Idaho State University president vows accountability after disputed forensic lab funds; outlines budget, DEI changes and health‑care plans

Idaho State University President Robert (Rob) Wagner told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Jan. 29 that ISU will return appropriated funds tied to an Eastern Idaho forensic pathology project and put new controls in place to ensure the university follows legislative intent.

Why it matters: Wagner’s statement followed a legislative staff presentation that identified accounting and reporting issues in ISU budget materials and came amid public scrutiny over whether the university had properly tracked and used money that had been appropriated for a forensic pathology facility serving eastern Idaho.

Kevin Campbell, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, opened the session with an overview of ISU’s finances and flagged a technical reporting error in tuition-and-fees fund balances in the legislative budget book. "I want to note that I reviewed the actual fund balances in the State Treasury and happily, ISU has not overdrawn its bank account," Campbell said, describing the error as a display issue in the slide deck rather than a cash shortfall.

Wagner said ISU learned in late 2023 that the county partner no longer…