New president sees ISU as site of medical school

POCATELLO, Idaho – In his first public speech, Idaho State University’s new president urged the state to study making ISU the site of the state’s first medical school.

“I believe the state of Idaho’s challenge is whether ISU can be given the resources to offer the M.D. degree, rather than creating a medical school from scratch,” Arthur Vailas said in a speech delivered during a general assembly on Wednesday. “Idaho State University already has many of the components of medical education, minus the M.D. degree.”

That would be part of a plan to make the school a “pre-eminent research university, he told about 800 students, faculty, staff and community members.

“We will be in a better position to compete for both public and private funding to support our students, faculty, research programs, and infrastructure,” he said.

Vailas is a former vice president at the University of Houston. He became ISU president on Saturday, taking over from interim President Michael Gallagher.

During his 20-minute speech, Vailas said the school would benefit from becoming a high-profile research university in various ways.

“By increasing discovery of new knowledge and enabling greater creativity, we will expand educational opportunities for our students, and recruit and retain the best faculty and staff,” he said.

Another benefit, he said, would be greater national and international recognition, which would “enhance the opportunity for partnerships among campus units, industry, government and other institutions within and outside Idaho.”

A third benefit would be increasing ISU’s ability to contribute to the community.

“ISU will have more intellectual capital and financial resources with which to help solve pressing societal problems, such as educational access and affordability, food security and access to health care and social services,” he said.

Vailas also said students are ISU’s top priority and that the school would have a direct and open budget process.

“That appears to be a huge shift in the right direction,” said Ryan Sargent, president of the Associated Students of ISU. He was one of 12 people appointed to Vailas’ Cabinet. “One thing that Dr. Vailas has always talked about is keeping an open-door policy.”

Vailas thanked the community for the reception he had received on his first week on the job.

“I find Idahoans to be really solid people,” he said. “I’ve been overwhelmed by the commitment of the citizens.”