Austen Hunzeker
Staff Writer
President Robert W. Wagner highlighted the many successes and plans for Idaho State University during the delivery of the State of the University Address on Feb. 4 at the Bengal Theater on campus.
“Today’s students come from various backgrounds and have unique needs. Some are beginning their higher education journey right out of high school while others are returning to college after starting families or careers.” Wagner said, recalling his words from an editorial in June. “We must meet them where they are.”
Wagner went on to say that it is essential that colleges and universities address both student and workforce needs in order to emphasize a “customizable journey that meets students where they are and takes them where they want to go.”
Wagner believes that ISU is meeting these responsibilities despite any obstacles along the way. Five focus areas for the university, as mentioned in Wagner’s September inaugural address following the Bold Path Forward initiative, include:
- Enrollment growth and student success.
- Academic and research focus.
- Advancing and enhancing physical infrastructure.
- External relations and partnerships.
- Employee engagement, empowerment, and connection.
“We have made tremendous progress in all of these areas over the last year,” Wagner said. “2024 brought incredible momentum to Idaho State University. There has never been a more exciting time to be a Bengal.”
In fall 2024, enrollment numbers increased by 3.5%, with the total number of students enrolled being 13,078, the highest since 2015. The new student undergraduate class of 2028 is also the largest it’s been since 2014.
Wagner also shared that 23,000 workforce training, professional development, and continuing education students are served through ISU. Approximately $54 million was awarded in scholarships and waivers in the last year.
“This investment reflects our ongoing mission to make higher education accessible and affordable to students across the state,” Wagner said.
The university was able to access some of these funds for students through the annual Bengal Giving Day event last year, which raised over $1.1 million, the largest amount raised in the university’s history. March 18 is slated to be this year’s Bengal Giving Day, which Wagner seeks to make even more successful.
New students and current student events and opportunities have increased in the last year as well, according to Wagner.
The College of Arts and Letters is helping the state increase the go-on rate by expanding enrollment for rural first-generation and high-risk students by offering dual enrollment, mental health resources, and more. The College of Business also launched an alumni mentorship program that allows students to have access to graduate mentors for guidance during their undergraduate experience.
In addition, the new Bengal Succes Center is slated to be unveiled later this semester as a “multi-faceted one-stop center” with the mission to help students be successful academically as well as ensure faculty success as instructors.
“We see student success in all areas of the university,” Wagner said, pointing out the success seen in athletics.
Bengal athletes displayed their focus on academic success as 95 students earned recognition last spring, with the department-wide GPA being 3.49. According to Wagner, the football, volleyball, tennis, and basketball teams at ISU have experienced successes of their own this year.
“From record-breaking achievements to programs that empower students…Idaho State University is a place where opportunity thrives,” Wagner said. “Together, we are shaping a brighter future for our students.”
Wagner continued by sharing how academic and research excellence is at the heart of ISU.
The healthcare departments at ISU have created various opportunities for students and the community, including a new CRNA program that has over 200 applicants for a 24-spot program starting in the fall of this year. The College of Education has also helped prospective educators gain real-world experience in teaching.
ISU is one of five universities to be awarded funds to establish the Institute for Construction Education, Research, Technology, and Sustainability.
“This remarkable achievement positions ISU as a leader in advancing sustainable construction and transportation innovation,” Wagner said. “These accomplishments and many others are a testament to ISU’s unwavering commitment to innovation, excellence, and impact.”
Students and staff are most likely aware of the variety of construction projects that have taken place all over campus in the last year. According to Wagner, the Campus Master Plan has been completed, which paves a roadmap of development for ISU for the next 30 years.
The Student Union parking lot construction finished work in the fall, with the Leonard Hall $21 million renovation slated for completion in May. The pool at Reeds Gym is also finished and is currently being used.
In terms of external relations and partnerships, ISU has expanded partnerships with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM), College of Eastern Idaho (CEI), College of Southern Idaho (CSI), and more. ISU was also the first university in Idaho to sign a super agreement with the INL to expand research cooperation. NASA donated the DC-8 airplane to the College of Technology, and ISU received the Aspen American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Transfer Student Success Intensive Award in partnership with CSI.
“Together, we are shaping a future that reflects our institutional values of integrity, community, inclusivity, teamwork, shared responsibility, and learning,” Wagner said.
Opportunity Aligned Resourcing (OAR), an initiative outlined in Wagner’s inaugural address, is another way ISU has reached to create strategic institutional growth and sustainability. Bold Path Forward listening sessions have allowed Wagner to receive direct feedback from students and faculty in the last year.
“Thank you for being a part of this journey,” Wagner said. “Together, we are creating a future where every decision we make and every step we take is grounded in collaboration, insight, and purpose. And while we have been making all of this amazing progress in our five-goal areas, we have seen tremendous progress in our efforts to eliminate the structural budget deficit.”
Wagner announced that a balanced budget for 2026 is being presented one year ahead of schedule.
“I hope that you have seen and felt the energy and momentum from ISU’s accomplishments from the last year,” Wagner said. “At ISU, we embrace the opportunity and the responsibility of our mission with determination…Together, we’re ensuring that Idaho’s brightest days are still ahead…Go Bengals!”
