Boise State president defends academic‑freedom programming and student‑success model; university reports $1.5 million in legal defense costs

Boise State University President Marlene Tromp told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Jan. 29 that the university has spent about $1.5 million from non‑taxpayer funds to defend a lawsuit (referred to in the hearing as the Big City Coffee matter) and does not anticipate a materially larger appeal cost at this time.

"We used only non taxpayer funds to support the defense of that lawsuit," Tromp told lawmakers, adding that the defense obligation arises from state law to represent employees for actions taken in the course and scope of their employment. "We've spent about 1,500,000.0. We do not anticipate that the appeal will add a significant amount to that total at this time."

Tromp also described Boise State's student support and academic‑freedom initiatives. She said the university enrolls about 1,300 students in the LAUNCH program, with roughly 600 LAUNCH‑only students. Tromp highlighted the Institute for Advancing American Values and programs such as Idaho Listens, saying they are intended to bring a broad range of voices to campus and to encourage students to "make up their own minds." She noted the university and its student government have adopted the Chicago principles on free expression.

Tromp described Boise State's financial model as responsibility‑centered management for academic units, which she said has produced a balanced budget and low administrative spend per student. She told the committee Boise State could use state capacity funding recommended by the State Board of Education to expand nursing (estimated 40 additional graduates per year with funds), cybersecurity services for small businesses (the Cyberdome) and growth in programs such as computer science and construction management.

On industry partnerships, Tromp said Boise State is preparing students for semiconductor and related industries and cited an on‑campus device called an X‑tron used in semiconductor work: "It's the only 1 that's not in private industry in North America."

Why this matters: The items combine budgetary, legal and programmatic issues for a major state university — legal costs borne by the institution, the university's student‑success strategy and potential state funding to increase capacity in workforce‑aligned programs.

What's next: Tromp said the university would supply committee members with requested details on expenditures tied to the litigation and would continue to work with the State Board and the legislature on proposals to expand workforce programs.