College of Western Idaho should offer a Bachelor of Applied Science Degrees (BAS) in Business Administration

Last month I was invited to attend Gov. Brad Little’s announcement of his “Idaho LAUNCH” program which aims to prepare Idaho’s students for Idaho’s workforce needs. Idaho LAUNCH provides grants for education and training programs. Legislators and a host of businesses participated in Gov. Little’s announcement.

As a former member and chair of the College of Western Idaho Board of Trustees, I was pleased to lend my support for this needed program.

At the same time, I am fully supporting CWI’s goal to deliver a Bachelor of Applied Science Degrees (BAS) in Business Administration for under $20,000. I am pleased to see some many businesses join the effort.

The Idaho LAUNCH and CWI’s BAS in Business Administration is a “win-win” for everyone especially students who need that targeted education to succeed.

The Idaho LAUNCH program received legislative approval and students are applying.

However, CWI’s proposal needs the State Board of Education approval.

THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL DECIDE ON THIS BAS DEGREE ON DECEMBER 13 AT 10:00 AM. ALONG WITH LEGISLATORS AND BUSINESS LEADERS, I ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO APPROVE THE PROPOSAL.

Though this BAS is new for CWI, it is not a new concept. When I was the Chair of CWI the board considered a similar program. In addition, 24 states have already gone into the realm of offering low-cost, bachelor’s degrees focused on adult learners and CTE graduates.

There some who worry that this CWI initiative will divert resources from other program especially workforce development and training which Treasure Valley businesses rely on. I have also been told that this innovative program will lead CWI to be a university.

That is a false narrative. As a founding CWI trustee who served 13 years, I would never jeopardize the quality of CWI’s programs. Though I have been involved in CWI since the first day, I am also a proud BSU alumni who was the Chair of the BSU Alumni Association in 2001 and the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at BSU in 2005.

In reality, this degree is about addition to the system, not subtraction. The CWI BAS degree is designed to complement, not compete with Idaho universities. It targets students who are currently underserved rather than drawing away from existing university populations.

This is NOT a distraction for CWI. This is CWI’s lane - offering BAS degrees aligns with CWI’s strengths. Leveraging CWI’s success in Associate of Applied Science degrees and the expertise in career and technical education, CWI is well-prepared to deliver high-quality BAS programs.

In addition, the CWI faculty and administration is eager to offer the BAS. The new BAS won’t take away from programs and CWI already have faculty who can teach the courses. They have masters and many have PHD’s.

Some have asked me about oversight of the new BAS. CWI is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). NWCCU currently accredits 16 community colleges offering both associate and baccalaureate degrees.
Additionally, CWI’s current Business majors hold a voluntary ACBSP (The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs) accreditation. Currently, 100% of CWI’s undergraduate business credit hours are taught by faculty with master’s or doctoral degrees, positioning us well to offer the BAS degree.

And finally, some folks have questioned the need for the program.

From August 2022 to July 2023, 18,262 jobs were posted within a 100-mile radius of CWI that required a business-related baccalaureate degree and only 31% of adults over 25 in Idaho have bachelor’s degrees. Employment in the area of management is projected to grow over 19% in the next decade – salaries increase on average $20,000 with a baccalaureate degree.

The Idaho LAUNCH and the CWI BAS degree will help thousands of students and business succeed. Those programs will benefit Idaho’s economy, students and businesses for decades.