UI names new Bioregional Planning & Community Design program head
Leading a new and growing graduate program is no small task, but Jaap Vos, the newly named program head of the University of Idaho”s Bioregional Planning & Community Design program, is ready for the job.
“Planners look at the future of a region and try to decide what the best path of action is to develop it into the vision you have,” he said. “I can”t say that I know what the future of UI”s planning program is going to look like, but I”m excited to find out.”
Vos said UI”s program appeals to him because of the distinct emphasis on the importance of factoring bioregions, the human and ecological components of an area, into community planning and design.
The program, which integrates the experience of nine academic departments in eight colleges into its teaching, offers a master”s degree in Bioregional Planning & Community Design and a graduate certificate.
Vos
Mark Hoversten, dean of the College of Art and Architecture, said he is delighted to have such an experienced individual leading the university”s growing program.
“Vos is an accomplished planner, scholar and academic administrator,” Hoversten said. “He has outstanding skills at making connections with communities and involving our students in real life projects.”
Vos, who received his masters in agricultural engineering and his doctorate in planning, said one of the most defining features of UI”s program is its interdisciplinary focus. He said he looks forward to applying his own eclectic background to job.
“The most interesting thing about UI”s program is how interdisciplinary it is,” he said. “Students in this program come from such diverse backgrounds and that”s so great because community planning is a field that requires a breadth of different experiences.”
Vos, who worked to set up an environmental studies program at a university in his native country, the Netherlands, went on to become the director for the School of Urban & Regional Planning at Florida Atlantic University.
Before coming to UI, Vos also served as the head of Boise State University”s Community Planning program before the program was disbanded as a result of budget cuts.
“The bad news is that Boise State cut their planning program and the good news is that Boise State cut their planning program,” Vos said. “It really opened up the eyes of the community and state legislature, and the government realized the need for a planning program in this state.”
Vos will be located in Boise at UI”s Urban Design Center and said he believes an additional silver lining to the end of BSU”s program is the opportunity for collaboration that it creates.
“It”s always unfortunate to see a good program end, but right now, there is a very unique opportunity for the two universities to work together,” he said. “There are still students in Boise taking classes to complete this program and both UI”s and BSU”s Deans of the College of Art & Architecture are trying to figure out how we can work together as two universities to solve planning problems.”
Vos said while one of the challenges of his job will be working in Boise while also orchestrating a program set primarily in Moscow, his main responsibility as program head is to lead the program and help guide the direction of its growth.
“The position involves a lot of administrative things such as looking at classes and the way they are taught,” he said. “But the main job, especially in the beginning, is trying to find out what this program should be about.”
Vos said his goal as program head is to speak with as many faculty members and students as he can to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the program.
“There are so many questions to ask myself in these upcoming months,” he said.
Vos said although as of right now he doesn”t know what direction the program will go in or what it”s going to look like, he is excited to see the program develop forward into the future.
“There”s an opportunity to do something unique and different here,” he said. “It could be very exciting. It”s going to be fun.”
Corrin Bond can be reached at [email protected]