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The Vandal community launched a new tradition earlier this month with the lighting of the Vandal Family Holiday Tree. A beautiful 35-foot-tall Engelmann spruce now stands tall in front of the ISUB with lights all around.
Senior Maria Kinne harvested the tree from the U of I Experimental Forest and a team of employees and students helped bring it to campus in time for the lighting ceremony.
The Vandal Holiday Tree will stay up until January, when it will be taken down and used to make ornaments for donors who helped support outdoor recreation opportunities on university lands on the Palouse. Wood from the tree will also be used by students in the forest and sustainable products Working with Wood class this spring to make a violin. It will be a gift to the Lionel Hampton School of Music, to be used as a training instrument.
This new holiday tradition caps a semester filled with tremendous achievements for the U of I.
In August we welcomed 2,025 new students — the largest freshman class in U of I history. Overall enrollment is up 3.7% as enrollment increased for the seventh straight semester.
U.S. News and World Report recognized the U of I as the Best Value Public University in the West for a fifth straight year. We remained No. 2 in the country, only behind the University of North Carolina.
One of the keys to our best value ranking is our fundraising. The Brave. Bold. Unstoppable. campaign recently surpassed $470 million and includes more than $140 million for scholarships. We’re on the verge of reaching our campaign goal of $500 million by the end of 2025. Thanks to support for our endowment, the U of I awarded close to $60 million in scholarships and waivers for students this year.
Our research enterprise continues to reach new heights after posting a record $136 million in research expenditures last year. We’re on the cusp of reaching our goal of achieving R1 research status.
The Vandal story resonates with audiences across the state and around the world. Out of 668 colleges and universities across the U.S., the U of I ranked No. 11 for social media engagement last year, according to Rival IQ. Our faculty appeared on KTVB’s Idaho Today, talking about their impactful research. Vandal billboards and bus wraps advertise the U of I around the Treasure Valley and the state.
U of I student-athletes also continue to make Vandals proud. Coach Eck’s football team will be featured on ESPN tonight, taking on Montana State in the FCS quarterfinals.
We hope the holidays are filled with joy and peace for Vandals everywhere. We’re grateful for all we accomplished together in 2024 and look forward to a momentous 2025.
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