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October 2011
Volume 24
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Boise, Idaho
Top Stories
Doin’ it doggy style
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First issue free
Who wants to fire Kustra?
A celebration of man’s best friend sweeps Julia Davis Park.
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Fresno Fever
David Wuerth/THE ARBITER
The rivalry is on! Broncos head to No-Cal for a Friday night rumble.
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Faith & Fury
“We don’t know where they came from,” said Director of Communications and Marketing Frank Zang. Rick Rogers, clerk at Campus Security also reported the organization has no information about the Fire Kustra stickers that have appeared around campus seemingly overnight. The origin and motivation behind the stickers remains a mystery.
Admission changes drop enrollment Cheyenne Perry Journalist
Religion is never justification for hate or violence.
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Weather Today
Showers
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Based on the 10th Day Enrollment Profile, campus now holds 4,254 freshmen, 3,762 sophomores, 3,612 juniors, 4,923 seniors, 2,296 graduate students and 817 post-baccalaureate undergraduates. The total count of enrolled students reached 19,664 for the fall 2011 semester. Though beneath the desired 20,000 total enrolled students, this count means positive things for advancing admission requirements. Over the last ten years, changes have been made to the Boise State enrollment process that have affected the number of students who are eligible for acceptance into Boise State. For incoming freshmen straight from high school, the university currently uses a combination of high school applicants’ grade point
averages (GPAs) and standardized test scores to determine acceptance. Boise State also requires a certain amount of completed semesters of classes in compliance with Idaho core standards. The class requirements and credits have remained constant in the last ten years, but the Boise State University Admission Index has been altered. The admission index is a chart that displays ranges of high school GPAs on one side and standardized test scores on the other. Freshmen can find where their scores intersect on the table to determine their candidate category. Boise State uses its Admission Index to show the ranges of excellent, possible and unlikely candidates for admission as new degreeseeking freshmen. Freshmen fall into three determined categories for admission based on the admission index.
An excellent candidate for admission on the chart is represented by a dark gray region, an unlikely candidate falls into a white region and a possible candidate falls into a light gray region. This light gray, middle acceptance region in the admission index provides an opportunity to take a more personal look at the student. “In (the light gray) area, that’s where we really look at students a little more one-on-one and look at more than just their GPA and test scores,” Admissions Director Jenny Cerda said. The light gray area representing possible candidates on the current admission index has experienced change over the years, most recently last fall. In previous years it was likely for students to be accepted “low in the [light] gray,” said Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Services Mara Affre. Yet recent (and future
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Top: 2001-02 Admission Index. Bottom: 2011-12 Admission Index.
changes) to the light gray region are making it harder for students who fall into that area to be admitted. The change in this gray area occurred last fall and Affre said more change is coming. “We’re looking again at fall ’13 to move it again,” Affre said. In the 2001-2002 university catalogue for undergraduates, the admission index had two candidate categories representing probable candidates and unlikely candidates. The 2001 index categories also included substantially lower GPA ranges and standardized test scores than the 2011 index categories currently used. The increased admission requirements affect the numbers of new degree-seeking freshmen who enroll at Boise State. “We did see a decrease in freshmen, which we expected because of the increase in admission requirements,” Affre said. Having only admitted 54 percent of the students who submitted applications this fall, Boise State anticipated a lower admittance number of degree-seeking freshmen. Nine hundred and seventy-six applicants, equal to 12.4 percent of all new freshmen applicants, were denied admission this fall semester. The number of new academic freshmen applicants who were denied admission in fall 2001 was 299, or 7.4 percent. This, among other reasons, accounts for Boise State’s number of total enrolled students remaining beneath the 20,000 mark. Boise State’s football distinction seems to play a role in attracting students to the university, which can increase applicants and impact the need for enhanced admission requirements. The 2007 Tostitos Bowl win drew national attention to the university, which has continued to gain notoriety since. “[Football] gives us a really good chance to start telling the story of what all is going on here,” Cerda said. Student interest in Boise State football helps introduce the university as a college option, then allowing faculty, like Cerda, to explain the opportunities within academic programs makes the university a serious option. “You’ll hear Dr. Kustra say this often … certainly our football team has opened up the doors of people being aware of Boise State,” Affre said. “While football may have opened their ears, it really is the quality of the academic experience that’s bringing the students here.”
Living Abroad Video contest asks students to share experiences Stephanie Casanova Assistant News Editor
Remember that amazing semester you spent in Europe? Have you ever wished you could share it with others? Or have you considered studying abroad but want to get an idea of what it’s like before you decide? Connecting Our World encourages college students to share their study abroad experience through the 2011 Student Diplomat Video Contest. Connecting Our World is a community that supports “public policies that strengthen and expand international education.” According to its website, Connecting Our World believes “that international education and exchange—connecting students, scholars, educators and citizens across borders—is fundamental to building mutual understanding among nations; preparing the next generation with vital crosscultural and global skills; and creating the conditions for a more peaceful world.” The 2011 Student Diplomat Video Contest requires applicants to submit a one- to three-minute video about their experience abroad. Eligibility is open to students who’ve recently returned or who are currently studying abroad. The videos submitted could be shared on Connecting Our World/NAFSA and STA Travel websites. Students entering the contest are asked to consider how their experience affected them as a student and as a person, whether they are more prepared for school and a career and what valuable lessons they learned about the culture and people. They should also take into consideration how they learned to adapt to a new environment and/or language, what opportunities they may have had to correct misconceptions about the United States or Americans and what ways they were able to contribute something specific to the local community where they studied. The Student Diplomat Video Contest launched Sept. 12 and will be open until Nov. 7 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The grand prize is a $1,000 travel voucher courtesy of STA Travel and the title of 2011 Student Diplomat. Runner-up will receive a hand-held flip camera from NAFSA and Connecting Our World. Connecting Our World is powered by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and STA Travel, a NAFSA Global Partner.
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