August 19, 2002

President Ruch Announces Retirement, Effective End Of His Contract

After 42 years in the education field and serving as Boise State’s president for nearly a decade, Charles Ruch announced that he will retire as head of the university when his successor arrives next summer. Ruch made the announcement at his annual state of the university address to faculty and staff this morning.

"This has not been an easy decision for [my wife] Sally and me," Ruch said at the conclusion of his speech. "We love this institution. It is an institution of great — although often unappreciated — contributions to this valley and state. It is an institution of individuals who care about students, service, and the very best of the intellectual quest. It is an institution with its greatest accomplishments ahead of it."

Ruch informed the State Board of Education of his decision in a letter following last week’s board meeting in Coeur d’Alene. He said his retirement will take effect "upon the arrival of my successor next summer. I make this announcement now to permit the board ample time to conduct a full national search for my successor. A smooth and orderly transition is critical to this institution, and I have been assured that the board concurs."

Ruch, who will turn 65 next March, will have served as Boise State’s president for more than 10 years when he steps down.

Boise State’s fifth president, Ruch led the university during a period of unprecedented growth that saw the school set new state enrollment records on an almost annual basis. Ruch’s major accomplishments during his tenure at the university include the establishment of the College of Engineering in 1996, the construction of numerous new buildings, the athletic program’s advancement into the Western Athletic Conference, and significant progress in the area of minority student recruitment and retention.

Although Boise State, like universities and colleges nationwide, has struggled over the last year and a half with budget reductions and other economic difficulties, Ruch said his decision to retire was not based on those factors; rather, he based his decision on the fact that he has been working as an educator and administrator for more than 40 years and in the higher education field for 36 years. "The challenges we are facing are problems that are part of any university presidency," he said. "I am retiring because I am approaching retirement age. I look forward to a smooth transition with a new president. I believe he or she will be taking over an institution that is poised to continue to grow physically, add new programs and reach new heights well into the 21st century."

Ruch began his career in education in 1960 as a high school counselor in Evanston, Ill. He joined the higher education ranks in 1966 as a faculty member in the department of counselor education at the University of Pittsburgh, serving as chair from 1969-74, his final two years there. In 1974 he took a job at Virginia Commonwealth University as professor of education and associate dean of the School of Education. In 1979 he was promoted to VCU’s education dean, and in 1985 to provost and vice president for academic affairs at the Richmond, Va., school.

He was hired as Boise State’s president by the State Board of Education on Oct. 12, 1992, and began duties on Jan. 19, 1993.

He earned a Ph.D. and master’s degree in education from Northwestern University in 1966 and 1960, respectively, and a bachelor’s in chemistry from College of Wooster (Ohio) in 1959. During his career as an educator, Ruch wrote or co-wrote chapters in three books on teacher education and more than 30 scholarly articles and book reviews on various education topics.

Other highlights during Ruch’s tenure at Boise State include:

• Academics — The list includes the establishment of the university’s first Ph.D. program, in geophysics; four master’s degree programs in engineering; an MBA program with National Economics University in Hanoi; expanded business and criminal justice degree programs in Twin Falls; and the establishment of an Honors College.

• New buildings and structures — The list includes a four-story multipurpose classroom building; the expansion of Bronco Stadium’s seating capacity to 30,000 and the addition of the Noble Hall of Fame Gallery to the stadium; two engineering buildings; Boise State’s first parking structure; an Extended Studies building; and the Appleton Tennis Center. Currently under Ruch’s stewardship, the university (a) opened a new Student Recreation Center this week, (b) will begin construction on the Technology and Entrepreneurial Center on the Boise State-West campus, and (c ) recently announced plans to expand student housing with two major complexes that will increase residential housing capacity by 40 percent.

• Infrastructure growth — The list includes new online business and registration processes, titled BroncoWeb; new software programs for university computing; and the acquisition of funds and the purchase of land in 1996 for infrastructure construction of Boise State-West campus in Canyon County.

• Athletics and the arts — The list includes the addition of a women’s intercollegiate soccer program and a practice facility for the team; the establishment of the Humanitarian Bowl; the hosting of two NCAA national track and field championships, the national women’s gymnastics championships, last spring’s NCAA women’s basketball regional finals, and three NCAA men’s basketball first- and second-round tournaments; the creation of the Gene Harris Jazz Festival; and the start of the Distinguished Lecture Series.

See the full text of Dr. Ruch's speech by clicking here

Contact:

Bob Evancho
University Relations
426-1643 or 426-1577

Return to News home