From Boise to Beijing and Manitoba to Melbourne, we have grown into a global agribusiness leader by emphasizing the same principles of innovation, technology and quality that have shaped our company for more than 50 years. We're a major supplier of food and the nutrients needed to grow it, and we welcome the opportunity to serve an expanding worldwide marketplace. S1mplot Bringing Earth's Resources to Life Boise - Airport ... •.. ... •• •• •• • • • ••• .... •. (>..., • •. ... ..•. ... ... • • . •• : .. !." • . .. ' . ..' . .·. · · . IJ D 1!1 D BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY VOL. XXV, NO. 3 SPRING 2000 FEATURES A ..REAL" ISSUE 18 Insiders react to Boise State's "Real Education for the Real World" slogan. HANDS-ON APPROACH 22 Profiles ofBoise State programs that emphasize applied learning. DEPARTMENTS FIRST WORD 7 CAMPUS NEWS 8 SEARCH 30 GIVING 34 ALUMNOTES 36 ON THI Rill An unidentified worker mol'es steel reinforcement prior to cement being poured for the third lel'el of Boise State's four-leJiel, 650-space parking structure. Construction on the $4.5 million project began last September and is expected to be completed this sum­ mer. Chuck Scheer photo. ;: J 5 FOCUS is published quarterly by the Boise State University Office of News Services. PRESIDENT: Charles Ruch You should know more PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS: Daryl Jones VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCI AND ADMINISTRATION: Buster Nee! about southern Idaho! VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCE­ MINT: William N. Ruud VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS: Peg Blake EDITOR: Larry Burke STAFF WRITERS: Chris Bouneff, Janelle Brown, Justin Endow, Bob Evancho, Patricia Pyke PHOTOGRAPHY: Chuck Scheer PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSISTANT: John Kelly EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Brenda Haight ALUMNI NEWS: Donna Conner ADVERTISING SALES: P.V. Quinn & Co., 1520 W. Washington Street, Boise, Idaho 83702 Phone: (208) 385-0338 PUBLISHING INFORMATION: FOCUS' address is BSU Education Building, Room 724, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725. Phone: (208) 426-1577. Letters regarding editorial matters should be sent to the editor. Unless otherwise specified, all articles may be reprinted as long as appropriate credit is given to the author, Boise State University and FOCUS maga­ zine. Diverse views are presented and do not necessar­ ily reflect the opinions of FOCUS or the official policies of Boise State University. ADDRESS CHANGES: Send changes (with address label if possible) to the BSU Alumni Office, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725. If you receive Stunning color photos are combined with informative duplicate copies of the magazine, please notify the Alumni Office at the above address. Friends of the text in th is 232-page book about the geology, ecology, university who wish to receive FOCUS may do so by submitting their names and addresses to the Alumni pre-h istory, history and pol itics of the Snake River Plain. Office. Address changes can also be sent by e-mail to [email protected] E-MAIL:Readers may contact the FOCUS editor by Don 't miss th is in-depth look at one of the most unique e-mail at [email protected] HOME PAGE: FOCUS can be found on the World regions in the world. Wide Web at itc.boisestate.edulpit/FOCUS/home/ home.html "Rich with information, Snake invites the reader to intimately experience the spirit and awesomeness of the Idaho Country." - Oregon History Magazine "Highly recommended for its blend oftext and color photos." - The Reader's Review, San Francisco NOW 30% OFF ---------------------------"Snake: the Plain and Its People" ORDER FORM Make checks payable to ABOUT THE COVER: The "real world" means dif­ Boise State University. ferent things to different people. To many in the Boise State community, it refers to the "real edu­ Allow at least one week cation" students receive because of the universi­ for shipping. ty's location in the state capital as well as its proximity to corporate headquarters, high-tech Send orders to: businesses, cultural centers, major hospitals and ~-- (WAS $39.95) Boise State University a vast expanse of wilderness. But not everyone ... __ (WAS $29.95) University Relations agrees that the university's "Real Education for 1910 University Drive the Real World" slogan is an apt depiction. In Boise, ID 83725 this issue, FOCUS looks at the slogan's message and highlights some programs that do provide Phone (208) 426-1577 real-world experiences. Illustration by Bill Carman. 6 FOCUS/SPRING 2000 a D BRONCO BRAND By Charles Ruch, President ecently, the Boise Metro As you can see, expectations are high as opportunity. Boise State University can no Economic Development Council we move into the 21st century. longer plan or operate as if we were the hosted a visit by David Birch, the Coincidentally, this year the university is "only game in town." president of Cognetics Inc., an updating its strategic plan. The original Boise State has always enjoyed a strong economic development think tank based in plan, issued in 1994, is out of date in some working relationship with our two private Cambridge, Mass. Over the last two respects and needs revision. Much of the sister institutions - Albertson College of decades, Birch's company has tracked the plan has been accomplished or activities Idaho and Northwest Nazarene University. business fortunes of thousands of compa­ We enjoy several cooperative programs nies. with these institutions. In a similar vein, we From this database, he analyzes the fac­ work with our sister state institutions in tors related to business success, area eco­ cooperative programs delivered in Boise. nomic development and quality of life. Relations are strong with the College of The focus of his presentation was on eco­ Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. Yet, a grow­ nomic development in the new economy ing number of institutions offer higher edu­ characterized by e-commerce and high­ cation programs in the Treasure Valley. tech companies. Birch is "bullish" on the That number can be expected to grow in Treasure Valley; Cognetics recently rated the years to come. Boise 20th among 124 mid-size cities as a In a sea of higher education institutions, hotbed for entrepreneurs. most of which have similar characteristics, Music to a president's ear was Birch's how does one become distinctive? What ringing endorsement of quality education are our "value-added characteristics?" at all levels as being absolutely central to What sets Boise State University apart continuing regional economic develop­ from other institutions of higher education ment. He went as far as to assert that Boise either in the valley or beyond? Can we State University was key to the valley's develop a Bronco Brand? economic future. Only a handful of peo­ I have argued that the following charac­ ple were fortunate enough to hear Birch's terize our institution: remarks. Here is the excerpt that pertains • Quality teaching and scholarship. to Boise State: • Accessibility to programs, courses and "Boise State, particularly with a new services. engineering school here, is the magnet - • Strong ties to the community, both in the chief attribute or chief asset that you support of our activities and in the involv­ have to work with going down the road in a are under way to meet agreed-upon goals. ment of students and faculty in the life of knowledge value economy. We are comfortable with our four long­ the community. "That is where knowledge comes from. range goals: • A commitment to make higher educa­ That is where entrepreneurs come from. • Managing growth while preserving and tion play an even greater role in every citi­ That is where people go to be trained. enhancing access. zen's life. When they are working at an HP or • Enhancing academic quality and repu­ This issue of FOCUS highlights recent Micron, that is where employees continue tation. efforts to develop a greater sense of who to increase their knowledge. That is your • Improving management and adminis­ we are now and who we will be in the fountainhead, if you will, of a knowledge trative functions. future. These efforts will help us finalize economy. • Developing the university's human the strategic plan that will guide us during "If the government shrinks the budget of resources. the first five years of the new century. All Boise State, the corporate sector ought to Our revised plan will include needed of the university community has a stake in stand up and double it. On their own. I next steps, planned initiatives and antici­ the outcome of these discussions. can't imagine not doing that. Every city pated activities in support of our goals over A draft of the strategic plan soon will be that is succeeding today is doing that. In the next five to six years. A team is work­ available for review and comment on our many cases, it is coming from corporate as ing with the provost to gather and analyze Web page. well as public support. environmental and internal information. A I hope the topics identified in this issue "If I were to exhort you to do anything, draft report will be available for review and of FOCUS will stimulate your thinking it would be to go to work on Boise State, comment by the university community by about Boise State University's present and and not just support the engineering late spring. future. We welcome your reactions. school, with all due respect. It is a great Of significance in our "environmental As always, I can be reached by phone at achievement, but I would work on the lib­ scene" is the increased number of institu­ 208 426-1491 or by e-mail at cruch@boise eral arts as well. I wouldn't just work on tions (public, private, and for-profit) offer­ state.edu. 0 technology -I'd make it the finest univer­ ing higher education in the Treasure Valley.