Rob Libby came away from Boise State University’s online Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Professional Studies program with four certificates, two degrees and a whole lot of enlightenment.
“It allowed me to focus on a couple of different areas I am interested in,” he said. “It’s touted as a non-traditional degree that helps older students or students who came back to school to collect some of their life experiences.
“Initially, it was because it seemed to be that catch-all degree — just to get it done. My focus area was innovation and design. I am also very interested in health and wellness, design thinking, AI and political science. There are all sorts of things you can build into the degree. It really opened my eyes.”
Libby, a senior systems analyst in Boise State’s extended studies program, was 58 years old when he returned to college. He has worked for the university since 2013.
While enrolled in the online Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program, he finished the three courses he needed to complete an associate degree from his previous college experience at the College of Southern Idaho.
“I transferred in all of my first two years of core classes,” he said. “I did that back in 1991 when I got out of the army; I had to drop out because I couldn’t finish. I did enough to where I almost had enough credits for an associate degree.”
During his time as an online student at Boise State, Libby averaged earning nearly one certificate per semester. He now has certificates in Design Thinking For Professional Purpose and Personal Fulfilment, Applied Emotional Intelligence and Well-Being and AI For All. He also earned a certification in innovation and design.
Doubling up
Libby grew up in San Francisco, but he quit high school, left home and joined the United States Army, where he spent 11 years, after his 17th birthday. After starting college, he quit and started a family with his wife, Catherine.
“I got a GED and started taking college courses in the military,” he said. “I got out right before the Gulf War in 1991. I jumped back into school but had to drop out because I raised five children. Once they all launched, I decided, ‘I’m at Boise State. I should have a degree.’”
The flexibility of the online format helped Libby separate his workday from his schoolwork while he earned his degrees and certificates.
“I have two offices at home,” he said. “I was in my downstairs office for work. I would leave at 5 o’clock and go upstairs to my school office. I did that for two years. It worked out well. It was really manageable once I discovered I needed to switch physical locations at home.
“I needed that break away from work. I didn’t want to use the same work computer. I’d be tempted to log in to either the school or work. I am kind of a workaholic. It was much easier to manage by separating them.”
Libby especially enjoyed the core courses, like Design Thinking, Emotional Intelligence and Wellness and the courses within the College of Innovation + Design.
“Anything related to emotional intelligence, wellness, design thinking, changing the way I think and perceive my environment was all eye-opening at 58 years old,” he said. “It gave me the language to understand what had been happening in the past when you go through that reflective style of thinking.
“Now, I have the language to describe what’s been happening my whole life. I wouldn’t have been able to have the same experience if I had done it at 20. I don’t think I would have stuck with it. If you tried to tell a 20-year-old about design thinking or emotional intelligence, you’d get blank stares. You have to have that life experience behind it.”
That new perspective is carrying over into Libby’s career and personal life, adding to the experience of returning to higher education as a student.
“One of the things I learned was to be more reflective and more deliberate to what I am doing,” he said. “From an organizational perspective, I’ve always been a highly-organized person, but this was a different way to look at things.
“Taking the time to stop and take a look at what you’re doing and why you’re doing it was a bigger takeaway for me than for most people. I enjoyed that aspect of it. I learned not to be so deliberate. Sometimes when you focus on a task and think that task is dumb — it’s not dumb. It’s stopping and thinking — that reflective nature. I evolved into that.”
Just getting started
Libby had a strong support system from his family and friends, which includes five grandchildren, during his time as a Boise State student.
“Some of them thought I was crazy,” he said. “Two of my daughters now have master’s degrees; one of them is working on her second. I thought, ‘You know what? I need to show my grandkids that this is doable.’
“They always knew, ‘Pop Pop is doing his homework. We need to leave him alone for a while. He can’t play.’ My wife has always been supportive. It’s been a lifelong goal.”
Once he takes a breather from school, Libby plans to enroll in a master’s degree in educational technology program.
“I needed a break,” he said. “I’ll probably start in the summer or fall. We’ll see. I walked away with my bachelor’s degree with no student loans or anything like that because I work for Boise State.”
For now, Libby plans to stick to one home office, get some rest and enjoy his new way of looking at life.
“I would say do this program if you can, and get the most out of it,” he said. “Pay real attention to how you reflect. I am all about the reflection, which was so new to me. I don’t think my generation spent a lot of time reflecting. At the beginning it’s a little questionable, like, ‘What am I doing? Why am I doing this?’
“As you plug through it, you pay attention to how the courses start to layer on each other. My advisor helped me understand the courses I needed to take and what sequence to take them in. Definitely meet with those advisors and listen to them. The interdisciplinary studies program is 100% valuable.”
Learn more about the interdisciplinary professional studies program
Earning an online Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Professional Studies from Boise State University can open doors to new opportunities and a brighter future — and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Whether you’re exploring if an online degree is right for you or need help transferring credits, connecting with a student success coach is the perfect first step.
Ready to learn more? Attend one of our online information sessions or contact a student success coach today.