its first three students fall 2011. The new experimental psychology doctoral program complements ISU's doctoral clinical psychology program, created in the early 1990s. In fall 2013, ISU began to offer a bachelor's degree in dance. The new major is the only one of its kind offered within Idaho's university system.
Navigating the Campus: Key Buildings and Facilities
Understanding the layout of the ISU campus is essential for students, faculty, and visitors. Here's a guide to some of the key buildings and facilities:
- ICCU Dome (Holt Arena): Home to the Idaho State Bengals football team, this multi-purpose indoor stadium also hosts various events and concerts. The Minidome opened 56 years ago in 1970 and was renamed as Holt Arena in 1988. It hosts on average 300,000 to 400,000 annually and events have an estimated annual economic impact of $15 to 20 million.
- Reed Gym: A comprehensive recreational facility featuring a climbing wall, swimming pool, tennis courts, and more. In August 2010, Reed Gym announced the opening of a new addition, the Student Recreation Center, giving Reed nearly 100,000 square feet of recreational opportunities. Additions include added weight and endurance facilities, additional classrooms and teaching facilities, as well as open and window viewing areas to the four indoor tennis courts. Reed Gym is the refurbished home of Idaho State women's basketball, tennis, and volleyball. Featuring a seating capacity of 3,040, the building was remodeled in 2002 and officially reopened on December 17. It is also the home of the men's basketball team on occasions when Holt Arena is unavailable.
- The Pond Student Union (SUB): The community center of the university, housing the campus bookstore, student government offices, Outdoor Adventure Center, craft shop, ISU Credit Union, bowling alley, movie theater, Veterans Sanctuary, LEAD Center, and numerous conference/banquet rooms. The SUB consists of three floors. KISU-FM broadcasts from the first floor of the Pond Student Union, serving the university and surrounding communities with alternative music, NPR programming, and live coverage of ISU women athletics.
- Rendezvous Complex: A five-level building with 50 classrooms, ranging from 15-seat seminar rooms to a 250-seat lecture hall. The 255,000 square foot Rendezvous Complex built in 2007 is centrally located on the Idaho State University campus.
- Davis Field: Home of ISU track and soccer, built in 1936 as a public works project, originally called the "Spud Bowl". It is located at the base of Red Hill on lower campus. After Holt Arena was built, the football field became home to the Bengal track and field program, and the name was changed to honor Bud Davis, ISU's president from 1965 to 1975.
- Miller Ranch Stadium: The home of Bengal softball, completed in 2011.
Utilizing Technology for Campus Navigation
To further assist with campus navigation, ISU may offer resources such as:
- Official App for Campus Maps: A mobile application providing interactive campus maps and building information. The only campus map made by a student, for students.This app may include features such as:
- Location search
- Building details (departments, offices, classrooms)
- Accessibility information
- Real-time updates on campus events
It's important to note that app developers often update campus maps to reflect changes in building names, locations, and other relevant information. Examples of updates from other universities include:
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- Wentworth Institute of Technology: Updated names of locations, added room numbers, and increased space between pins in crowded locations.
- Andrews University: Increased the space between pins at all buildings and improved the accuracy of some pins.
- Central Michigan University: Removed demolished locations, updated names of locations, added new construction, and added community labeling.
- Eastern Michigan University: Removed demolished buildings, improved accuracy of some pins, individually labelled more buildings, and updated the names of some locations.
- Ferris State University: Added new locations, updated the names of some locations, shortened some building names, removed demolished locations, increased the space between pins, and relocated some locations.
- Madonna University: Added new locations and removed decommissioned buildings.
- Michigan State University: Reformatted the names of all locations, updated the names of some locations, added new locations, improved the accuracy of some locations, and added individual labeling for east/west and north/south wings of many buildings.
- Oakland University: Merged some locations, added more acronyms, added more locations, updated the positions of some locations, and individually labeled the baseball, soccer, and softball fields.
- University of Michigan: Added new construction, merged old pins into the new locations, improved the accuracy of some locations, and renamed some buildings.
Bengal Life: Student Activities and Organizations
Student life at ISU is vibrant and diverse, with a wide array of activities and organizations to cater to various interests.
- Associated Students of Idaho State University (ASISU): The student government organization, responsible for administering and overseeing student activities. Student government is administered by the Associated Students of Idaho State University (ASISU). Each year a president and vice-president are elected by the student body to administer and oversee a variety of activities either partially or fully funded by tuition-based fees. The ASISU Senate is the association's legislative body. The Student Activities Board, formerly the ASISU Program Board, oversees most of the student activity programming on campus. Every year the students elect a president, vice-president, and 20 senators.
- Student Organizations: ISU has more than 140 registered professional, academic, cultural, service and social student organizations. The cultural organizations host some of the largest events on campus with their "Cultural Nights" celebrations.
- Student Media: The Bengal, a weekly student-run newspaper, and KISU-FM (91.1), a radio station broadcasting alternative music, NPR programming, and live coverage of ISU women's athletics. In 2010, KISU-FM and the university developed a monthly public affairs talk show FIRST MONDAY: Idaho State University Forum.
- Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group (CW HOG): A regional self-help group providing recreational opportunities for people of all abilities. The Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group, otherwise known as CW HOG, is a regional self-help group that was formed in 1981 to provide recreational opportunities for people of all abilities.
Athletic Prowess: The Idaho State Bengals
The Idaho State Bengals compete in the Big Sky Conference of the NCAA Division I FCS. ISU won the NCAA Division I-AA national championship in football in 1981. In more recent years ISU has been competitive in track and field, winning the Big Sky Conference Indoor title in 2005 and 2006. The women's track and field team won their first outdoors women's Big Sky conference in 2007 with a score of 140.5 over Weber State.
The Bengals have a rich athletic history, with notable achievements in:
- Football: NCAA Division I-AA National Champions (1981)
- Boxing: NCAA National Champions (1953, 1957) as Idaho State College
- Track and Field: Multiple Big Sky Conference titles
For years the Bengals enjoyed athletic rivalries with the Boise State Broncos and the University of Idaho Vandals of Moscow. However, in football these rivalries diminished significantly after both BSU and UI left the Big Sky in 1996 to move up to Division I-A. The Bengals still enjoy a healthy rivalry in basketball with both the University of Idaho, who they have dominated in recent years; and Boise State, who has dominated ISU in recent years. Idaho State also offers a rugby program that plays in Division II.
Research and Innovation
Idaho State, along with the Idaho National Laboratory and other Idaho universities, worked to establish the Center for Advanced Energy Studies in 2007. In fiscal year 2011, ISU underwent a reorganization designed to allow for better interdisciplinary research and collaboration. The School of Performing Arts was created to allow students to collaborate, learn, and perform at the next level. In 2011, ISU purchased the $3.6 million former Ballard Medical facility and The ISU Research and Innovation in Science and Engineering Complex (RISE) was created. At that time, research was focused on a Crystal Growth Laboratory (it can grow giant crystals to support nuclear science and engineering programs), High Power Laser/Optics Laboratory, Imaging Laboratory, and a Human Interactive Environment Simulation Laboratory. RISE was eventually closed, and the facility underwent a remodel to become the William M. and Karin A.
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The Energy Systems Technology and Education Center (ESTEC) at the ISU College of Technology will soon be coordinating the nuclear energy education and training for technicians in a nine-state region. The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has designated ESTEC as the Northwest Regional Center of Excellence for Nuclear Education and Training. The top designation includes the states of Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah, and Nebraska.
In 2012 ISU researchers in the Bearden Vascular Health Laboratory found clues on how to block the effects of a chemical in the brain that contributes to dementia and strokes. In 2013 A team of Idaho State University researchers discovered that fish show autism-like gene expression after exposure to water containing psychoactive pharmaceuticals.
Additional Resources and Initiatives
- Career Path Internship (CPI) Program: Established in 2011, the CPI program provides students an opportunity to gain professional experience while in school. All CPI internships are paid positions that are aligned with the student's major or career goals. In 2016 the CPI program provided professional experience in approximately 1,000 internships both on and off campus.
- ISU Health Center: Each year, the ISU Health Center receives more than 10,000 visits from students.
- ISU-Meridian Health Science Center: Opened in 2009, delivering health professional programs as an addition to Idaho's Project 60 economic development initiative. In 2011 the Delta Dental Clinic was opened at the ISU-Meridian Health Science Center to serve low-income patients and provide advanced training for dentists. The ISU Meridian Health Science Center plans to open a new anatomy and physiology lab in 2014.
- Stephens Performing Arts Center: In 1998, Idaho State University received a gift of $10 million from Thelma E. Stephens. It was seed funding for the $34 million center that would bear the Stephens' names. Construction began June 10, 2002.
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