Bengals are back at Idaho State University; campus welcomes Class of 2030

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Classes are officially underway at Idaho State University in Pocatello and students are ready for another fall semester packed with events and education.

Classes began on Monday, August 24. The "Welcome Back and Orange Black" event held in downtown Pocatello had to be cancelled due to weather concerns. However, Tuesday night is "Cold Butts and Beer" hosted by Chi Alpha Christian Ministries at Bartz Field. The rest of the week holds events for incoming freshmen to meet fellow students and explore the campus.

This year also marks the first semester with the restructured university. In the Spring of 2026, President Robert Wagner announced the budget cuts were leading to university-wide changes for several colleges, including combining the College of Education with The College of Arts and Letters.

Even after a nationwide hack of the online educational program Canvas during finals week of the spring semester, Idaho State University remains a user of the software. Students find their classes, assignments, tests and quizzes through the online portal.

"This is my first semester doing in-person classes; last year I did all online," said Lizette Gamino, a sophomore student majoring in health sciences. "I'm just excited about meeting my teachers and classmates."

Other students on campus echoed Gamino's sentiment, saying they're excited to be back in the social circles of the campus.

"I'm excited, I'm getting to hang out with my friends," said Nate Kopp, a third-year bachelor student majoring in biochemistry. "I'm going to be finishing my honors thesis on new treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and I'm excited to do some new classes and learn some new things."

For students like Kopp, the Fall 2026 semester is where they decide whether their major was the right fit.

"This is the year I get to take biochemistry, so it's kind of like the year where I find out if I actually like the degree that I have, but it'll be good one way or another," he said.

"I'm excited for the labs to get to do the science; I have more science classes this semester," said Gamino. "I also want to be more part of the institution, like all the student activities and stuff since I'll be here every day."

Idaho State University will have the official census for the Class of 2030 after the tenth day of the semester next week. They'll also get a count on Census Day in October. The last several years have shown an increase in the incoming freshman class for the university, with each year beating the last. ISU took to Facebook and Instagram to welcome their newest freshman class with the iconic ISU logo filled with students.

For a full list of events happening at ISU this fall, visit isu.edu/calendar.