Idaho State University
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Idaho State University |
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| Motto | Veritas Vos Liberabit (Latin for "The Truth Will Set You Free") |
| Established | 1901 (university status 1963) |
| Type | Public |
| President | Arthur C. Vailas, Ph.D. |
| Staff | 452 |
| Students | 13,802 |
| Undergraduates | 10,552 |
| Postgraduates | 3,250 |
| Location | Pocatello, Idaho, United States |
| Campus | 1,000 acres (250 acres developed) |
| Sports | Bengals |
| Colors | Black and orange |
| Website | www.isu.edu |
Idaho State University (ISU) is a public university operated by the State of Idaho. Its main campus is in Pocatello with outreach programs in Idaho Falls, Boise and Twin Falls.
Enrollment for fall semester 2006 was 12,676 students, including 8,848 undergraduates.[1] ISU enrolls a large number of older, non-traditional students who live and work off-campus. ISU's enrollment shrunk from 13,977 for fall semester 2005, likely because of increased tuition costs.
Notable programs at ISU include liberal arts, business and health care. Its College of Pharmacy is regarded as one of the best in the western United States.[citation needed]
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[edit] History
On March 11, 1901, Governor Frank W. Hunt signed Senate Bill 53 establishing the Academy of Idaho contingent upon private land donations being made for its site. By 1910 enrollment had reached nearly 300 students. The academy purchased three city blocks in Pocatello to help meet its needs.
In 1915 it became Idaho Technical Institute. The end of World War I brought an influx of students to the school; enrollment surged to over 1,000 students. The early 1920s saw the beginning of intercollegiate competition; at this time the Bengal was adopted as the school mascot, one of its early coaches was from Princeton; whose colors are also black & orange and mascot is the tiger.
In 1927 the school was renamed the University of Idaho - Southern Branch. Twenty years later it was renamed Idaho State College and became a four-year school for the first time. The following year, in 1948, enrollment reached 2,000.
In 1963, the school was renamed for a fourth time to Idaho State University, reflecting its new status as a full four-year public university. In the ensuing years ISU continuously expanded in both enrollment and programs offered. The presidency of Dr. Richard L. Bowen from 1985 to 2005 is regarded as an era of particular growth. As of 2006 ISU had colleges in arts and sciences, business, education, engineering, health professions, pharmacy and technology.
On July 1, 2006 former University of Houston vice chancellor Dr. Arthur C. Vailas became president of the university. Vailas replaced Michael Gallagher, who had served as president on an interim basis since Bowen's 2005 retirement [1].
[edit] Student life
Given its large non-traditional and off-campus enrollment, ISU does not feature some on-campus activities one might expect at larger public universities. ISU does not feature large scale Greek activity for example. However, this doesn't mean the campus is lacking in student activities or Greek life. In fact, the 2005-2006 student organization of the year was Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
One of the outstanding achievements at ISU is the production of its literary magazine, Black Rock & Sage.
Reed Gym is full of recreational facilities for students to use, including a climbing wall, swimming pool, tennis courts and more. The Pond Student Union operates a movie theater, billiard room and bowling alley and hosts many student club activities. Fine arts events are regularly featured at the L.E. & Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center.
Student government is administered by the Associated Students of Idaho State University (ASISU). Each year a president, vice president and student senate are elected by the student body to oversee a variety of activities either partially or fully funded by tuition-based fees.
Off-campus, many Pocatello businesses are geared towards the university community. Many ISU students take advantage of Pocatello's proximity to outdoor activities in eastern Idaho and northern Utah. ISU is approximately 150 miles from the urban center of Salt Lake City.
[edit] Athletics
The Idaho State University Bengals compete in the NCAA Division I (I-AA for football) Big Sky Conference. ISU won the NCAA Division I-AA national championship in football in 1981. It also won NCAA national championships in boxing as Idaho State College in 1953 and 1957. In more recent years ISU has been competitive in track and field winning the Big Sky Conference Indoor title in 2005 and 2006.
In 1977, the men's basketball team was in the national spotlight for its defeat of UCLA in the West regional semifinal and coming within one game of making the Final Four. This was during the era when the Bruins were still regarded as invincible, maintaining their legendary reputation and mystique from the 10 national championships won under Coach John Wooden, despite the fact that the "Wizard of Westwood" had been retired for 2 years and were coached by Gene Bartow when they lost to the Bengals. However, the Bengals dream of making the Final Four ended with their losing to UNLV's Runnin' Rebels coached by Jerry Tarkanian, who would lose the national semifinal game to Dean Smith's North Carolina Tar Heels, who would subsequently go on to lose the title game to Al McGuire's Marquette Warriors (for Marquette's only national title).
Home football games are played at the 12,000-seat Holt Arena (known as the Minidome until 1988), the oldest enclosed stadium on a college campus in the United States. Holt Arena also hosts indoor track and field events. After several seasons of playing at cozy Reed Gym (capacity: 2500), the men's basketball team will again play its home games inside Holt Arena.
For years the Bengals enjoyed athletic rivalries with the Boise State Broncos and the University of Idaho Vandals. However, these rivalries diminished significantly after both Boise State and Idaho left the Big Sky Conference in 1996 to move up to Division I-A. In the current century, the Weber State Wildcats of nearby Ogden, Utah have become ISU's main rival.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Stacy Dragila — 2000 Olympic gold medalist, women's pole vault
- Merril Hoge — ESPN commentator and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back
- Sue Ane Langton — actress
- Marvin Lewis — Cincinnati Bengals head coach
- James A. McClure — former U.S. Senator
- William Petersen — actor, star of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
- Jake Putnam — journalist
- Antonio Taguba — U.S. Army general
- Roger Williams — pianist
- Jared Allen Current DE for Kansas City Chiefs
- Amber Welty — Olympic High Jumper
- Dirk Koetter — Former Head Coach Arizona State Football
- W. Lane Startin — author and politician
- Ed Sanders — Boxer, 1952 Olympic gold medalist
- Megan Brady — University of Northern Iowa Womens Volleyball Head Athletic Trainer
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY: ENROLLMENT STATISTICS REPORT: TOTAL CREDIT ENROLLMENT HEADCOUNT: FALL SEMESTER, 2006
| Big Sky Conference |
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| Eastern Washington • Idaho State • Montana • Montana State • Northern Arizona • Northern Colorado • Portland State • Sacramento State • Weber State |
| Public Colleges and Universities in Idaho |
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| Boise State • Idaho • Idaho State • Lewis-Clark State College College of Southern Idaho • Eastern Idaho Technical College • North Idaho College |
