Boise State University

Boise State University

File:BoiseStateSeal.png
Former names	Boise College (1932-1965) Boise State College (1969-1974)
Motto	Splendor Sine Occasu
Type	Public University
Established	1932 - Episcopal College 1974 - State University
Endowment	$129 million (2008) [1]
President	Robert W. Kustra
Provost	Martin E. Schimpf
Academic staff	1,184
Students	19,993 (Autumn 2010)
Undergraduates	17,349
Postgraduates	2,644
Location	Boise , Idaho , United States
Campus	Urban 175 acres (0.71 km²)
Colors	Orange and Dark Blue
Nickname	Broncos
Mascot	Buster Bronco
Website	Boise State University
File:BoiseStateLogo II.gif

Boise State University (BSU) is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965. As of 2010, the university has over 75,000 living alumni.

Boise State offers 201 degrees in 190 fields of study and has more than 100 graduate programs, including the MBA and MAcc programs in the College of Business and Economics; Masters and PhD programs in the Colleges of Engineering, Arts & Sciences, and Education; and the MPA program in the College of Social Sciences & Public Affairs. With nearly 20,000 students, Boise State is both the largest and fastest-growing institution of higher education in the state of Idaho.

The university's athletic teams, the Broncos, participate in NCAA Division I athletics (FBS for football). The Boise State football team has garnered national attention in recent years for winning the 2007 and 2010 Fiesta Bowls, and for finishing four of the last five seasons ranked among the top ten teams in the national BCS rankings.

History

Main article: History of Boise State University

Boise State University was founded in 1932 as Boise Junior College by the Episcopal Church. After two years the school became independent, and, in 1940, moved from St. Margaret's Hall to its present site along the south bank of the Boise River between Capitol Boulevard and Broadway Avenue.

In 1965, the school gained four-year status and began awarding baccalaureate degrees. Four years later, the school joined the Idaho state system of higher education and was renamed Boise State College. In 1974, the school gained university status to become Idaho's third state university. Boise State has grown to become the largest university in the state, and features the premier engineering, business, and medical sciences programs in Idaho. Boise State now awards associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Campus

The campus is nestled along the south bank of the Boise River, directly across from Julia Davis Park and Downtown Boise. The primary campus covers 175 acres (708,000 m²), and includes more than 170 buildings. As Boise State evolves into a Metropolitan Research Institution of Distinction, students and alumni are becoming increasingly involved in the University community and 'Bronco Nation'. [2] The campus sits at an elevation of 2,700 feet (823 m) above sea level.

Campus Expansion Plan

In 2005, University President Bob Kustra announced an ambitious road map for transforming Boise State University into a “Metropolitan Research University of Distinction.” An integral part of this plan is the integration of the “Campus Master Plan” to build and expand university infrastructure to support academic programs and create and attractive and accessible learning environment. The 10-year Campus Master Plan provides for a new set of buildings to be conceptualized, programmed, funded, designed, constructed and ultimately occupied by the campus community. In all, the university will add nearly 20 academic facilities, eight student life facilities, three administrative buildings, dozens of resident halls and apartment buildings, and make significant improvements to campus transportation infrastructure.

Since 2005, the university has already completed or begun nearly a dozen major projects, including construction of the Interactive Learning Center, the Micron Business Building, the Norco Nursing and University Health Services Building, and the Center for Environmental Science and Economic Development (CESED).

"Micron" Engineering Center, College of Engineering

Albertson's Library

The school's library, named for grocery pioneer and longtime Boise resident Joe Albertson, is a 200,000 square foot (19,000 m²) facility in the center of the campus. The library is said to be large enough to fit the entire student body of Boise State. It houses more than 550,000 books, 80 public terminals for student use, and features a Starbucks and public lounge area. An extensive library remodel was completed in the mid-1990s.

Student Union Building

The "SUB" brings together an eclectic mix of services under one roof, including the BSU Bookstore, Bronco Gear apparel shop, bowling lanes, arcade, several fast food restaurants, banquet facilities and other student services. The building is located along University Drive, and is connected to the "SPEC" or Special Events Center. This part of the building houses a smaller auditorium used for community productions, including the Idaho Dance Theater. The SUB was recently remodeled and added significant space.

Morrison Center

The Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts has 2,000 seats in its primary performance hall, and hosts a wide variety of fine arts performances, including off-broadway musicals and plays, and a number of concerts and other events. The venue opened its doors in April 1984. It is designed to be shaped roughly like the State of Idaho when viewed from above.

Other campuses

Boise State once operated a "West Campus" in Nampa, Idaho that featured a 65,000-square-foot (6,000 m²) building with 28 classrooms, a bookstore and a library. However, in January, 2009, the West Campus transitioned into the College of Western Idaho, a two-year community college. Additional education centers can be found at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Gowen Field and in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Campus events

An active student association provides a large number of activities and programs to engage students outside the classroom. In addition, the school rallies around its popular football program in the fall—and to a lesser degree, men's basketball during the winter months.

The Distinguished Lecture Series brings speakers such as journalist Seymour Hersh, author Michael Cunningham and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Wałęsa to campus. The university hosts the Martin Luther King, Jr./Human Rights Celebration every January. "Noon Tunes" concerts are held each summer. Boise State also has a newly formed student led lecture series, Vox Discipuli; the first speaker was retired CENTCOM Commander John Abizaid in 2008 where he spoke about “Diplomacy, the Military, and the Future of the Middle East." That was followed by a debate between journalists Jonah Goldberg and Peter Beinart in October 2008.

Academics and organization

Academic rankings
National
Forbes	545
U.S. News & World Report	51 (West)

Boise State University offers nine doctoral degrees, 13 graduate certificate, 73 master's degrees, 100 baccalaureate degrees, and seven associate degrees. In 2009, the university awarded 11 doctorates, 514 master's degrees, 2,137 baccalaureate degrees, 598 associate degrees, and 219 certificates.

The school's more than 190 fields of study are organized into eight colleges:

• Arts and Sciences
• Business and Economics (COBE)
• Education
• Engineering
• Graduate Studies
• Health Sciences, and
• Social Sciences and Public Affair (SSPA)

Athletics

File:Boisestatelogo.png

See also: Boise State Broncos and Boise State Broncos tennis

Boise State's athletic nickname is the Broncos. The official mascot is Buster Bronco. BSU fields many different teams in sports. Its men's teams include football, basketball, cross country, track and field, wrestling, golf, and tennis. Its women's teams include volleyball, basketball, cross country, swimming and diving, soccer, track and field, gymnastics, golf, and tennis. Most of these teams compete in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The wrestling team competes in the Pac-10 Conference. In June 2011, Boise State will join the Mountain West Conference.

Bronco Football

Main article: Boise State Broncos football

The Broncos play their home games on campus at Bronco Stadium, widely known for its unique blue playing surface which nearly matches the team's blue home uniforms.

The Broncos at the 2010 Fiesta Bowl against TCU

The Broncos have experienced a great deal of recent success. Since 1999, the Broncos' record is 93-17 with nine conference titles (Big West Conference 1999 & 2000, Western Athletic Conference (WAC) 2002–06, 2008–09), and six wins in nine bowl appearances. The Broncos finished the season in the Top 25 polls in 2002 (12th), 2003 (15th), 2004 (13th), 2006 (5th), and started the 2005 season ranked 18th and the 2007 season ranked 22nd. The Broncos have had three undefeated regular seasons in the last five years.

Boise State also has one of the best home field advantages in college football, winning 31 straight home games from September 22, 2001, until their loss to Boston College in the MPC Computers Bowl on December 28, 2005. However, since the MPC Computers Bowl alternates home teams between the WAC and ACC participants every year, Boston College was technically the home team despite the fact the game was played in Bronco Stadium, which is Boise State's home field. Since 1999, the Broncos are 59–2 at home and 56–1 during regular season games.

During the 2006 season, Boise State won the WAC championship for the fifth straight time and finished the regular season undefeated for the second time in three years. Because of rule changes that made it slightly easier for a "mid-major" school to earn a Bowl Championship Series bid, the Broncos became eligible for a berth after finishing with a #8 national ranking (they needed to finish 12th or higher). The Broncos were selected to play the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl on January 1, 2007. The Broncos became the second team (after the 2004 Utah Utes) from a conference not guaranteed an automatic BCS bid to go to a BCS bowl game. The Broncos defeated the Sooners 43-42 in overtime. The winning score was a successful two-point conversion by running back Ian Johnson on a variation of the Statue of Liberty play that was made possible after a Hook and Lateral play on 4th-and-18 went for a touchdown to force the game into overtime. On the first play, the Sooners scored on a 25-yard Adrian Peterson run and successfully kicked the point after touchdown. Boise State countered with a trick play that sent starting quarterback Jared Zabransky in motion as a receiver. Running back/receiver Vinny Perretta threw a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Derek Schouman. Zabransky was named the game's offensive Most Valuable Player, while Marty Tadman was selected as defensive Most Valuable Player. Due to the 41–14 loss Ohio State suffered to Florida, Boise State became the only team to finish the 2006 season with an undefeated record. The Broncos extended their string of consecutive victories to 14 in 2007 with a 56–7 win over Weber State, but the streak (then the longest in the nation) ended with a 24-10 upset loss in Seattle to the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium on September 8, 2007. On November 26, 2010, the Broncos lost a shot at the 2011 national title game after losing to Nevada 34-31 in overtime.

On January 11, 2007, head coach Chris Petersen was awarded the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award as the nation's best head coach during the 2006 season.

The Boise State Spirit Squad consists of the BSU Cheerleaders and the Boise State Harvey Neef Mane Line Dancers. They perform at basketball and football games, as well as gymnastics meets and occasionally soccer games.

Bronco Stadium

Main article: Bronco Stadium

File:Boise State Stadium Expansion.gif

Rendering of the Bronco Stadium expansion project.

Bronco Stadium is home to the Boise State football and Track & Field programs. It has played host to the NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in 1994 and 1999, and is home to the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl.

Bronco Stadium is best known for its blue playing surface, the only non-green football field in Division I college football. Originally nicknamed the "Smurf Turf", "the Blue," as it is commonly known to fans, was originally a bright blue AstroTurf installed in 1986. In 2002, BSU installed AstroPlay, similar to FieldTurf, a new generation of infilled synthetic turf that mimics the appearance, feel, and texture of grass. In 2008, the field was replaced a fourth time with FieldTurf.

Ground was broken for the stadium in 1969, and it opened in September 1970 with a capacity of 14,500. Subsequent expansions were completed in 1975 and 1997, and current capacity sits at around 33,500. In August of 2010, the university unveiled a $100 million expansion plan for Bronco Stadium. The first stage will include: adding a new facility to the north endzone to house the football offices, weight room, training room, equipment room and locker room; removing the track; and adding a 13,200-seat grandstand behind the north endzone. Later stages include: lowering the field to add 3,300 seats; completing the south endzone horseshoe; building an east side skybox; and renovating the east concourse. Seating capacity for the fully-expanded Bronco Stadium will exceed 55,000.

Taco Bell Arena

Main article: Taco Bell Arena

Known as the "Boise State University Pavilion" until June 2004, Taco Bell Arena (TBA) is home to BSU basketball, wrestling, women's gymnastics, community events, and several concerts each year. Opened in May 1982, the arena seats 12,380 on three levels. The TBA has hosted rounds one and two of the men's NCAA Division I basketball tournament on eight occasions from 1983–2009, and the third and fourth rounds of the NCAA women's Division I basketball tournament in 2002.

The construction of the pavilion began in February 1980 on the site of the tennis courts and a portion of the BSU baseball field. The Bronco baseball team played their home games in 1980 at Borah Field (now Bill Wigle Field) at Borah High School. Baseball was discontinued as a varsity sport following the 1980 season. The tennis courts were rebuilt immediately west of the arena, on the former baseball field (infield & right field).

Student life

In 2010, Boise State had over 20,000 full-time students, making it the largest university in the state of Idaho.

• White 15,197 (80.3%)
• Hispanic 1,202 (6.3%)
• Asian-American 654 (3.5%)
• African-American 361 (1.9%)
• Native American 212 (1.1%)
• Pacific Islander 70 (0.4%)
• Not Reported 1,241 (6.5%)

Of those students enrolled in 2009, 86.1% are Idaho residents and 54% are female. Boise State's four-year graduation rates is 6%, the six-year graduation rate is 26%, and the eight-year graduation rate is 33%.

Spring Blossom, Broncos Stadium

Housing

The dominant form of school-supported housing is in coed dorms which make up 60% of all accommodations. Seven residential halls (Chaffee, Morrison, Driscoll, Taylor, Keiser, Barnes Towers, Suites) house 1,492 students in shared (Driscoll, Chafee, and Towers) and single rooms (Taylor, Keiser, and Morrison). Units for disabled students make up 2%. There are 5 university owned apartment complexes as well.

The vast majority of Boise State students live off-campus: 92%.

Fraternities and sororities

There are seven fraternities (Alpha Kappa Lambda, Delta Upsilon, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Sigma Lambda Beta, and Tau Kappa Epsilon), and three sororities (Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Xi Delta, and Alpha Gamma Delta) on campus.

In recent years, Boise State has seen a growing interest in Greek life on campus. Over the past two years, the community added three fraternities (Tau Kappa Epsilon, Sigma Chi, and Delta Upsilon) and one sorority (Alpha Gamma Delta). An additional sorority is expected in the fall of 2011.

Transportation

Parking

Since most students live off campus, the majority of transportation to and from campus is by automobile. Students must obtain permits to use most on-campus parking facilities, with the exception of some hourly parking inventory. BSU is served by a parking garages on the west edge of the campus and across from the "SUB", and a wide variety of surface parking. Plans currently call for additional parking garages to serve the growing student population. Parking has frequently been a problem on campus, especially for General permit holders. On campus events such as concerts and football games can cause huge parking disruptions as some General lots are closed to student parking to allow for event parking.

Alternative methods

Boise Shuttle Service offers a circulating shuttle on campus, and walking and biking are encouraged. Limited mass-transit options are available, except Boise City's bus system. The city of Boise is served by the Boise Airport and the Greyhound Bus company.

Broadcast media

Boise State Radio is broadcast from the Boise State campus. Stations include KBSU-FM 90.3, KBSX-FM 91.5, KBSU-AM 730 and KBSW-FM 91.7.

Alumni

Main article: List of Boise State University people

External links

• Official website
• Official Athletics website
• Historic Boise State Digital Collection features photographs that reflect the history of Boise State, from its beginning as Boise Junior College in 1932 to the present. Includes images of campus life, student activities, buildings, and athletics