In this episode of the Bold Path Podcast, Idaho State University President Robert Wagner sits down with Jeremy Green, ISU’s chief campus administrator for Eastern and Southern Idaho, to explore how branch campuses and partnerships are shaping the future of higher education in Idaho. Green draws on more than 20 years of experience in outreach, community development, and branch campus administration to explain why physical campuses in Idaho Falls and Twin Falls remain essential in an era of online and hybrid learning.
The conversation traces the roots of the branch campus model from early cooperative extension work through the post–World War II expansion of brick-and-mortar sites designed to connect institutional resources directly to local communities and workforce needs. Green and Wagner discuss ISU’s role within a broader ecosystem that includes the College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, BYU–Idaho, the Idaho National Laboratory, the University of Idaho, and other partners, emphasizing that collaboration is key to serving place-bound students and driving regional economic vitality.
Listeners will hear details about ISU’s growing academic presence in Idaho Falls, including engineering and health programs, the forthcoming Bachelor’s in Artificial Intelligence Sciences, and comprehensive on-campus student services that support both face-to-face and online learners. The episode also highlights ISU’s long-standing footprint in Twin Falls and the Magic Valley, where ISU is embedded on the College of Southern Idaho campus and focused on responsive pathways in areas like teacher education and accelerated nursing.
Wagner and Green also address campus budget discussions and clarify why Idaho Falls, with a shared funding model involving the University of Idaho and Idaho National Laboratory, represents a cost-effective and strategically vital investment for ISU’s future enrollment and research growth.
