The State Board of Education’s recent decision to remove the word “flagship” from the University of Idaho’s mission statement reflects a choice that should cause concern for all of Idaho’s citizens. The choice is whether to encourage excellence or reduce all universities to the lowest common denominator. This is a significant philosophical question that is worth taking a stand on.
Imagine the State Board of Education telling Boise State that it could no longer refer to itself as having a top-ranked football program? What if it could only refer to the Broncos as just another Idaho public university football team, no better or worse than the rest?
Would that be good for the state of Idaho? No. By negatively impacting BSU’s ability to recruit players and reducing their national athletic recognition, the whole state would suffer. Such a move would send a message to BSU student-athletes and coaches that it doesn’t pay to work hard, get good results, and be the best you can be because your success and national position will not be recognized or celebrated.
We ought to be encouraging, not discouraging, the Broncos’ achievements on the gridiron.
Similarly, we would encourage the State Board of Education to acknowledge and celebrate the University of Idaho for its history, accomplishments, and academic strengths. The University of Idaho is Idaho’s flagship research university. That is an undeniable fact. It is the state’s founding university, it generates 73 percent of the competitive research dollars in the state and it is the state’s land grant university. The University of Idaho has by far the highest graduation rate and retention rate in the state. Seventeen of the 19 national merit scholars who enrolled in Idaho public institutions this year enrolled at the University of Idaho. National publications like Newsweek, Forbes and U.S. News and World Report continue to rank the University of Idaho singularly among the nation’s best.
These achievements demonstrate not only the university’s, but Idaho’s, quality and excellence.
The State Board of Education’s decision to remove flagship from the University of Idaho’s mission statement ignores the fact that today the University of Idaho serves as the state’s flagship. It always has, and it always will.
The university will continue its long legacy of leadership by serving the best and brightest students Idaho and the nation have to offer, and by generating new ideas and knowledge that will fuel Idaho’s economic vitality and quality of life in the 21st century and beyond.
Jeffry L. Stoddard is chairman of the University of Idaho Foundation. Michael Higgins is president of the University of Idaho Alumni Association.
