Jackson announced his donation to the university during the annual Boise State Foundation Board meeting on campus. Jackson serves on the Foundation Board of Directors and Boise State’s Destination Distinction campaign steering committee.

“A strong, dynamic business college in the Treasure Valley is essential for the state’s economic development, and John Jackson’s commitment to Boise State helps ensure its impact for years to come,” said Boise State President Bob Kustra. “He is one of Boise State’s and Idaho’s success stories, and we thank him for giving back in support of a high quality learning environment for future students.”

The Micron Technology Foundation committed to a $12.5 million lead gift for the business building in 2007, with $5 million of it contingent on Boise State raising $5 million in matching funds by the end of 2009. With the Meet the Match deadline quickly approaching, this donation puts the university within $1.5 million of the goal.

“This gift is an investment in the future of Boise State University and the College of Business and Economics,” Jackson said. “Business education is all about preparing today’s students to become tomorrow’s business leaders.”

Overall, the new business building is part of a comprehensive campaign to transform Boise State into a metropolitan research university. Destination Distinction is a $175 million fundraising initiative for the people, places and programs of Boise State. To date, almost $116 million has been raised from alumni and friends in current and future gifts to support the university’s strategic plan for facilities, students, faculty, academic programs, athletics and research.

Jackson attended Boise State and majored in accounting. His gift will establish the Jackson Commons, the grand entryway and first impression of the new College of Business and Economics building that will be constructed at the corner of Capitol Boulevard and University Drive, where the former University Inn is located. Boise State hopes to begin construction on the $35 million building in spring 2010.

The Jackson Commons

The Jackson Commons will be the heart of the building both structurally and metaphorically. It will be the main circulation route through the building and will provide an open, inviting, productive space for students, faculty and leaders from business and government organizations to interact. This hub of activity will house a café, an open computer lab, community bulletin boards, flexible seating to accommodate small or large working groups and a welcoming hearth.

“The Jackson Commons will honor Mr. Jackson’s nationally recognized success as an entrepreneur, an individual who has dreamed big, worked hard and been such an important part of the Idaho business community,” said Pat Shannon, dean of the College of Business and Economics.

Jackson, a Chevron/Texaco and Shell marketer based in Meridian, founded Jacksons Food Stores Inc. in 1975 as a single service station and has grown it to a chain of approximately 200 branded convenience stores in four western states. Jackson also owns and operates Jackson Oil and Capitol Distributing. Jackson Oil is a wholesale and transportation company delivering fuel to 400-plus locations in nine western states. Capitol Distributing is a grocery wholesaler that delivers merchandise to more than 400 convenience store locations in five western states.

Boise State’s business college has achieved the gold standard of accreditation. Only about 4 percent of all the business programs in the world and 20 percent in the United States have AACSB accreditation, and Boise State is one of them. Next year, its graduate programs will be included in the “Princeton Review” Best Business School ranking. More than 3,600 students at Boise State major in business and economics.

For more information about the College of Business and Economics and Meet the Match, visit http://cobe.boisestate.edu or contact Cheryl Larabee at (208) 426-2039.

Click to view video

Boise State University head football coach Chris Petersen and his wife Barbara have given a $150,000 donation to the fund for a new College of Business and Economics building at Boise State. The new facility is being planned on the corner of Capitol Boulevard and University Drive and will serve as a gateway to the west side of campus.

“With the ‘Beat Pete’ run for academic scholarships and now this generous gift toward our new COBE building, Chris and Barbara Petersen have underscored the primacy of academic quality in all we do here at Boise State. We thank Chris and Barbara for supporting the highest quality learning environment for all of our students,” said Boise State President Bob Kustra.

The Petersens’ gift is one of three $150,000 contributions in recent months, joining the Key Bank Foundation and the A.J. Balukoff family, to boost efforts for the Meet the Match campaign. The Micron Technology Foundation made a $12.5 million lead gift in 2007, contingent on Boise State raising $5 million in matching funds by the end of 2009. Currently, about $2.2 million has been raised to meet the Micron match.

“We are strong supporters of Boise State University and its leadership,” Chris Petersen said. “This university is on the rise and the business building will be a signature facility that will serve the entire community through its programs, faculty and students. We believe academic excellence and athletic prominence must go hand in hand. We hope other alumni and friends will help meet the challenge from Micron.”

The $35 million building will boost the region’s economy and quality of life by enhancing graduate and undergraduate programs that already enjoy a national reputation for quality and innovation. It also will be key to recruiting and retaining top quality faculty and students.

“This gift should inspire others to support this building campaign,” said Howard Smith, vice president for university advancement. “Only six months remain to meet the match. Successful fundraising will allow us to break ground on the new facility midway through 2010.”

The building will include state-of-the-art classrooms and ample room for studying, group meetings and faculty offices. It also will provide a one-stop shop for small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking help through the many centers hosted by the college, including the Idaho Small Business Development Center, TechHelp, the Center for Entrepreneurship and the Centre for Creativity and Innovation.

In addition, the new building will house the KeyBank Financial Education Center in recognition of Keybank’s recent $150,000 contribution. The center will be an interactive, technology-equipped classroom that will promote economic and financial education and share the thinking of leading faculty members with students, small businesses and the community.

Boise State alum A.J. Balukoff and his family also made a $150,000 gift toward the new business building. Balukoff is well known in the Boise community, serving on the boards the Boise State Foundation, Ballet Idaho, the Boise School District and numerous others.

For more information on how to Meet the Match, visit cobe.boisestate.edu or contact Cheryl Larabee at (208) 426-2039.

The Boise State University Foundation recognized a series of recent contributions and updated progress on its comprehensive fundraising campaign that has totaled $106 million at its annual Chaffee Society gathering May 12 at the Student Union Building.

The Foundation has raised 61 percent of its $175 million “Destination Distinction” campaign goal. The progress report indicates $15.7 million for students, $48.9 million for facilities, $35.8 million for academic programs and $6.4 million for faculty. The Fund for the Future, which includes planned and estate gifts, has already exceeded its goal with $10.1 million in revocable gifts. All numbers are as of March 31, 2009.

“Our comprehensive fundraising campaign to support the people, places and programs of Boise State is progressively moving forward,” Smith said. “Our donors recognize that the future health and stability of the economy are tied to education and research. There has never been a more important time to support Boise State and higher education.”

The result is that the new COBE building will be one of approximately 98,000 square feet (about twice the size of the current building) and will be organized into five floors. Although the detailed design is yet to come, in general the five floors will include the following components:

Ground Floor: 150 seat Lecture Hall, food court, an information commons, student work space, a financial case style technology classroom and financial trading room, the Student Services Center, the COBE Business Research and Economic Development Center which includes the Small Business Development Center, the TechHelp center, the Centre for Creativity and Innovation, and the Center for Entrepreneurship.

2nd Floor: technology classrooms and computer labs, IT support facilities, two department complexes with faculty and staff offices and collaboration space and team collaboration rooms.

3rd Floor: Two department complexes with faculty and staff offices and collaboration space, case style high-tech classrooms, student collaboration space and technology supported work spaces for students.

4th Floor: One department complex with faculty and staff offices and collaboration space, the Administrative Suite (dean’s office etc.), case style high-tech classrooms, student collaboration space, and graduate assistant office space.

5th Floor: MBA quality case style classrooms, Executive MBA/Executive education classrooms, Board Room and graduate student collaboration space. The footprint of the 5th floor will be smaller than the 4th floor to allow for an outdoor patio to serve as a gathering place for COBE events and for students during periods of nice weather.

Exterior: The exterior appearance of the new COBE building will be consistent with it’s prominent location at the west entrance to the campus on the corner of Capitol Blvd. and University Drive. The exterior is expected to have lots of glass and be constructed on materials that are attractive with a design that is lasting in its appeal.

Sustainability: We plan to do everything that is feasible in following the latest practices in constructing a sustainable building. For example, the current plan is to use natural hot water to heat the building. All other systems will consider “green” options as the first choice. To encourage our faculty to bike to work, the building will have secure bicycle storage and showers and changing facilities.
Next Steps: By the end of May, we will select the architect firm to do the detail design of the building. The design process is expected to take 7-10 months. Thus, construction bids are expected to go out in the spring of 2010. The construction time for this size and type of building is expected to be about two years. Thus, the planned move in time will be summer of 2012. We are getting closer by the day!