Top 10 USU stories of 2004
#1 Hall to leave USU
President Kermit L. Hall has officially accepted the position as president of State University New York at Albany Dec. 29, 2004.
This isn’t the first credible offer Hall received in 2004 enticing him to leave Utah State University. Back in April, Hall was considered a top candidate for the position of president at the University of Tennessee.
#2 Recital Hall marks largest individual gift in USU history
The ground breaking for Utah State University’s new recital hall took place April 29, 2004. The recital hall is made possible by the $6.3 million gift from sisters Kathryn Caine Wanlass and Manon Caine Russell. Their donation is the largest donation in USU’s history.
Construction of the 15,000 square-foot hall will seat 400 people and is scheduled to be completed in early Fall 2005.
“This is an historic event and ambitious opportunity,” said Provost Stan Albrecht, “to realize our goal of becoming a premier arts center that is renowned for its visiting artists, interdisciplinary courses and community partnerships.”
#3 Forty-three percent tuition increase announced
A proposal to raise tuition by 43 percent over the next three years was announced at an Associated Students of Utah State University Executive Council meeting Sept. 7, 2004.
A portion of the increase, 7 percent, will come from projected state-wide tuition increases required by the state legislature, with the other 36 percent going to fund what President Kermit L. Hall presented as Utah State University’s top priorities.
The 43 percent increase will equate to about $1,126 for resident undergraduate students and will equate to about 12 percent increase each year.
“I wish could tell you there was a way to do that without needing more money; but when the state takes its contribution out, you’ve got to find some way to replace that,” Hall said.
#4 NCAA snubs USU men’s basketball
Although the Utah State men’s basketball team finished the 2004 season with a 25-3 record, the team became the first nationally ranked program not to receive NCAA tournament bid.
The No. 22 Ags were passed over for an at-large bid by the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee after suffering a defeat to Cal State Northridge in the Big West Conference semi final’s at Anaheim, Calif.
“Everybody said no matter what we were in,” said Utah State Head Coach Stew Morrill in March. “Well, no matter what happened and we’re not in.”
However, the Ags received a request to play in the National Invitational Tournament against Hawai’i.
#5 USU’s Athletic Director Resigns/football coach fired
Rance Pugmire, Utah State University’s director of athletics, resigned Friday, April, 2, 2004. His resignation came almost seven weeks after being placed on paid administrative leave following his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving Feb. 19.
President Kermit L. Hall acknowledged Pugmire’s contributions, but also supported the resignation saying “we hold persons in such positions to a high standard.”
Randy Spetman was named new athletic director July 1. In an interview with the Statesman, Spetman said he took the job “because I think I can make a difference.”
In a press conference Monday, Nov. 8, 2004, Spetman announced head football coach Mick Dennehy would be relieved of his coaching duties at the end of the season. Dennehy was 18-36 in his five years coaching USU football. Arizona State coach Brent Guy was named new USU head football coach Friday, Dec. 10.
#6 EPA threatens to step in
The Environment Protection Agency threatened in November to step in if Cache Valley’s air quality continues to be as bad this winter as it was last year.
Logan’s winter air claims three of the country’s top 15 highest particulate matter (PM) 2.5 levels, with only two California cities holding a higher record than Logan’s 137.5.
“We’re in a bathtub and the air has nowhere to go,” said Grant Koford, an environmental health scientist at the Bear River Health Department in November.
“Given our mountain valley bowl, the presence of more vehicles and cows, and the current weather conditions, there is little we can do,” Logan Mayor Doug Thompson said in January.
#7 Seventh USU Professor presented with Carnegie award
For her love of teaching and a style that pushes students “to the edge of their comfort zone,” USU professor Bonnie Glass-Coffin was named the Utah Carnegie Professor of the Year Dec. 3.
More than 400 professors were nominated for the award in 46 States and Glass-Coffin became the seventh USU professor to win the award in the last nine years.
“I say let the Utes have their football,” President Kermit L. Hall said.
#8 New housing complex
Construction began last summer on the multi-million dollar state-of-the-art living/learning community just west of the Taggart Student Center on Old Main Hill. The six building complex will house more than 500 students and includes a 603 car parking structure.
A community center and the parking garage will be completed by Fall 2005 and the entire project is set to be finished in the summer of 2006.
#9 SDL sees funding growth and layoffs
The Space Dynamics Laboratory experienced a rare major layoff, earned contracts worth millions and is now looking forward to some major growth with the expansion of Innovation Campus.
Among the highlights was a contract with NASA in December to build a new infrared telescope. The mission is called the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and is scheduled to launch in 2008 with infrared detectors up to 500,000 times more sensitive than those used in previous expeditions. SDL will receive about $40 million over the next three years from NASA for the project.
A contract in September from the Naval Research Laboratory brought a $26 million potential to the SDL. The task order is the sixth SDL has received from the contractor.
Twenty-five employees were laid off in August after the United States and the Russian Federation put an end to their cooperative effort project RAMOS (Russian American Observation Satellite). SDL was the main contractor for RAMOS for more than 10 years, and the project brought in $26 million a year to SDL.
#10 Time constraints considered for department heads in office
Utah State University administrators suggested that department heads may need to step down after a certain number of years.
Currently, there is no limit to the length of time a department heads can stay in office, but the limit was suggest between five to seven years.
(Statesman archive)