TO: University of Idaho Students and Employees
FROM: Scott Green, President
DATE: Aug. 1, 2023
SUBJECT: Possibilities for Affiliation Discussed This Fall
The closing weeks of summer term are upon us. In a matter of days, returning students will migrate back to our beautiful campus and classrooms around the state, eager to begin the next semester in their Vandal careers.
Work on the affiliation with the University of Phoenix continued over the summer, and we measure our progress by the conversations had, deadlines met and the ideas that continue to blossom regarding the possibilities of this affiliation. Because of this, I am even more enthusiastic about this venture than ever before.
The FAQ has been updated to incorporate questions we got from you, our state legislators and others. We hope this additional detail provides you with more insight into the transaction itself and will help correct any false information you may have seen in recent weeks. We hope you will educate yourself, ask questions and feel confident in helping share accurate information.
While these details are undeniably important, it is also vital we look ahead.
We expect closing of this transaction to occur in early 2024. At that point, the University of Phoenix and the University of Idaho will remain separate entities, tied by an affiliation agreement. The University of Phoenix will be a not-for-profit institution led by the same leadership team (president, provost, etc.) as they are today. Their president will report to the not-for-profit Four Three Education, Inc. and its new board of directors, which has not yet been named.
But that doesn’t mean we sit and do nothing. This fall, working groups will be established to consider how we can best work together. These groups will discuss many topics, including:
- Building highly impactful online courses leveraging the strengths of each institution.
- Evaluating how we can help each other best support online and traditional students.
- Reviewing their technology platforms and understanding how they can be adapted for our success.
- Discuss pathways for students inside of and between the two institutions.
An email address has been set up to which you can send questions. Your questions will be routed to the proper responder, depending on the topic. Send your questions and ideas about future collaborations to phoenixquestions@uidaho.edu.
Watch for an upcoming panel discussion for University of Idaho and University of Phoenix employees to be held at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 14, as part of Week of Welcome. University of Phoenix President Chris Lynne and Provost John Woods will join us for this event.
I hope you enjoy the remaining days of summer and look forward to all we can accomplish together this year.
Scott Green
President
president@uidaho.edu
