News Release

January 10, 2007
 

Boise State President Tells Faculty, Staff that Fiesta Bowl Win Opens Doors of Opportunity Across Campus

The Boise State University Broncos’ dramatic victory in the Fiesta Bowl has opened doors and presented opportunities that will be felt across the entire campus, President Bob Kustra said today in his Spring Update address to faculty and staff.

“Just as the outcome of the Fiesta Bowl was entirely in the hands of the coaches who prepared it and the players who executed it, so too our future is in the hands of the ‘new you,’ whether you are in front of the classroom, whether you play a supporting staff role, or whether you are in a leadership position,” Kustra said.

The “new you” or the “new U.” Kustra referred to is part of a 30-second promotional video that ran during halftime at the Fiesta Bowl. It has also been used in enrollment literature.

“The new U. is really the new you and me. All of us,” Kustra said. “… You have already prepared the game plan for the future with our strategic plan under the direction of our [Provost] Sona Andrews. Whether you are faculty or staff, the new U. has charted our journey into the future and it is a future filled with hope and promise. It is now time to execute.”

Before a capacity crowd in the Student Union Jordan Ballroom, Kustra outlined some of the university’s highlights and future initiatives. Following are just a few examples.

• As Boise State nears its 75th anniversary in September 2007, interest in enrollment is at an all-time high. Following the Broncos’ Fiesta Bowl win, graduate applications increased tenfold. The admissions office has also seen a 135 percent spike in online inquiries in that same time period.
• Boise State’s total sponsored project funding over the past decade has increased from $8.4 million in FY1996 to $23.9 million in FY2006.
• Boise State’s location in the dynamic Treasure Valley presents a unique opportunity for economic, cultural and other partnerships. For example, Kustra cited the College of Engineering and the College of Business and Economics for their role in transforming the metropolitan region into an up-and-coming entrepreneurial hotspot, cited by Money magazine, the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, to name just a few.
• More than 1,200 students visited the Boise Art Museum last year under a new university-community collaboration, one of many such partnerships involving the university.


In addition, Kustra provided a slide show previewing the state-of-the-art facilities at the new Interactive Learning Center, currently under construction just to the west of the Math/Geosciences Building. The 54,000-square-foot facility is slated to open in June.

“This building has been designed to foster active and participatory learning and to capitalize on the unique capabilities brought to the learning environment by technology,” Kustra said.

Concluding his remarks, Kustra used the football team as a metaphor for the lessons of life and career.

“The history of Boise State is the story of facing adversity head on, fighting for academic respect over the years, and standing up for what is best for our students, our region and our state. It’s never giving up in the face of overwhelming political odds this university faced over the years. It’s about believing in yourself and your university as our students, alumni and fans do,” Kustra said.

“… It’s about a university not afraid to redefine itself as Idaho’s largest university serving a unique mission and role as this state’s metropolitan research university of distinction.”

“… Let’s not settle for anything but excellence in all we do and let’s not be afraid to dream and take this university and its students to a place where our academic quality is known across the nation,” Kustra said.

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Contact: Frank Zang, Office of Communications and Marketing, (208) 426-5391, frankzang@boisestate.edu 

We’re proud to be the home of the undefeated, Fiesta Bowl champion Broncos, the national champion student speech and debate team, and the nation’s 12th-ranked engineering program among public, comprehensive universities.

 

The Office of Communications and Marketing - Boise State University
1910 University Drive - Boise Idaho 83725-1030
Located in Capitol Village, 2225 W. University Drive

208-426-1577
(fax)208-426-4001

email communications@boisestate.edu

Last reviewed on Tuesday, February 27, 2007