Improving Management

Institutions of higher education must carefully manage resources that come from taxpayers, donors, students and patrons. Careful stewardship is always important, and especially so during times when those funds are limited. By almost any standard of measurement, Boise State manages its resources as cost-effectively as any university in the nation. For example, Boise State has one of the highest campus utilization rates in the country, with courses and activities scheduled during the day, evening and weekend hours. The university also sponsors several self-supporting auxiliary enterprises, such as Student Housing, the Student Union, The Pavilion and Morrison Center, that continue to generate an overall positive fund balance. To further improve business practices, increase effeciency and enhance services, the university has added a variety of new technologies and streamlined procedures.

Highlights

PROJECT ACCESS came to a conclusion with new systems and administrative processes installed for human resources, payroll, finance and student services.

Over the past four years the university has updated its computing infrastructure with a system that improved business processes and brought computing functions for all university offices under one data system. This has allowed offices to improve control over data, empower staff to handle broader responsibilities and manage their systems more efficiently.

Boise State has introduced new technologies to improve the services it provides to students and the public.

All Boise State University students now use BroncoWeb � broncoweb.boisestate.edu � to enroll for classes each semester. Through this Web-based system students can drop and add classes, check grades, vote in student elections and print unofficial transcripts. Last fall 95 percent of all registration transactions took place on BroncoWeb. The university catalog and course schedule can also be found on BroncoWeb. Students and patrons can order textbooks, purchase parking passes, access the Albertsons Library catalog and order Select-a-Seat tickets using the Boise State Web site. Every Boise State student has an electronic mail account and all residence hall rooms, offices and labs are connected to the campus fiber-optic network. More than 800 computers are available on campus for student use, and the Student Union includes a new Cyber Cafe.

A VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH position was established to develop the university�s growing research programs.

Boise State�s research programs have previously been administered by the dean of the graduate college. But as university research grows both in quality and quantity, a vice president was needed to develop and oversee a comprehensive research strategy, strengthen research programs for faculty, enhance funding for research and promote research, scholarship and creative activity on and off campus.

Boise State continues to maximize its resources by DISTRIBUTING PROGRAMS across a variety of times, sites and delivery modes.

For example, in fall 2001 credit hour enrollment in distance education (courses delivered via television or Internet) increased 59 percent over the previous year. Credit hours taken at the Canyon County Center increased 34 percent and Weekend University credit hours increased 18 percent.