TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The College of Southern Idaho and Idaho State University formalized their interdependence when Presidents Dean Fisher (CSI) and Robert Wagner (ISU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday.
- The first Twin Falls cohort of ISU's Accelerated Baccalaureate of Nursing program are nearly two-thirds through their program.
- Under the MoU, more programs like the nursing program will become available to students in the Magic Valley, allowing them to get ISU credits while learning at CSI.
- The agreement highlights engineering, education and nursing as the three focus areas.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"I came to the conclusion that this was the career path for me," said Michael Beach, an accelerated nursing student at Idaho State University. "The amount of direct patient care that you perform as a nurse is amazing."
Beach is one of the first cohorts of this program to train and learn at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.
"The classrooms are top-notch, the equipment that we have, and the nurses are amazing. They're great," Beach said.
"To me, it seems like the best way to serve others in the most meaningful way possible since, what is ultimately important in our life is our health," Beach said.
"It's a really big deal," said Tiffany Seely-Case, CSI's Vice President of Instruction.
Administrators and educators from both institutions celebrated the formal relationship between the two institutions this week
"It takes people who are right here in the Magic Valley and gives them a home at ISU, even though Pocatello might be a few hundred miles away," Seely-Case said.
The school presidents signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding, formalizing the relationship between ISU and CSI. It will allow carry-over credits for several career tracks
"It recognizes our interdependence with the College of Southern Idaho," said Adam Bradford, ISU Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Bradford told me three specific areas - healthcare, engineering and education are seeing both a strong demand in the workforce and high interest from students.
"We have a lot of students in the Magic Valley. Who are looking for ed opportunities that can start at College of Southern Idaho and we want them to come to ISU," Bradford said. "And, in fact, not come to Pocatello, but we want to meet them where they are and help them advance their educational journey."
"We had the options to select which campus we might prefer to go to the Twin Falls area is beautiful and I heard that they were going to be using CSI campus," Beach said about his decision to get his nursing baccalaureate in Twin Falls. "So, it was a no-brainer for me."
