BOISE STATE — On Tuesday afternoon, Boise State University announced major restructuring, including a merger of the College of Education and the School of Public Service, and the closure of the College of Innovation and Design.
In a letter sent to members of the campus community, interim President Jeremiah Shinn and interim Provost Zeynep Hansen announced the "two strategic realignments."
Shinn and Hansen wrote that they acknowledged the changes arrive at a "demanding and uncertain time".
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The university will be merging the College of Education and the School of Public Service into the College of Education and Public Service.
According to Shinn and Hansen, the change will have no immediate "direct impact" on students. The university says that consolidating leadership will "reduce administrative costs and allow re-investment into critical areas."
The College of Education houses 8 Bachelor's degree programs, 11 master's degree programs and 2 doctoral programs, as well as several certificate programs, according to BSU's website.
There are 7 bachelor's degrees, 5 master's programs, 1 PHD program and several minors and certificates housed under the School of Public Service.
Andrew Finstuen, the current interim dean of the College of Education, has been asked to facilitate the transition of the new college.
If approved by the State Board of Education, the change will take effect July 1, 2026.
The second part of the announced restructuring is the closure of the College of Innovation and Design.
The remaining degree program and academic certification programs within the college will be "graduating" to other academic areas.
CID was created in 2014, and currently houses 1 Bachelor's degree and 9 certificates, according to the college's website.
"Innovation will remain a priority," Shinn and Hansen said. Faculty members "who have helped lead success in CID will return or transition to other academic colleges," Shinn and Hansen wrote.
BSU leaders say that they intend to develop a new position to carry on the work of the CID.
"While we understand that change can be challenging — and our campus has experienced a lot of it — we are confident that these changes will strengthen our university for the future," said Shinn and Hansen.
