COID - 2021 Annual Report - Digital Final - 210704 - Flipbook - Page 3
COLLEGE OF INNOVATION + DESIGN — Dean’s Report
A MESSAGE
FROM OUR
FOUNDING DEAN
What do you do when a global pandemic
breaks out and amplifies the uncertainty
we face? One year ago, we confronted
many questions and found few answers
related to the impacts of COVID on higher
education. How long would this pandemic
last? Will we be able to develop a
vaccine? What will the future look like for
higher education?
While the impacts of the past year have
transcended all aspects of life, I am
particularly grateful for how the College
of Innovation + Design (CI+D) faculty,
staff, and students rose to the occasion.
Modeling resilience, adaptability, and
perseverance, we have managed to not
only survive the past academic year, but
also in many areas, thrive. This past year
we have shifted our teaching modality
from in-person to online, launched new
innovative programs, and grown the
impact of our existing programs. Allow
me to share with you a few specific
examples from our past year:
Resilience – CI+D transitioned 90% of our
courses from in-person instruction to
100% online or hybrid teaching modalities
in order to support student learning and
respond to the needs of our community.
Our enrollment for 2020-2021 was up 2%,
which is a testament to our ability to
persevere in serving our students in the
midst of disruption.
Adaptability – Realizing that COVID was
impacting high school students’ transition
to college, CI+D partnered with the
College of Arts and Sciences to launch the
new Bronco Gap Year program to support
those interested in taking a semester or
year off before beginning college. This
low-cost, high-impact program offers a
purposeful set of learning experiences,
designed by Boise State faculty and
advisors, with the option of earning
college credit.
Perseverance – CI+D managed to grow
our Leadership Certificate (LEAD) to the
point where it will be moving out of CI+D
sponsorship and into a new home in the
School of Public Service at Boise State.
This marks our third successful program
launched and nurtured that has moved to
a new unit across campus and will allow
us to increase our capacity for investing in
new faculty ideas and models for higher
education innovation.
So, to what do I attribute our ability to
innovate during an unprecedented time of
change? For me, I reflect on the concept
of locus of control and how CI+D
embraces a posture of accepting change.
Locus of control is the extent to which
one feels in control of the events that
influence their life. For example, during
times of change or uncertainty do you
believe you have agency to effect
Modeling resilience,
adaptability, and perseverance,
we have managed to not only
survive the past academic year,
but also in many areas, thrive.
outcomes in a given situation or do you
feel your effort will have no impact?
It is my view that life is full of uncertainty
and setbacks. However, if one commits to
clearly identifying problems to be solved,
iterating potential solutions, and running
experiments, we can increase our
probability to make significant
progress. Regardless of the
circumstances, it is amazing how much a
group of willing collaborators can
accomplish. I’ve seen it time and again in
my 25+ year career. Attitude, effort, and
compassion make a big difference and I
know it was integral to the substantial
progress made by everyone in the College
of Innovation + Design.
As we look forward to the year ahead, I’m
optimistic we will continue to innovate in
CI+D and offer up a steady flow of
innovative opportunities incubated by our
College. What we do is critical to Boise
State University. The pace of change is
increasing, but so are the opportunities to
thrive if we are willing to imagine a future
that will look different from our past. If our
work resonates with you, please reach out
and contact me. I’d love to connect you
with one of my talented colleagues and
find a place where your time, talent, and
resources can help us make Boise State
University and the State of Idaho a place
where innovation continues to thrive!
Gordon Jones
Founding Dean, CI+D
PAGE
3