ISU president gets $10K raise

The State Board of Education has given a 2.75 percent salary increase to Idaho State University President Arthur C. Vailas, which raises his total annual salary by more than $10,000.

State board members unanimously approved the salary hike, effective immediately, during their meeting earlier this month at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene. The board had completed Vailas’ performance evaluation in May.

Blake Youde, chief communications and legislative affairs officer for the State Board of Education, said the board believes Vailas is doing a good job of leading ISU.

“Obviously, we don’t release performance evaluations because those are personnel matters,” Youde said. “But the board, in its judgement, believed that Dr. Vailas was warranted an increase in his compensation.”

Vailas’ raise of more than $10,000 increases his annual salary from $381,521.19 to $392,013.20, Youde said.

Vailas’ salary increase was lower than what the state board gave this month to both Boise State University President Bob Kustra, who received a 3.75 percent raise, and University of Idaho President Chuck Staben, who received a 3 percent pay hike.

Vailas has received annual raises for the past several years, and since 2013 those pay hikes have increased his annual salary by 17.5 percent.

The two-year contracts for Vailas, Kustra and Staben are up for renewal in August.

Youde said he does not anticipate any changes in leadership at ISU, adding that if any contracts are not extended, Vailas or any other impacted president would still have one year remaining in their contracts.

Vailas declined to comment on what spurred the raise he received from the state board.

Although ISU’s spring 2017 student enrollment numbers were down 4.6 percent compared to the prior year, there have been some positives happening at the university.

In 2016, Vailas and Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter announced a new public-private partnership to bring Idaho’s first medical school, the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, to Idaho State University’s Meridian campus.

Construction of the 94,000-square-foot school — estimated to cost $34 million — began last month and is expected to be completed by 2018.

Further, in an attempt to implement or reinforce programs to make college more affordable, ISU has announced a four-year tuition lock initiative for new students.

Rather than being subject to annual increases in tuition and fees at ISU, first-time freshmen who have graduated from an Idaho high school and who enroll in at least 15 credits at ISU while maintaining a 2.0 grade point average would have their starting tuition locked for their first four years at ISU.

ISU has also increased enrollment in its seven-week summer college semester program called Bengal Bridge, which offers students remedial courses at $65 a credit.

In addition, ISU Executive Vice President and Provost Laura Woodworth-Ney said during an interview last week that ISU is spending about $2.3 million on its Career Path Internship Program, which offers students paid internship opportunities both on and off campus.

Vailas has been ISU’s president since 2006.

This story first appeared in the Idaho State Journal. It is used here with permission.