Dean's View

Dean’s View

The university and college wish to thank Mike Weiss for his hard work and thoughtful service as interim dean, and then dean of the UI College of Agricultural and Life Sciences during most of 2003. Citing health concerns and personal reasons, Weiss, on November 12, announced that he was stepping down as dean. He has returned to his teaching position in the Department of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences.

We agree with UI Provost Brian Pitcher who told the university community, “Although his administration has been cut short, Mike Weiss has given greatly of his time and talents.” I will serve as acting dean until our college and its constituencies can select an interim dean.

Our 103rd fall as a college within the University of Idaho finds our enrollments at record levels—892 undergraduate and 228 graduate students. Without question, a CALS education at the UI is still a great investment for both student and state. In this issue, you will meet Meagan Rose and Noe Galvan (page 26). Without the generosity of alumni and friends, who provide $350,000 in scholarships to our college, it would be harder for them to attend UI. Raising even more money for scholarships remains a college priority. Consider all those bright Idaho students who still can’t afford college. In such cases, we all lose.

We must remember that scholarship investments in our future are an asset to us all. Obviously the student benefits by obtaining a profession that will result in a higher salary. We all benefit by having an educated citizen who will be able to repay that public investment through taxes and by creating innovations in his or her fields. However, to realize the entire benefit from this investment we need more opportunities for our graduates to practice their professions within Idaho.

Here our college also helps. We help communities make opportunities available to their residents and our graduates via community development programs, often available through our UI Extension offices. By providing communities with tools to recognize and take advantage of opportunities, we hope to strengthen them and increase options for them and our graduates.

For virtually every dollar the government provides, the college brings in an additional 60 cents. An example of how that works: The Idaho legislature and county commissioners help fund UI Extension offices. Extension faculty and staff, in turn, bring in government and corporate grant monies to help train leaders of new and old businesses in Bonner and Valley counties and youth programs in Idaho and surrounding counties. These grants are written by enterprising faculty and staff, who are well positioned to recognize local needs.

Without this dedicated and hard working group of people, Idaho would miss out on these innovative programs—important investments in all of our futures.

– Acting Dean Dick Heimsch