UI President Bob Hoover Resigns, Takes Full Responsibility for Controversy Surrounding Boise Project Finances
Wednesday, April 16 2003
April 16, 2003^MOSCOW – Bob Hoover, president of the University of Idaho for nearly seven years, today announced that he will resign at the end of this fiscal year, June 30.^“The university is facing significant financial challenges, which are made worse by difficulties surrounding the financing of the University Place project in Boise,” Hoover said. “As I have indicated before, I take full responsibility for what has happened. It is clear that I did not pursue my oversight of this project aggressively enough.” Hoover is on administrative leave through the end of the fiscal year while recuperating from prostate cancer surgery. ^The University of Idaho Foundation incurred $28 million in pre-development expenses on the University Place project in Boise, including an $8 million loan from the university to the foundation. The Board of Education is planning to undertake a management review of the project. The university and foundation today released an external, financial review of the project, which Hoover initiated. ^The president reiterated his support for Acting President Brian Pitcher and the administrative team. “I have full confidence in Brian’s ability to carefully and thoughtfully lead the institution through the transition,” he said.^ Pitcher said Hoover’s “vision and communication skills have energized and transformed the University of Idaho. Under his leadership the UI has been competitive for the best and the brightest. This will be a lasting heritage.” Pitcher noted that this past fall the UI was ranked 48th among over 500 American public universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine on the basis of quality and affordability.^^Hired in the summer of 1996, Hoover worked to help the UI strengthen its standing among internal and external audiences. For example:^Private giving more than tripled from approximately $10 million per year to more than $30 million as a result of The Campaign for Idaho initiated by Hoover. The Campaign exceeded its $100 million campaign goal by raising $128 million, 18 months before its six-year goal.^Student enrollment broke records five of the past six years, and a record enrollment is expected again this fall. Moreover, the quality of the freshman class increased as well as the university introduced significant new merit scholarships.^UI’s research enterprise will hit the $100 million mark at the conclusion of this fiscal year, with more than $80 million in competitive grants and contracts. It has nearly doubled over the past six years.^A new core curriculum was introduced that provides greater coherence and connectivity to the general education requirement.^Since Hoover’s appointment, more than $100 million in new construction has been initiated, including the Idaho Commons, the Student Recreation Center, the College of Business and Economics’ new J. A. Albertson Building, the Ag Biotechnology Laboratory, the new east entrance to the campus, the Vandal Athletic Center and new residential student housing. ^Despite increasingly tight budgets, Hoover reallocated funds to bring UI salaries more in line with market averages.^The UI was the lead institution in the Inland Northwest Research Alliance, an alliance of eight Northwest universities, which is an operational partner with Bechtel BW Idaho in management and operation of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. ^Yahoo! Internet Life magazine in 2002 ranked the UI the 12th most wired university in the country and the most wired public university in the West. UI is listed as a third-tier national university by U.S. News & World Report, one of America’s 100 Best Buys in higher education, and is considered among the top 125 research universities in the country. ^CONTACTS: Brian Pitcher, acting president, (208) 885-6365, bpitcher@uidaho.edu; or Kathy Barnard, University Communications, (208) 885-6291, kbarnard@uidaho.edu^-30-^krb—4-14-03ADM==^
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.