Terraka Garner
Staff Writer
A tour was recently given to all 17 members of a committee with ties to ISU who are dedicated to finding out the facts in relation to the current presidential mansion, the Servel House.
“The mission of the committee is to assess the current condition of the Servel house, which has been an Idaho State University presidential residence facility for 63 years and whether it should be repaired, renovated or reconstructed for the needs of the university today and into the future and looking at other potential options,” said Valerie Hoybjerg, chairman of the committee.
The committee is made up of ISU alumni, faculty, staff and students alongside community business leaders.
Members of the committee include: Dirk Driscoll, Shelbie Harris, Kim Hirning, Valerie Hoybjerg, Sarah Knudson, Amy Manning, Phil Meador, Eva Nye, Dan Ordyna, Tom Ottaway, Jordan Reed, John Sargent, Corey Schou, Jenny Semenza, Syd Sharp, Kyle Son and Josh Tolman.
According to Hoybjerg, there are four options that the committee has been given, all of which are in direct compliance with state law and policy. The committee will reportedly be giving their suggestions as soon as they can come to an educated conclusion based off of the information that each member has had the chance to review.
The four options include repairing the current Servel House, giving the president a stipend of money to buy his own home, constructing a brand new presidential residence or allowing the ISU president to purchase an already constructed property.
“We have to define what the needs of a presidential residence facility are because one part of it, but only one part, is that it’s where the president lives. The other part is that they have to maintain the image of the university,” said Hoybjerg. “It’s used more predominantly as a business function for the president to be able to raise funds in intimate settings.”
A document that was generated by an architectural grad student, according to Hoybjerg, stated that the Servel House was at one time a home for underprivileged girls. Allegedly, 34 girls lived there with two supervisors.
The house was renovated several times and then left empty. It is said to be nearly 100 years old.
The Servel House was purchased when Dr. Carl W. McIntosh was the president of ISU. The document stated that McIntosh went through the same thing that president Vailas is currently going through.
“It’s almost as if history is repeating itself,” said Hoybjerg.
The committee members, according to Hoybjerg, yearn to reach an agreement on a recommendation for the presidential residence as soon as possible, but they are not yet sure of when exactly a verdict will be reached. Students at ISU, however, are currently discussing their own ideas of what they think should occur.
“I think that Boise State just gives their president a stipend for housing, which I kind of personally think that’s the direction we should go if the president is unhappy with the house that the university is already providing him,” said Christopher Bitikofer. “I believe the reasoning why they wanted a new house was that they were spending too much money on maintenance of this house and it was just absurd amounts, like $30,000 a year they’re pouring into his house. I don’t know if they are gold-plating his bathroom or what but it’s frustrating.”
“I think if he wants a new house other than the one that’s given to him, you know being the President of ISU, he can buy his own house just like anyone else who has a job. I don’t think it should just be paid for,” said student Sarah Finch.
Several faculty members at ISU declined to be interviewed.
ISU student Samuel D’Amico deemed this to be because of a culture of fear to speak out amongst the faculty.
“There is a culture of fear at ISU and it impedes all of the freedom of thought that a university should stand for,” said D’Amico.
One staff member spoke anonymously on the subject.
“If the president needs a new house, it needs to be located on university property, not up Gibson Jack or somewhere else,” said the staff member.
D’Amico feels the higher-ups in the university are not communicating effectively with the students.
“I have never had a conversation with [President] Vailas and I know very few people who have. I think that he needs to be more involved in the university. He needs to respond to the university more,” said D’Amico. “I don’t know the complications of running a university and Vailas isn’t helping with that since he’s not explaining the complications.”
Director of Marketing and Communications Adrienne King said the university doesn’t want to say or do anything that would influence the committee while it conducts research and works to make their recommendation.
