MOSCOW — University of Idaho President Scott Green on Tuesday encouraged the community to vote in this year’s election while he expressed concerns about the Idaho Legislature.

Green gave his annual State of the University address to more than 100 people in the UI Administration Building. During the question and answer session that followed, Green expressed frustration with current and potential political issues affecting the UI.

For example, he said one of Idaho’s “major parties” adopted a platform opposing the use of public money to fund higher education. 

The Idaho Republican Party Platform states that the GOP supports “professional technical and continuing education programs that provide career readiness and college preparation, but do not support using taxpayer funding for programs beyond high school.”

Green encouraged the public to inform themselves on these issues and “ask the candidates where they stand on public higher education,”

He also addressed concerns about political opposition to diversity in higher education. 

“We’re fighting, I think, some forces around the state that don’t value diversity the same way we do.” 

Green was asked about the recent law in Texas banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in higher education. Green replied that he believes there’s “a good chance” a similar law could pass in Idaho in the future. 

He said the university defines diversity, equity and inclusion as a way to take down barriers to education.

The president said the UI is obligated to follow the law, but will “do everything we can to find a place for folks here.” 

With the general election approaching, Green and UI Provost Torrey Lawrence said the UI will clarify policies regarding how much flexibility staff and faculty have to talk about the election. It will also clarify if there are opportunities to free up time for students to vote. 

On Tuesday, Green also briefly talked about the university’s potential affiliation with the University of Phoenix. The deadline for the purchase agreement between the two universities has been extended to June 2025.  

“We’re working hard to help legislators and other stakeholders understand the many benefits of this affiliation,” he said.

Green said the university has spent $14 million on the transaction so far, which will be reimbursed if the transaction is closed. If the deal falls through, Green said the university will receive at least $10 million and up to $20 million. 

“We believe we’re in relatively good shape to protect ourselves financially,” he said.

The UI continues to grow, and Green said early numbers indicate freshmen enrollment this fall will be higher than last fall. He said continuing undergraduate student enrollment is also higher than last year. 

This means the UI’s housing occupancy is at 99%. To address this, the UI is in the middle of a multimillion-dollar plan to increase housing on campus. This includes building new homes on the south hill section of campus. There are also plans to remodel the Wallace Complex and Theophilus Tower. 

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.