“ISU drives impact,” Idaho State University President Delivers Fall Address “Rooted in Legacy, Driven by Purpose”

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The fall semester has been underway at Idaho State University for a few weeks, and President Wagner gave his fall address titled "Rooted in Legacy, Driven by Purpose" to cover the 125 years of history and what his administration seeks for the future of the university.

The theme of today's speech was resilience, persistence and courage to continue carrying the baton of ISU's legacy from the Bengals of the past. President Wagner explained that ISU wasn't always a four-year institution, rather went through an evolution of being a technical institute, a southern branch of the University of Idaho, a two-year academy and finally, after decades of advocacy, a university.

"Nobody handed us a beautiful campus," he said to the crowd. "125 years were built by countless individuals committed to this campus."

The rich history of the educational institution at the base of Red Hill has built what ISU has become today. President Wagner said in the earliest days, students boarded with local families and dined in a hall they lovingingly nicknamed "The Beanery." At one point during the university's history when it was a southern branch, U of I students refered to it as "the twig."

A basement was used as a lab, students roomed in cardboard boxes and tents, building tiny cities to afford going to school. It took 46 years of advocacy work from individuals like Theodore Turner until 1963 when ISU became the four-year university that serves thousands of students today.

"We exist for one purpose," President Wagner said. "To make impact. ISU drives impact."

That impact is felt across disciplines as ISU makes waves in nuclear power, healthcare in rural communities, pharmaceutical programs, and on the national athletic stage. President Wagner said ISU has faced backlash for decades.

"There were poeple who thought our ambitions were too large. People who wondered whether Idaho really needed what was being built here, and Bengals answered them with results," he said. "Idaho State accumulated something far more important than prestige. It created purpose."

He went on to say the real measure of the success of a university isn't about the size of the building or the amount of money in their budget, rather the impact built because the university exists. Every higher edcuation institution in Idaho faced challenges in the spring when statewide budget cuts put a strain on university's to determine where programs could be cut, combined, moved or adapted.

"We adapt, evolve and even embrace change,"

-President Wagner

"The greatest contributions aren't behind, I believe the opposite," he said. "We become indispensable to the state and become a part of shaping Idaho's future."

Following his address, President Wagner said he's most excited for the energy felt already on campus this fall semester. With all the 125th Anniversary celebrations continuing this year, progressions across fields including the success of athletic teams, there's a tangible energy on campus.

This is the first semester under ISU's new structure, presented in last spring's Presidential Address following statewide budget cuts and university-wide layoffs. The president said he's been proud of how the faculty and staff have adapted to these sweeping changes.

"There have been a lot of changes in the last six months," President Wagner said. "They have perservered, they've been strong. And we're figuring it out together. We're doing what we need so that the students come here and have a tremendous experience."

He also said that ISU is no stranger to change; with 125 years of rich evolutionary history, faculty, staff and presidents of the past have been forced to adapt and welcome changes to meet the needs of modern students. The president said he has no intentions of slowing down the forward progression anytime soon, and that the university will uphold its Contract for Idaho to continue returning the investment to university families.

"We know our students and families invest in us, and we take seriously that there needs to be a return on that investment. We want students to come and have a fantastic experience, to come and get the degree that they want and need to meet their goals," President Wagner stated. "That's our responsibility. Our purpose is to create impact."

The Contract for Idaho ensures ISU stays on a path forward to continue making an impact for statewide industries.

The president's fall address came this afternoon as part of ISU's Celebration Week, which culminates with the ISU football game at the ICCU Dome on Saturday, September 12. The second annual Bengal Block Party is Friday, September 11 from 4-7 p.m. and is an event open to the public with vendors, food and live music.