May 10, 2007

Dear Friends:

At this Saturday’s Spring Commencement, Boise State will honor one of its favorite sons as alumnus and Micron Technology CEO Steve Appleton receives only the fifth honorary doctorate awarded by the university. A 1982 graduate with a BBA in management, Steve was previously honored with Boise State’s Silver Medallion Award in 2001, the highest recognition of service to the university. Previous honorary doctorate recipients are film director and alumnus Michael Hoffman, former Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus, Chinese human rights activist Deng Pufang, and alumnus Ralph R. Peterson, chairman, president and CEO of CH2M Hill.

Commencement is always one of the most enjoyable events of the year. Our faculty and staff derive a great deal of satisfaction from the sense of pride that family and friends have as our graduates receive their diplomas and join the growing ranks of our alumni. Saturday’s ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in Taco Bell Arena and include the processional and recessional of candidates as well as individual recognition of each graduate. Approximately 1,100 students are expected to attend the ceremony. In all, 1,778 students have qualified for graduation since the December 2006 Commencement, earning a total of 1,850 degrees or certificates.

The 2006-07 academic year has been an exceptional year for Boise State as we continue to move forward to meet the needs of those we serve. With this letter I hope to bring you up-to-date on the most recent developments on our campus and provide a quick review of the year’s highlights.

• Previously in this space, I mentioned that some of the benefits of the Bronco football team’s undefeated 2006 season and New Year’s night win in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl would take weeks and sometimes months to manifest themselves. The most recent proof was the Boise State Bookstore’s announcement that it has returned $1.75 million in the form of scholarships and support to the university operating budget due in large part to the record sales of Bronco insignia merchandise. The $1.75 million for the fiscal year that ends next month is the Bookstore’s largest return to the university. In both FY ’06 and ’05, the Bookstore returned $1 million to the university. The revenue generated from the Bookstore’s operations during fiscal year 2007 included support for an $800,000 contribution to the Boise State Foundation’s Capital Scholars Endowment; $360,000 for new furniture for the Student Union’s Table Rock Cafe, which will move from the second to the first floor as part of the building’s expansion and renovation project that begins this month; and $90,000 to the university’s New Student Orientation program.

• Speaking of the Student Union expansion, the university held the official ground-breaking ceremony this week on the $30.65 million construction project. When completed in June 2009, 66,000 square feet will be added and an existing 27,000 square feet will be renovated.

• As many of you know, the Student Union expansion and renovation is just one of several construction projects taking place or in the works. The Interactive Learning Center is scheduled to open later this summer and the parking structure near the Student Union will open in August. Also, ground will be broken next month on a new Student Health, Wellness and Counseling Center/Department of Nursing Building. About half of the $25 million, four-story building will be devoted to nursing classrooms, seminar rooms, practice labs (including an acute care simulation lab) and offices. In addition, design is under way on the Center for Environmental Science & Economic Development research building to house science and public policy faculty, and fundraising has started for a new College of Business and Economics Building, which received an initial $12.5 million contribution from the Micron Technology Foundation earlier this year. Needless to say, these are exciting times at Boise State as these projects take shape.

• If you know someone who is considering a return to college but isn’t sure how to go about it, please inform him or her that for the second straight year, Boise State has declared May “Return to Learn” month with special services to connect prospective students with campus representatives who will help them develop individualized academic plans. A unique phone number and Web site have been set up to help people learn about their best options for returning to school. Enrollment counselors and academic advisers are available by calling the Boise State “learning line” at (208) 562-3127 or sending an e-mail to returntolearn@boisestate.edu. A unique Web site is available at http://returntolearn.boisestate.edu. Individual appointments can also be scheduled in the daytime or evening at the main campus or the Boise State West campus in Nampa.

• Among the annual end-of-the-year honors that Boise State hands out to some of the outstanding members of our campus community is the Foundation Scholars awards. This year’s honorees are Robert Bahruth, professor of bilingual education, winner of the Teaching Award; Alex Punnoose, associate professor of physics, winner of the Research and Creative Activity Award; and Todd Shallat, professor of history, who received the Service Award. Started in 1992, the Foundation Scholars awards are one of the top honors for members of our faculty.

You can access additional information on all of the above items and other news from Boise State at news.boisestate.edu.

The 2006-07 school year will be best be best remembered for the Broncos’ stirring 43-42 overtime win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. But there were plenty of other highlights since classes began last August. They include the following: Micron Technology’s $12.5 million gift … the debate team’s second-place finish in the national forensics tournament … our fall enrollment of 18,876, which set another state record for the ninth time in the last 10 years … The Arbiter being named one of the top 20 college newspapers in the nation for the second straight year … engineering professor Megan Frary receiving the National Science Foundation’s prestigious award for early career faculty … the BSU production of the play In the Sawtooths, written by an alum Dano Madden, being invited to the national Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Washington, D.C. … chemistry majors Alina Schimpf and Lisa Young being named Goldwater Scholars … the College of Engineering celebrating its 10-year anniversary … Boise State receiving recognition as one of 76 universities nationwide for community engagement by the Carnegie Foundation … our $23.8 million in research funding, our second-highest total in school history.  

Kathy and I hope you have an enjoyable and restful summer. As always, my sincere thanks for all your support of Boise State University.

 

Best Regards,

Bob Kustra

President