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Dear ISU Colleagues,
I hope you are enjoying a successful semester so far. It was wonderful to come together with all of you during ISU Celebration Week and Homecoming festivities. It was a time to reflect on the values, history, and experiences that make Idaho State University such a special place to belong. Our roots run deep and the grand oak that is ISU is spreading far and wide. I continue to be impressed by the energy of the Bengal spirit!
In my Inaugural Address, in addition to recounting the important history, development and unique attributes of our institution, I introduced a new forward-looking framework we will be operating under called Opportunity-Aligned Resourcing, OAR which will guide us as we embark on our Bold path Forward. Opportunity-Aligned Resourcing builds upon the work done by faculty and staff to strengthen ISU’s financial positioning through the budget optimization process. We have made significant progress towards fiscal sustainability working under the foundations of trust, inclusivity, financial literacy, data-informed decision-making, and mutual responsibility. Due to the collaborative hard work of the university community, we have reduced our structural deficit by 60%, from $15.7 million to $6.5 million going into FY2025.
Opportunity-Aligned Resourcing is a forward-thinking framework for strategic institutional growth and sustainability. Much like the rudder of a ship, OAR is designed to steer ISU toward future goals by strategically aligning university resources with opportunities leading to mission accomplishment. OAR is a collaborative process that integrates expertise throughout the University to plan for strategically optimized resource allocation. OAR will continue to strengthen ISU’s roots so we can more effectively fulfill our public mission.
During the Bold Path Forward initiative, I have heard from our institutional community, and based on feedback from so many of you we have identified the following strategic focus areas that will be implemented using OAR:
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Enrollment Growth and Student Success: intentional and sustainable growth focusing on student recruiting, retention and improving our completion rates. We are launching a comprehensive Strategic Enrollment Management process that will draw on the expertise of staff, administrators, students and faculty as we look for opportunities to expand our enrollment reach, in more economical ways.
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Academic and Research Focus: continued growth of our research enterprise to meet the needs of our state, industry and government partners - in ways that lead to economic diversity and prosperity. We will continue to focus on a comprehensive portfolio of academic and creative arts programs that serve our region, the state of Idaho and the nation.
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Advancing/Enhancing Physical Infrastructure: strategize innovative solutions to replacing, enhancing, and building new infrastructure seeking state support, public-private partnerships, and philanthropy while leveraging our A-1 bonding status. Our focus will be on our academic and research buildings, residence halls, infrastructure for our student-athletes and the creative arts.
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External Relations & Partnerships: work with public and private partners to identify efficient ways to conduct academic programming, purposeful research and workforce development focusing on local and statewide economic impact and solution-oriented partnerships at all of our campuses. We will energize the Bengal alumni in preparation for a new comprehensive fundraising campaign.
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Employee Engagement, Empowerment & Connection: we will invest in the people who are investing their time and efforts to make this institution great. We will focus on market, equity and retention structures that develop and retain our great team. We will empower them through shared governance and shared responsibility to serve innovatively and with the resources they need to be successful.
OAR is a long-term approach to resource management and strategic planning. Opportunity-Aligned Resourcing is the overarching concept that will include a range of objectives, each with a detailed plan informing procedures. With stronger roots, our institutional impact will expand and continue to grow across the state.
The first of these procedures, OAR Personnel Workflow, will be launched this semester. Through OAR Personnel, hiring managers will be empowered to make personnel recommendations based on consistent, institution-wide criteria and data, ensuring resource allocations align with University goals and opportunities rather than relying on historical budget allocations. Details for the OAR Personnel process and resources for utilizing the workflow will be communicated later this semester.
I’m confident that our collaborative implementation of Opportunity-Aligned Resourcing will lead us to achieve Idaho State University’s strategic goals. The ISU grand oak will continue to stand as Monarch of the Forest! Thank you for your continued dedication and teamwork. We move forward together!
I wish you all a continuing successful Fall semester and look forward to seeing you around our campuses and during our many campus events and celebrations.
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