White delivers upbeat prognosis for his, UI’s recovery

MOSCOW, Idaho – University of Idaho President Tim White says both he and the school are recovering.

White has had three heart attacks in less than two years, and the university has had to deal with faculty turnover, budget cuts and a money scandal over a failed expansion into Boise.

During a speech Monday to about 100 faculty and staff members, White said his tests during a recent physical exam showed no sign of any problems, the Lewiston Tribune reported. That drew applause from the group.

He underwent emergency quintuple bypass surgery in May 2004 shortly after accepting the UI presidency. The most recent heart attack occurred in October, after which doctors inserted a stent in his right coronary artery to reduce the risk of future attacks.

On Tuesday, however, the university’s vice president for finance and administration announced that she was resigning after being diagnosed with cancer.

Nancy Dunn, who started her job with the university in January, said her form of the disease was “uncommon and treatable” but declined to offer details.

Lloyd Mues, assistant vice president for auxiliary services, will serve as the acting vice president for finance and administration.

As for the university, White said during his speech on Monday that the school has ended all civil litigation over the failed University Place, a problem White inherited when he became president. The school received $2.5 million in a settlement in March.

University Place was a $136 million, three-building project in Boise. Only one building was finished, piling up about $25 million in debt on the school.

Last month the Board of Education declined to raise tuition by the amount White had requested, which he said would have put the university in a better financial situation.

He said individual colleges at the university should examine where cuts can be made.

He also suggested it might be time for faculty nearing retirement “to get out of the way” so new instructors can be hired, but he said he didn’t support a buyout program, instead promoting other options like partial early retirement.

White said the university must attempt to get money from private donors, research projects and philanthropy that will augment any money the university gets from the Legislature.