Application process
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The President reports to the Idaho State Board of Education and is the chief executive officer and president of Boise State. As Idaho’s largest university, Boise State requires a bold, visionary leader who will engage stakeholders across the state and position the institution as a leader in higher education while honoring Idaho’s unique values and culture. They will connect authentically with Idaho’s broad and independent communities from rural agricultural regions to dynamic city centers, serving as both an educational leader and a trusted voice in conversations about Idaho’s future. The President currently oversees the administrative team:
- Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Vice President of Finance and Operations
- Vice President for Research & Economic Development
- Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management
- Chief Communicat ions and Marketing Officer
- Chief Human Resources Officer
- Chief of Staff
- Executive Director of Athletics
- Director of Government Relations
- Dean of the College of Innovation and Design
- Director of Community Engagement
The ideal President will demonstrate genuine appreciation for Idaho’s blend of independent spirit, entrepreneurial mindset and strong commitment to education. They will be an inspirational leader that takes the institution to new heights and focuses on building Idaho’s workforce.
Opportunities and Challenges
Build Collaborative Relationships
The President must build collaborative relationships with Boise State’s numerous stakeholders. From members of the foundation to alumni to community members at large, part of the president’s main responsibilities revolve around being involved and present in the wider Boise and Idaho community. The next president should be seen as someone working across all perspectives and building bridges for Boise State.
Connect with Faculty and Students
The next leader of Boise State must meaningfully connect with faculty and students to support and enrich their time on campus. As a state institution, Boise State must focus on delivering a best-in-class undergraduate experience to educate Idaho’s future workforce. By offering a student-centric focus, the next president can show Idaho that Boise State is here to work for the needs of the state. Equally important is a deep appreciation for the unique contributions of faculty and a strong working relationship between faculty and the administration. This partnership is foundational to a thriving university community and a high-quality classroom experience.
Maintain Affordability
The next president of Boise State must keep a sharp eye towards maintaining affordability and low student cost at the institution, exercising sound fiscal stewardship to ensure Boise State remains accessible to all Idahoans. This includes responsible budgeting, managing tuition costs, fundraising for need-based scholarships, and partnering with stakeholders on strategic, student-centered investments. The Idaho State Board of Education and the Governor have made it clear: access to affordable, high-quality education is essential to the state’s future.
Empower Next Level of Leadership
Boise State is looking for an inspirational and strategic leader with the ability to empower the next level of leadership at the institution to drive Idaho’s independent spirit, entrepreneurial mindset, and strong commitment to education. A President must surround themselves with the right leaders who will continue guiding Boise State on its outstanding trajectory and have the experience to navigate complex challenges related to students, faculty, staff, and the broader campus community.
Bold Vision for Research
The President must have a bold vision for research that directly benefits Idaho and its thriving industries. As an emerging R1 university, research empowers faculty and students to find new learning opportunities across the state. A commitment to Idaho-focused research with real-world applications that drives innovation is essential, with student engagement being paramount.
Innovative Educational Models
The next president must be prepared to address the challenges of a shifting higher education landscape, championing innovative educational models to support non-traditional students, adult learners, and Idahoans.
Nationally Recognized Sports Programs
Boise State’s Blue Turf is well known for its high level of competition nationwide and strong support within the Boise community. The Broncos are nationally recognized, ranked, and acclaimed through multiple sports programs and take pride in being athletic leaders in Idaho and the nation. With the evolving landscape of college athletics, a president must be able to navigate the changing environment by embracing new opportunities and ensuring student athletes’ well-being and academic achievement.
Dynamic and Growing Institution
As Boise and the State of Idaho continue to experience significant population growth, the next president of this university must embrace a growth mindset. Boise State is a dynamic and growing institution within a dynamic and growing region and will require a leader that understands how to leverage this opportunity.
Time of Transition
Higher education is in a time of transition and new opportunities. As leaders who are asked to do much more than simply run an institution, presidents must build relationships throughout the state; report to the State Board; work with the Governor, state legislature, and industry and community partners; focus on and serve the needs of students; build trust with and earn the respect of the faculty. Boise State’s continued success depends on a president who can excel across all of these areas while responding to the evolving landscape of higher education.
Qualifications and Position Description
Boise State is looking for a leader who not only can lead the institution but will demonstrate genuine appreciation for Idaho’s unique blend of independent spirit, entrepreneurial mindset and strong commitment to education. While academic credentials are valued through a terminal degree and high academic achievement, equally important is a demonstrated record of effective and inspirational leadership. This includes relationship building, management, and driving innovation in complex organizations.
The leadership of Boise State requires skills that cross academic, management, business, political, and relational sectors. It is preferred that a successful candidate will possess experience in most of these sectors and can demonstrate how they can meet the expectations of these where one is not as strong.
Presidents must be able to oversee the financial and personnel aspects of the university; navigate community, donor, and statewide relationships; collaborate with Idaho’s other public universities; and work in alignment with the Idaho State Board of Education.
Known for its vibrant community and its “blue turf thinking,” Boise State is the largest university in Idaho and confers more degrees than all Idaho public universities combined.
Boise State has risen on a stunning trajectory from a community college to a doctoral research university. It embodies the best of both worlds – a strong focus on students and their well-being, driven by the transformative potential of research and its impact on student outcomes and the world around us.
About Boise State
Mission
Boise State provides an innovative and equitable educational environment that prepares students for success and advances Idaho and the world.
Vision
To be a premier student-success driven research university innovating for statewide and global impact.
Our History
Bronco Milestones
- 1932: Bishop Middleton Barnwell of the Episcopal Church oversaw the founding of Boise Junior College.
- 1934: The school became an independent junior college after the Episcopal Church ended its affiliation.
- 1940: The campus moved to its current location on the south bank of the Boise River.
- 1965: Boise Junior College gained four-year status as Boise College and began awarding baccalaureate degrees.
- 1969: The school joined the Idaho state system of higher education and got a new name: Boise State College.
- 1974: Boise State became a university, the third state university in Idaho. Buster Bronco, Boise State’s beloved mascot, also debuted in 1974.
- 1986: Boise State changed its green field to blue.
- 1989: Boise State celebrated the largest enrollment in the state.
- 1992: The State Board of Education approved Boise State’s first doctoral program in curriculum and instruction. The university now offers 15 doctoral programs, including educational technology, computer and materials science and biomedical engineering.
- 2007: The Broncos pulled off one of the greatest upsets in college football history by beating the University of Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. This victory put Boise State University on the national stage and sparked rapid enrollment growth. Boise State surpassed 25,000 students in the next decade.
- 2012: Boise State opened the Micron College of Business and Economics Building in 2012. It was the first of several major campus expansion projects completed in partnership with Micron.
Blueprint for Success
- GOAL 1: Innovation for Institutional Impact: Expand and implement leading-edge innovations and entrepreneurial ideas to provide access to integrated high-quality teaching, service, research and creative activities.
- GOAL 2: Foster Thriving Community: Promote and advance an environment where all members of the campus community make a living, make a life and make a difference.
- GOAL 3: Advance Research and Creative Activity: Advance the research and creative mission of the university community by fostering transformational practices and supporting faculty, staff and student excellence in these pursuits.
- GOAL 4: Trailblaze Programs and Partnerships: Enhance and grow path-breaking interdisciplinary programs and activities that transcend traditional fields of study.
- GOAL 5: Improve Educational Access and Student Success: Enhance the comprehensive student experience with a focus on student success and post-graduate outcomes.
Facts and Figures – Research
Boise State fosters an environment where research and creative activity thrive.
Boise State is designated as a doctoral research institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. We offer more than 200 areas of study, including 15 doctoral programs.
$83.4
43%
Degree Attainment
Boise State played a significant role in increasing the college attainment rate for Idaho.
Boise State confers more than half of all baccalaureate degrees from public institutions in Idaho and has dramatically increased the percentage of Idahoans that we serve in the last two years, growing our population of new Idaho students by 52% over the last five years.
Our success has been fueled by substantial increases in retention and graduation rates, as well as enrollment.
Facts and Figures – Students
We are recruiting and retaining more Idaho students than ever before
Served students from all 44 Idaho counties, and our alumni live in every county.
27,250
5,300+
National Rankings
- #21 Undergraduate Business, U.S. News and World Report
- #13 Executive MBA Program, Fortune
- Highest ranked engineering school in Idaho, U.S. News and World Report
- Largest and highest ranked business school in Idaho, U.S. News and World Report
- Largest and top ranked nursing program in Idaho, U.S. News and World Report
Facts and Figures – Faculty
Boise State has 802 full-time and 668 part-time faculty. Currently, the university supports 13 seated endowed faculty positions.
802
668
13
Unbridled Philanthropic Campaign
- 3rd consecutive record-setting year
- Nearly doubled total philanthropic support over last five years
- 56,098 unique donor households
- Total assets $425.5 million as of March 28, 2025
- Campaign Goal of $500 million by 2028
- 8 new endowed faculty positions in 2024
External Partnerships
Our university is leveraging existing partnerships and programs and developing new opportunities with Idaho employers and private partnerships. Together we are addressing workforce, research, educational and service needs.
Expanding partnerships across Idaho helps ensure rural communities have access to high-quality educational programming that fits their needs. Boise State recently created two new positions a Director for University Industry collaborations and the President’s Professor of Public Scholarship and Engagement focused on growing partnerships, both in number and depth.
Idaho has one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation and higher education institutions in Idaho contribute $4.5 billion to the state’s economy. Industry has called on Boise State to play a key role in American competitiveness in energy and semiconductors. The university has invested in these strategic and critical growth areas. Boise State is the only university in Idaho to become a member of the national Council on Competitiveness.
1 in 3 faculty have an active partnership with a community organization
In 2006, Boise State was one of only 76 universities in the nation initially selected by the Carnegie Foundation as a Community Engaged Institution.
That classification was renewed in 2015 in recognition of the myriad ways that Boise State actively works to align with the cares, interests and activities of our local and state community.
This commitment to service continues to be a defining feature of the university. Boise State successfully renewed its classification as a Carnegie Community Engaged Institution, covering the period from 2024 to 2032.
The Institute for Advancing American Values represents Boise State’s commitment to civil discourse, free speech and Idaho voices. Through a series of events held on campus and around the state, a wide range of perspectives have been presented to numerous audiences, who agree, simply, to listen.
Colleges
Boise State offers a high-quality undergraduate education as well as a supportive Graduate College that cultivates the personal and career growth of students. Boise State continues to expand its curricular offerings in targeted areas driven by student, industry and community demand.
About the Colleges
College of Arts and Sciences
- 91 degree programs
- 5,923 students
The College of Arts and Sciences features the largest set of academic subjects of any college at Boise State. The newest program offerings are in neuroscience, professional and public writing and music production. This college is home to the School of the Arts and the School of the Environment.
Honors and Online Programs
Honors College
- 1,141 students
- 109 nationally competitive award winners in the past 10 years
Boise State set an Idaho record in 2020 with five Fulbright Scholarship recipients and two Truman Scholars. In 2023-24, the university celebrated four Fulbright recipients, two Goldwater Scholars and a Critical Language Scholar. Boise State has three Rhodes Scholars.
Online Programs
- 100 programs
- 5,698 degree-seeking students in fully online programs
Boise State has greatly expanded educational access across Idaho and beyond with online classes and degree programs. Because they can be accessed any time, they create opportunities for busy working adult s and others who are unable to t ravel to campus. Over the past decade, we have made strategic investment s in infrastructure and staffing to create programs across colleges.
Athletics
Boise State builds champions on and off the field. Our student athletes achieved a 3.42 cumulative GPA, the highest in athletics history and accomplished an all-time high graduation rate of 94%.
About Athletics
8
3.42
163
85%
2,645
63
338
$8.1 M
388,500
Seven
17%
$20.8 M
About Boise, Idaho
Boise is one of the most talked-about metropolitan cities in the country – and it’s the ideal college town. From high culture and arts to nightlife, skiing, hiking, rock climbing and river sports, adventure awaits.
Our vibrant partnerships across Idaho’s capital city offer internships and work experiences that will help students go beyond their major.
The City
Located in the heart of Idaho’s capital, Boise State’s campus is just a 10 -minute walk from a booming arts and music scene, shopping, museums, entertainment venues, great restaurant s and night life.
The Outdoors
According to Wilderness Times, Boise is one of the top 25 cities to live in for an “outdoorsy lifestyle,” and the New York Times ranked Boise the ninth-best city in the country for cyclists. Explore 25 miles of tree-lined greenbelt along the Boise River, public parks, scenic hiking trails, natural hot springs, rock climbing, ski resorts and river sports, all within an hour from campus.
City of Boise – At a Glance
236,000
25
4.7
865,000
140
500
Idaho
From the jagged peaks at it s center to the rolling hills and lakes of the panhandle and the rich farmland of the Snake River Plain, Idaho is a land of striking contrasts. Mt. Borah rises to a dramatic 12,662
feet, while the Port of Lewiston – at just 738 feet above sea level – is the most inland seaport on the West Coast. Idaho is home to sand dunes, lava fields and the aromatic sagebrush steppe. Eastern Idaho is a gateway to Yellowstone Teton Territory, which includes some of the most stunning landscapes in the world.
Each year, more than 20 million visitors come to experience Idaho’s unspoiled beauty, including 3,500 miles of rivers – more than any other state in the Lower 48. Nearly two-thirds of Idaho is public land, offering vast spaces to explore and experience quiet solitude – even in one of the fastest -growing states in the union.
Key industries include agriculture, food processing, technology, mining, and tourism. As of 2024, the state had a population of just over 2 million people. VisitIdaho.org