News Story - Idaho State Journal

yranaivo@journalnet.com

POCATELLO -- Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas said recent budget holdbacks do not affect his university's plan to propose a medical education program in Idaho.

Vailas fielded one question about the matter during an open forum meeting with faculty Monday and said ISU's proposed distributive medical education model will largely rely on a mixture of tuition dollars, grants, investments from private industry and philanthropy to operate.

ISU, which is seeking approval from the State Board of Education to further develop its model's business plan, estimates initial start-up costs of $11.2 million for its medical education program. The university also estimates annual operating costs of $11.2 million after the program reaches full capacity. ISU has pitched a plan to enroll 60 medical students a year for a total of 240 by the program's fourth year.

According to estimates that were presented to state officials last month, ISU drew out a plan to cover all of its medical program's annual operating expenses with student tuition, which is rated at $46,950. However, the university intends to seek $6.4 million from the Legislature to reduce the tuition costs to $20,000.

"In our budget model discussions, we have a model where we don't have to ask the Legislature for money," Vailas said. "I don't see any delays, and there's no need for any."

Discussions about ISU suspending its plan to develop a medical education program arose after Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter ordered most state agencies to initiate 3 percent spending cuts in addition to the 1 percent holdbacks that the governor announced in September.

ISU's holdbacks were taken out of a $77.3 million state-appropriated general funds budget.

By Yann Ranaivo

This document was originally published online on Thursday, December 04, 2008

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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of our paper.

Sheryl Hill wrote on Dec 6, 2008 12:02 AM:

" According to an editorial in today’s Twin Falls Times News (http://tinyurl.com/5bhzgk) “ISU's med school would require $21 million in startup money, which the university plans to cover with a loan, and would plan to enroll 60 medical students each year beginning as soon as 2012.”

Did Mr. Vailas explain to the faculty that his plan to start a medical school involves borrowing money? "

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