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About Us

What is a Provost?

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs is the senior academic officer of Boise State University. The Provost oversees all academic activities and provides leadership in all matters related to academic programs. The deans and leaders of academic administrative units report to the Provost.

Contact the Provost

1910 University Drive
Administration Building, Suite 202
Boise, Idaho 83725-1001
Telephone: (208) 426-1202
Email: provost@boisestate.edu

Office of the Provost Staff

  • Provost John Buckwalter, wearing a suit with a blue tie, smiling, with leaves in the background

    John Buckwalter, Ph.D.

    Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

    • Academic quality and student success
    • Ensuring a positive learning and working environment
    • Implementation of the University’s Strategic Plan
    • Institutional accreditation and accountability
    • Recruiting and maintaining a top-quality faculty
    • Managing academic appointments, tenure, and promotion
    • Lead the university’s internationalization efforts
    • Academic quality and student success
    • Ensuring a positive learning and working environment
    • Implementation of the University’s Strategic Plan
    • Institutional accreditation and accountability
    • Recruiting and maintaining a top-quality faculty
    • Managing academic appointments, tenure, and promotion
    • Lead the university’s internationalization efforts
  • Portrait of Zeynep Hansen

    Zeynep Hansen, Ph.D.

    Vice Provost for Academic Planning & Institutional Effectiveness

    • Academic Planning
    • Institutional Effectiveness
    • Oversight of the development of new program proposals
    • Planning and management of the institutional accreditation process for Boise State University
    • Periodic Review of academic departments
    • Academic Planning
    • Institutional Effectiveness
    • Oversight of the development of new program proposals
    • Planning and management of the institutional accreditation process for Boise State University
    • Periodic Review of academic departments
  • Susan Shadle's headshot

    Susan Shadle, Ph.D.

    Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies

    • Promote academic success and retention of undergraduate students

    Oversight of Undergraduate Studies units:

    • Advising & Academic Support Center
    • Center for Teaching & Learning
    • University Foundations
    • Partner with Student Affairs on undergraduate enrollment initiatives
    Administration Building, ADM 202
    • Promote academic success and retention of undergraduate students

    Oversight of Undergraduate Studies units:

    • Advising & Academic Support Center
    • Center for Teaching & Learning
    • University Foundations
    • Partner with Student Affairs on undergraduate enrollment initiatives
  • Michelle Payne's headshot

    Michelle Payne, Ph.D.

    Vice Provost for Academic Leadership and Faculty Affairs

    • Academic leadership
    • Faculty development and support
    • Resources for academic leaders
    Administration Building, ADM 202
    • Academic leadership
    • Faculty development and support
    • Resources for academic leaders
  • Lisa Phillips

    Lisa P. Phillips, Ph.D.

    Vice Provost for Community Engagement and Belonging

    • Promote access and engagement that fosters belonging
    • Provides oversite for IFITS (Institute for Inclusive and Transformative Scholarship) and the Search Advocate Program
    • Promote access and engagement that fosters belonging
    • Provides oversite for IFITS (Institute for Inclusive and Transformative Scholarship) and the Search Advocate Program
  • Kristen DeBoer's headshot

    Kristen DeBoer

    Executive Assistant & Administrative Director

    • Executive support for the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
    • Provides oversight and coordination for project management and operations in the Office of the Provost
    • Implement strategic plans related to staffing, operations, financial planning, and communications
    • Executive support for the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
    • Provides oversight and coordination for project management and operations in the Office of the Provost
    • Implement strategic plans related to staffing, operations, financial planning, and communications
  • Portrait of Erin Muggli

    Erin Muggli

    Senior Project Manager for Strategic Planning & Academic Initiatives

    • Manage project assignments related to Strategic Plan implementation
    • Coordinate development and implementation of academic initiatives
    • Provide administrative support for University Strategic Planning Council
    • Manage project assignments related to Strategic Plan implementation
    • Coordinate development and implementation of academic initiatives
    • Provide administrative support for University Strategic Planning Council
  • Karen Hansen's headshot

    Karen Hansen

    Senior Coordinator of Academic Affairs Operations

    • Oversight of Provost-authority Academic Affairs budgets
    • Coordinate Academic Affairs annual budget request process
    • Manage resource-related Memorandum of Agreements
    • Oversight of Provost-authority Academic Affairs budgets
    • Coordinate Academic Affairs annual budget request process
    • Manage resource-related Memorandum of Agreements
  • Jennifer Jayne's headshot

    Jennifer Jayne

    Project Coordinator for Academic Planning, Senior

    • Unified Strategic Planning for academic departments
    • Management of the institutional accreditation process
    • Assistance with new program proposals
    • Institutional management of program changes with Idaho State Board of Education
    • Unified Strategic Planning for academic departments
    • Management of the institutional accreditation process
    • Assistance with new program proposals
    • Institutional management of program changes with Idaho State Board of Education
  • Sage Rust Headshot

    Sage Rust

    Project Coordinator for Academic Success, Senior

    • Support student grievance and grade appeal processes
    • Facilitate work focused on student academic success
    • Manage and oversee processes related to the development and ongoing revisions of academic related initiatives
    Administration Building, ADM 202
    • Support student grievance and grade appeal processes
    • Facilitate work focused on student academic success
    • Manage and oversee processes related to the development and ongoing revisions of academic related initiatives
  • Portrait of Esperansa Aguilera

    Esperansa Aguilera

    Academic Programs & Projects Coordinator

    • Support community engagement efforts in Academic Affairs
    • Support community engagement efforts in Academic Affairs
  • Spencer Kelly's headshot

    Spencer Kelly

    Academic Programs & Projects Coordinator, Sr

    • Resource broker for faculty and academic leadership
    • Coordinates Academic Leaders Council, Faculty Senate, and Faculty Committees (Adjunct Advisory Committee, TRACFAC, FACC, DLAC, Honors & Awards)
    • Emeriti Guild Liaison/Treasurer
    • AL-FA reporting resource (quarterly reports, budget, annual reports)
    • Manages Promotion & Tenure process
    • Manages day-to-day calendar coordination, purchases, and travel expenses for the VP and Faculty Employee Relations Specialist
    • Resource broker for faculty and academic leadership
    • Coordinates Academic Leaders Council, Faculty Senate, and Faculty Committees (Adjunct Advisory Committee, TRACFAC, FACC, DLAC, Honors & Awards)
    • Emeriti Guild Liaison/Treasurer
    • AL-FA reporting resource (quarterly reports, budget, annual reports)
    • Manages Promotion & Tenure process
    • Manages day-to-day calendar coordination, purchases, and travel expenses for the VP and Faculty Employee Relations Specialist
  • Meg Young's headshot

    Meg Young

    Communications Specialist

    • Communications for the Office of the Provost
    Administration Building, ADM 202
    • Communications for the Office of the Provost
  • Stephanie Ritchie Breach Headshot

    Stephanie Ritchie Breach, M.A.

    Faculty Employee Relations Specialist, Senior

    • Provide HR support to faculty and academic leaders
    • Assist with training and/or conflict resolution in academic units
    • Provide guidance on 4000-level policies
    • Campus contact for Academic Impressions
    • Provide HR support to faculty and academic leaders
    • Assist with training and/or conflict resolution in academic units
    • Provide guidance on 4000-level policies
    • Campus contact for Academic Impressions
  • Melissa Miller's headshot

    Melissa Miller

    Data Research Analyst

    • Data management related to the faculty CEC process
    • Ongoing implementation, maintenance, and use of the faculty activity reporting system and the tenure/promotion system (Interfolio Faculty 180 and RPT Module)
    • Data management related to the faculty CEC process
    • Ongoing implementation, maintenance, and use of the faculty activity reporting system and the tenure/promotion system (Interfolio Faculty 180 and RPT Module)
  • Portrait of Lisa Murphy

    Lisa Murphy

    Financial Technician

  • Boise State B

    Adriana Fairow

    Administrative Assistant II

    • Administrative Support for the Office of the Provost
    • Administrative Support for the Office of the Provost
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