News Release

February 7, 2008

Boise State's President Outlines University's Dynamic Growth and Forward Momentum for Lawmakers

Boise State University’s dynamic growth and academic momentum as Idaho’s largest university were the topic of three formal presentations to Idaho lawmakers by President Bob Kustra during the opening weeks of the 2008 Idaho Legislature.

In presentations to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee and the Education committees in the House and Senate, Kustra outlined Boise State’s continued success in building student achievement, academic and research programs and key infrastructure and buildings, while accommodating Idaho’s largest and fastest growing student body.

“I can describe Boise State University in one word,” Kustra said. “Growth.”

Kustra told a story to illustrate Boise State’s growing stature as a metropolitan research university of distinction by pointing out that Boise State no longer tops the returns of a Google search for the Fiesta Bowl.

“If you google ‘magnetic shape-memory foams,’ Boise State is everywhere,” Kustra said. “That’s because of the work of Boise State materials science and engineering professor Peter Mullner.” Mullner’s work on new types of lightweight alloys could soon be used in the aerospace and automobile industries, as well as many other day-to-day applications, and was recently highlighted by the National Science Foundation, Kustra said.

Kustra told lawmakers that Mullner’s research is just one of dozens of research projects funded by the $27 million in sponsored project funding Boise State received during fiscal year 2007, a 10 percent increase over 2006 and a 47 percent increase since 2000.

The theme of growth is not only apparent in Boise State’s research efforts but also in the number of recently added or soon to be added academic programs with State Board of Education approval. They include four Ph.D.’s, 11 master’s degrees (including an executive MBA program), four new graduate certificates and a new bachelor’s degree in general studies.

New academic programs have attracted more students as the university continues to set enrollment records for both the spring and fall semesters. Concurrently, the need for more academic and research space has arisen on campus. In his legislative presentations, Kustra outlined five recent construction projects on campus worth nearly $120 million, none of which were funded with state money, and eight more needed construction projects worth more than $150 million.

Of the new projects, only one, the planned Center for Environmental Studies and Economic Development (CESED), is proposed to receive funding from state coffers. Kustra asked lawmakers to fund $15 million of the $35 million to $40 million cost of the CESED building.

“Cross-pollination of expertise in areas like the environment, transportation, water, land use and community and regional planning will truly make CESED a hothouse for ideas essential to the future of the community, region and state,” Kustra said. “We believe that proper funding of this interdisciplinary research building is so important to Idaho that we’ve made it our No. 1 priority for this legislative session.”
Kustra also outlined Boise State University’s collaboration with the Idaho Department of Administration and the Division of Public Works on legislation that would increase flexibility relative to construction projects and ensure that projects are approached most efficiently and without duplication of oversight efforts. The proposed change would put all public, four-year higher education institutions on similar footing as the University of Idaho, which is exempt from the public works process because of its constitutional status, for construction projects funded by non-state sources.
Additionally, Boise State has pursued a number of other funding priorities this session:

• Full funding of $1.4 million for the Enrollment Workload Adjustment as recommended by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. This money will help cover costs of student enrollment growth at Boise State University, is critical to the university and represents the fairest approach to higher education budgeting. Currently Boise State enrolls 41.1 percent of all four-year higher education students in Idaho’s public universities, but receives only 31.5 percent of general fund appropriation for higher education.

• $119,100 for occupancy costs, which covers the expenses (custodial, utility, maintenance) for new academic spaces on campus.

• $1.2 million for Information Technology Maintenance and Infrastructure, which will pay for necessary software upgrades, licenses and maintenance due to continued student enrollment growth. Otter has recommended full funding of this portion of our request.

• $554,000 to fund new faculty positions, six graduate assistants and administrative support for a new master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning, with hopes to begin offering it in Fall 2009. The demand for this expertise in the Treasure Valley and statewide is high.

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Boise State University is emerging as a metropolitan research university of distinction. This transformation is being powered by the university’s first comprehensive campaign to support students, faculty, strategic initiatives, research and infrastructure. That’s why the campaign to raise $175 million in private support is called Destination Distinction.
 

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Last reviewed on Thursday, February 07, 2008