Enhancing Quality

The No. 1 priority at Boise State is to ensure its students a high-quality educational experience, both in and out of the classroom. Improved facilities, increased research funding and nationally recognized student and faculty achievement are just a few of the indications that Boise State continues to improve the quality of its services. Consistent processes of evaluation and improvement are in place to ensure that programs are meeting needs and maintaining high standards of quality. One important indicator of quality is accreditation, which measures a program against objective standards set by a regional or national accrediting agency. The university as a whole was reaccredited in December 2000, and all of the university�s individual programs that are eligible are accredited.

Highlights

U.S. News & World Report rated the College of Engineering as one of the top 37 programs in the nation among universities that do not offer engineering doctorate degrees.

Accredited just three years ago, this ranking recognizes the quality of the faculty, facilities and programs in the College of Engineering.

The first edition of The Best 201 Colleges for the Real World included Boise State.

This new publication is designed as a guide for prospective students. Author Michael Viollt advises students to look for universities in cities that can provide internships, volunteer and job placement opportunities.

The WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE accepted Boise State for membership, beginning July 2001.

The move to the WAC has enhanced the quality of competition, increased Boise State�s visibility in some of the nation�s major media markets and improved the quality of the university�s athletic programs.

Funding for research and contracted services reached more than $18 million in 1999-2000, the largest annual total in university history.

Boise State�s research programs have increased in both quantity and quality in recent years. Federal funding, for example, has almost doubled in the last five years to $13.1 million in 2001.

The Idaho Microfabrication Laboratory and associated clean room were established by the College of Engineering to support research and instruction in microelectronics.

The facility allows Boise State to develop a research center that focuses on semiconductor technology. Faculty have already secured major funding from federal and private sources to conduct research on a variety of topics related to semiconductors. The Class 1000 clean room, one of only a handful in the country on a college campus, provides an ideal learning environment for students.