Francisco Salinas, assistant to the vice president for equity initiatives, will depart Boise State to serve as Spokane Falls Community College’s dean for diversity, equity and inclusion. All are invited to a celebration to honor Salinas’s tenure at Boise State from 3-5 p.m. on Friday, April 1 in the Student Equity Center.
“Francisco is a uniquely kind and empathetic human being who has endeavored to support an inclusive campus community and elevate the quality of the student experience during his time at Boise State,” said Eric Scott, associate vice president of student affairs.
Salinas came to Boise State in the fall of 2008 to serve as the inaugural director of Student Diversity and Inclusion, combining the efforts of what were then known as the Cultural Center, the Women’s Center and the Disability Resource Center. Over the course of his appointment, there were several changes to the structure in Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, eventually concluding with Salinas serving in his current role.
Salinas is a first-generation college graduate and his first full-time position in higher education was as the multicultural recruitment specialist for the University of Idaho. He has also served as adjunct faculty, teaching courses through University Foundational Studies and the Honors College. He has amassed 25 years of experience in higher education, working directly on issues related to the growth, inclusion and success of historically under-served populations.
“I consider myself so fortunate to have worked closely with my dear friend and colleague Francisco Salinas,” said Alicia Garza, professor in the Department of World Languages. “Francisco is a servant leader, whom I respect and admire for his ability to always address students, colleagues and the community with so much patience, love, and grace.”
Some of the highlights of Salinas’s work at Boise State include helping students create the Inclusive Excellence Student Council, having that body constitutionally embedded into the design of the Associated Students of Boise State University, the growth of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration activities, having been elected by his peers to serve as the President for the Professional Staff Association, and being asked to deliver the state of Idaho annual Human Rights Celebration keynote address.
Francisco said he is profoundly thankful for the gift of having gotten to serve some of the most wonderful and amazing students in the world, while working among the finest team of colleagues he has ever known.
“I hold many treasured memories,” Salinas said. “but the richest of these are the relationships with colleagues and students who have shared in the kind of love that is unique to the terrain of higher education. If you are a Bronco, you’ve got family in me, wherever I am.”