On Jan. 29, 2025, Boise State University President Marlene Tromp testified at the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee (JFAC) meeting at the Idaho State Capitol. Deemed the “most watched and scrutinized panel in the Idaho State Legislature”, the JFAC comprises 10 senators and 10 representatives who decide the state budget.
Marlene Tromp took to the podium where she fielded questions from senators on DEI initiatives and gender courses. The university Gender Equity Center closed its doors weeks prior to the committee meeting.
After reaching out to Tromp for comment, Stephany Galbreaith, director of media relations, provided the following statement on Tromp’s behalf:
“Each year, during the legislative session, our key objective is to secure our fiscal year state appropriated funding and protect the educational mission for the university. Boise State is serving Idahoans,” Galbreaith said. “In the last five years, we have grown Idaho first-time full-time student enrollment by 52%, and we graduate more students each year than all other public universities in Idaho combined. Boise State prepares our students for the workforce, with 71% of undergraduates staying and working in Idaho after graduation.”
And, in the last five years, we have served students and alumni from every county. Boise State has government relations staff at the capitol throughout the legislative session, meeting legislative representatives, attending committees to monitor and learn about proposed legislation and rules that may impact higher education, and sharing the incredible stories of our students, faculty and staff and the positive impact they make across Idaho. We are always happy to have the opportunity to tell our story to the legislature.”
Senator Zuiderveld noted these recent closures during the committee meeting and asked Tromp how many employees were affected.
Tromp said that initially eight staff members were employed across student centers and that five employees have been removed.
“But we think at this point that there may be an expansion of some of the work, because when you shift your focus to specific populations, to the entire student population around student success, it can change what you think that word means and what that work looks like,” Tromp responded. “And we may even have to have additional staff as we go down the road of serving all students.”
Big city funds
Senator Carlson asked how much the Big City Coffee lawsuit was spending by way of state-appropriated funds. Tromp responded by stating that no taxpayer dollars were utilized in the lawsuit and responded to Carlson’s follow-up by stating that employees who attended the trial were utilizing their own vacation days and personal finances.
Representative Price voiced concerns about “how much has been paid out of the Idaho Risk Management for the lawsuit” and if Boise State still has “a gender class”. Price did not specify the course number or title.
Tromp said that Boise State would get additional information regarding the lawsuit to Price before responding to the question regarding gender courses.
“Our students make choices about what curriculum they want to study, what they want to major in and even if they do take a class where the information in the class does not comport with their values, they are welcome to disagree,” Tromp said. “That’s what our faculty have committed to, it’s what our students have committed to and it’s why we have the kind of environment on our campus where people can come together, even around issues where they are very divided and be able to speak and engage respectfully with each other.”
After commending Tromp and other universities for their performance, Senator Warding asked Tromp to speak on the CHIPS Act.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to advance the state, and we’re very proud of the way that we have built Semiconductor for All, and we’re growing our engineering programs and our natural science programs so that our students and our graduates can be ready to be a part of this industry, which isn’t just growing Idaho’s economy, it’s protecting Idaho security,” Tromp said.
Institute for Advancing American Values
Senator Wintrow requested Tromp to speak on The Institute for Advancing American Values and their impact as a university initiative.
“I am so tremendously proud of the Institute for Advancing American Values. When I first arrived at Boise State, we heard a great deal about concerns that the university was not a place where a broad range of voices could speak,” Tromp said. “I wanted to show our commitment to demonstrate it in a really profound and serious way, that Boise State was the sort of institution where all voices were welcome, where our students were challenged and encouraged to make up their own minds about any information that they were presented.”
Allen Dalton, faculty senate member for The Institute for Advancing American Values, said that while he did not watch the testimony, Tromp has complimented the institute on their efforts in the past.
Dalton discussed the various events held by the IAAV including the Heterodox Academy luncheons, a non-profit that encourages discourse amongst political parties, and Idaho Listens which hosts a variety of speakers.
“People wept in the wake of that program,” Tromp said during the testimony, speaking positively of Idaho Listens state-wide impact and expressing her pride for the institute.
As Idaho Listens’ mission statement emphasizes the “cross-section of backgrounds, occupations and experiences”, The Arbiter asked Dalton if he worried that Idaho lawmakers may have an issue with the event sounding reminiscent of DEI.
“No, not worried about being investigated or about the Idaho Listens program at all,” Dalton said. “That is a program where we go around the state and … have local speakers tell their stories in terms of what they value and why and how that informs their political views.”
Dalton explained that individuals on the right and left of the political spectrum have made assumptions about the IAAV catering to one demographic or another, which he believes is the biggest misconception surrounding the institute.
“We’re trying to provide balance. We’re trying to provide a venue for voices across the political spectrum, different backgrounds,” Dalton said.
UF 100 courses
Representative Tanner began by acknowledging Boise State’s well-balanced budget and praising its volleyball team for backing out of the San Jose match, but quickly began a series of questions regarding how the university plans to “root out” anything DEI-related or if the legislature needed to take “direct action”.
Tromp explained that UF 100 and 200 course catalogs offer an array of courses that allow students to choose which courses they enroll in.
Representative Miller pulled from both Tanner and Price’s question by asking again, “Is there still a gender class and is there a degree that requires that class?”
“They have to take UF 100 and UF 200 but they can take any section they want. That class they choose might be on the Constitution or athletics. The subject matter is very broad and varied,” Tromp said.
“Thank you for not answering that,” Miller said before beginning his next question regarding whether students still have the option to choose courses that discuss DEI. Miller did not elaborate on what his definition of “DEI courses” entailed.
“There is no requirement for a student to take a DEI class,” Tromp said. “We don’t prohibit them being offered because of academic freedom but no student is required to take one of those classes.”
In Tromp’s closing remarks, she expressed her pride in Boise State’s improved graduation rate, and its balanced budget amidst what she described as difficult financial times and noted that 54% of Boise State grads have zero dollars in federal student loan debt.
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With the rising cost of living, unaffordable housing, and wage stagnation, one would expect lawmakers to prioritize solutions that address these pressing issues. Yet, our legislators continue to focus on matters that have little to no real impact on the daily lives of most residents. It’s a stark reminder of how disconnected our leadership can be from the challenges faced by everyday people. Rather than addressing real problems, they stick to polarizing talking points that do nothing but distract voters from what really matters. Meanwhile, the challenges keep piling up, and those in power seem more interested in political games than real change.
If the GOP has it’s way, they will remove state funding from BSU, ISU and U of I.