President Albrecht Leads Multi-Day Tour to Southern Idaho

Utah State University President Stan Albrecht will lead a university delegation on a multi-day tour to southeastern Idaho communities in an effort to re-establish traditional ties the university has long had with the region. The tour is slated Oct. 4-6, spending a day each in the Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Malad areas. An originally scheduled visit to Preston will be rebooked.

 

Called the Road Scholars Tour, the president will bring some of the university's best professors and scholars "on the road" with him to teach in high schools. Albrecht and other USU administrators will meet with school principals, administrators and counselors to solicit input about higher education issues and about USU in particular.

 

Albrecht also has scheduled luncheons at each stop with community leaders to gather feedback about how USU is fulfilling the community's educational needs.

 

Open houses are scheduled each evening of the tour to give prospective students and their parents the opportunity to meet the president and representatives from all the colleges and support organizations at USU.

 

"We have long-standing ties with southeastern Idaho communities," Albrecht said. "We have thousands of alumni still in the region. Many of our best professors are from the area, and we continue to attract some of our best students from Idaho. Most important of all — these are our neighbors and friends. It's our turn to visit them."

 

This is USU's third annual "Road Scholars Tour," a name that plays off the more-famous international Rhodes Scholars program. USU has had seven Rhodes Scholars, including physicist Lara Anderson who received the honor in 2004. This fall's Road Scholars Tour refers to the university's effort to bring its best professors and scholars on the road to teach and meet prospective students, parents, school administrators and, as important, local community leaders.

 

Albrecht said he hopes to answer questions, gather feedback and take the opportunity to showcase USU's strengths as a major research institution and an exceptional place to learn.

 

"We are extremely proud of Utah State University's standing as a research institution and as a place to receive an undergraduate degree," he said. "But I'll be visiting with open ears; I want to hear how well they think we are fulfilling southern Idaho's needs."

 

Road Scholars Tour schedule:

 

Oct. 4: Idaho Falls, Open House: 7-8:30 p.m., Shilo Inn, 780 Lindsay Blvd.

 

Oct. 5: Pocatello, Open House: 7-8:30, Holiday Inn, 1399 Bench Road

 

Oct. 6: Malad, Open House: 7-8:30, Malad High School

 

A pre-open house event for USU alumni is scheduled at each site from 6-7 p.m.