Foes Of UI Chief Deny Athletics Tie Petitions To Oust Pres. Zinser Faxed From Office Of Booster

University of Idaho boosters say there is no connection between their athletic patronage and a petition to oust school president Elisabeth Zinser.

Organizers of the petition report they have up to 100 people circulating the documents.

Mack Redford, who helped write the petition, said it is being passed out by alumni and friends of the school. But he made a point of separating the petition from alumni groups.

In northern Idaho, however, a petition copy was faxed from Clinical Management Association in Coeur d’Alene. The phone number listed for that company is the same as Robert Yuditsky, a member of the Vandal Boosters’ national board of directors.

Yuditsky said the company has not existed for several years and the fax machine is used by other people in the office complex. He denied sending out any petition copies.

The petition says Zinser has been unwilling or unable to communicate with various school groups and has lost the confidence other constituents. It asks the state Board of Education to not renew her contract.

Greg Kimberling, national Vandal Boosters president, said the national board is not involved in the petition drive.

“What individual members of the board choose to do is up to them. But they don’t represent the board.”

As the peti tion drive moves along, Zinser backers are stepping forward.

Don Harter, a farm extension professor at Idaho, said Zinser has taken on some big issues and is making progress. They include Boise State University’s push for its own engineering school and the Big West.

“If you succeed, you draw some fire,” Harter said. “If you don’t succeed, over time you’re scored down for lack of leadership.”