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Kustra focuses on faculty-student relationships, research agenda
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Boise State University President Bob Kustra delivered his State of the University Address to a staff and faculty audience on Wednesday in the Student Union Building’s Jordan Ballroom.
Kustra is entering his third year as president of BSU. His administration has been marked by an emphasis on upgrading admission standards, improving the undergraduate experience, and increasing the number of graduate and doctoral programs.
Kustra focused his remarks on the science and engineering fields, the importance of teaching students, and began his speech by addressing Boise State’s research agenda to its metropolitan responsibilities.
He said that today Boise State finds itself among those metropolitan universities empowered not by a 19th century federal statute, but by a dynamic, high tech economy and growing community, which accounts for the growing enrollment, the faculty’s engagement in the community, and the success in winning research grants.
“Boise State deserves to be recognized and respected as a university in a class of its own,” Kustra said.
In 2004, BSU’s College of Engineering ranked 20th on U.S. News and World Report’s list of best engineering colleges among public universities. A recent $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to the College of Engineering will allow BSU to provide engineering scholarships to 30 undergraduate students in engineering and science.
Kustra stated that the College of Engineering is using funding from a $1 million Hewlett Foundation grant to help under-prepared engineering students make the transition from high school to college.
“Boise State’s growing research agenda in science and engineering and the role it plays in affording our students opportunities to engage in laboratory investigation and discovery seems perfectly timed,” Kustra said.
Kustra also addressed what the university is doing for students to achieve excellence in their learning and living experience on campus.
According to a BSU news release, Boise State is on track to meet its 2 percent increase in fall semester enrollment, with the semester totaling a record-breaking 18,600 students.
Kustra said that the new freshman class is particularly impressive and are the highest academically qualified entering class in the history of BSU.
Kustra emphasized the importance for Boise State to examine the faculty responsibilities to the students and the role that faculty plays at BSU in mentoring, advising, and counseling students.
“Sometimes I’m not sure we appreciate the long-term impact of the faculty-student relationship. The quality of that experience will affect other decisions students will make as citizens and taxpayers for the rest of their lives,” said Kustra.
Kustra said that his interest for this year is to improve the culture of the campus and to have a sense of community among students.
“I know we are up against a significant challenge; we are a commuting culture. Students are coming and going on their way to and from class, and from work, and from families, but we must find ways of connecting more effectively with students. It’s the reason why I stress the faculty-student relationship,” said Kustra.
Kustra said that students need faculty to be available outside of the classroom and to be willing to sit down with students in the SUB, at dinner, or at lunch and talk, not just about the courses they are taking, but their lives, their careers, their aspirations, and their goals.
“Student success measured by every major toll or undertaking has determined that the student-faculty relationship is the key,” said Kustra. “When students graduate, the value of their degree will be better than it has ever been in the history of Boise State. What stands behind that degree is a quality education, and that education is getting better every year.”
One of the BSU staff’s highest priorities this year is to work with faculty to strengthen the bond between student and campus, partnering with faculty to revitalize programming and create more meaningful opportunities for the students.
Kustra announced in his address that by October there would be another construction project on campus as the university breaks ground on a new Interactive Learning Center.
With 12 multi-purpose classrooms and a 200-seat auditorium, as well as dining and food service areas, Kustra said the Interactive Learning Center would symbolize the university’s commitment to its students in facilitating state-of-the-art learning with cutting edge technology. The Interactive Learning Center will also house a new Center for Teaching and Learning.
The Center for Teaching and Learning will serve as a resource for the faculty to review new theories of cognitive development and to experiment with strategies for motivating learners.
“Learning is a complex undertaking, and even the best teacher may not succeed at reaching all students successfully,” Kustra said.
To kick off these renewed efforts to engage students to take part in on-campus activities, BSU is sponsoring a faculty-student barbeque during the second week of class on the Quad.
On Monday, Aug. 29, faculty and staff have been encouraged to reach out, meet their students, and help solidify the sense of the community.
The barbeque will begin at 11:00 a.m. and end at 1:00 p.m. All academic departments and faculty are encouraged to come, as well as all students.
Ryan Mortensen
News Writer
