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Kustra highlights success and additions to BSU
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Each month Boise State University President Bob Kustra produces a monthly letter to the friends of BSU. He delivered the last update to both faculty and staff just before the Spring 2007 semester began, centering on the exciting victory of the Broncos’ big win against the University of Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Kustra stated that the impact of that game still reverberates and Boise State football (as well as the entire university) will never be the same. He also added that both coaches and players have given BSU the “unprecedented opportunity to highlight our many other areas of excellence.”
“The university has benefited immensely from what the Broncos achieved on the field, certainly in terms of media exposure from coast to coast and record-breaking merchandise sales that support student scholarships. There will be many more intangible benefits, from increased student visits and applications to boost in our fund-raising efforts. No doubt, the overwhelming community and statewide spirit generated for the Broncos is part of the momentum on which we must capitalize,” Kustra said.
Kustra used the new 30-second spot that aired during the Fiesta Bowl to explain and capture what he considers great things on campus.
The new spot gives encouraging words to boost and proclaim BSU’s greatness:
“Boise State University: Where you see Blue, we see Idaho’s largest university, a metropolitan research university of distinction, located in one of the West’s most dynamic cities. A place of science and business. A place of nature and art. When you look beyond the blue, you see the future: the new U, Boise State University.”
Kustra highlighted the spike in admission inquiries and online interest. According to Kustra’s monthly newsletter, “application inquiries to our graduate college increased 10-fold and online inquiries to our admissions office jumped 135 percent.”
Other interesting topics Kustra mentioned in his Spring Update included the success of the residence halls. In both traditional and non-traditional residence halls on campus are at 100 percent occupancy.
“Another residence hall is on the drawing board, needless to say,” Kustra said.
As of this fall, the Carnegie Foundation selected BSU as one of 76 universities to receive the Community Engagement Classification for the efforts and contributions through outreach activities and partnerships. Boise State, through the foundation’s recognition, is now with the ranks of University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of North Carolina.
Kustra also touched on upcoming additions to the university.
“Our campus master plan is quickly coming into reality with the expanded Student Union Building and the Bronco Stadium suites expansion recently approved by the State Board of Education. In addition, plans for a new research building continue and a new parking garage is currently under construction,” Kustra said.
The four-story $14 million Interactive Learning Center, located toward the west end of the campus, is scheduled to open in June, which, according to Kustra, “has the potential to revolutionize the way we teach at Boise State University”.
Newly welcomed to the university was Mark Rudin, vice president for research who comes from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Rudin previously served as interim vice president of research at UNLV, and received his Ph.D. in health physics from Purdue University.
Finally, Kustra encouraged all faculty and staff to settle for nothing less than excellence and “to take Boise State and its students to a place where our academic quality is known across the nation.”
Jessica Christensen