Board of Regents Meeting
July 11-12, 2002
Glendive, Montana

The University of Montana Western
Chancellor Steve Hulbert


         Dean's List Recognition and Scholarship Awards. Three hundred twenty-five students were named to Western's Spring Semester 2002 Dean's List. To achieve this honor, students must be enrolled full-time or for 12 semester credits and carry a minimum 3.33 grade point average (GPA). In addition, at year end approximately 292 scholarships and awards were presented to students, staff and faculty. Scholarships totaled in excess of $230,000. 

         Summer Conference Session 2002. The summer conference season is always kicked off with the Annual Montana Boys State Program. This year was the 56th Annual Montana Boys State to be held on Western's campus with 322 participants. Additionally, this summer within the conference program the University will host 38 Elderhostel groups on campus or elsewhere in Montana, including Yellowstone National Park. Western remains one of the largest Elderhostel Program providers in the west. 

         Education Conference. On July 31 through August 2, 2002, Western and its new Swysgood Technology Center will host an Education Conference for K-12 educators and administrators. This conference program includes a wide range of current school issues with a special focus on instructional technology.

         Fulbright Teacher Exchange with South Africa. The University of Montana Western is in the third year of a Fulbright Teacher Exchange grant from the United States Department of State. The grant's purpose is to help South African primary teachers learn new teaching methods in math and science. Its aptly named Tlhatloga, which is a South African name for "reach for the sky" a play on Montana's Big Sky. To date the program has trained over 300 teachers in South Africa. Each year twenty-five different teachers have been chosen to attend special training at Western. 

         On June 23, 2002 twenty-five South African 6th Grade teachers arrived at Western for an intensive four-week session. During their visit they will see Yellowstone Park, Centennial Valley, the Gravelly Range, and Butte. They will also learn teaching techniques to take back to South Africa.

Dawson Community College
President Terry Hetrick

         The Facilities Expansion Committee continues with its charge to develop a facilities master plan for the college. This committee has currently identified three new facilities: an expansion of the existing library to include the student support services division (learning center); the construction of a gymnasium/athletic center; and the construction of a performing arts facility. The committees final recommendations will be submitted to the Board of Trustees early this summer. 

         The 2002 Gear Up program has enrolled twenty-two (22) young people who will participate in a "Detection Science" program taught by Law Enforcement instructors, Holly Dershem-Bruce and Ed Williamson. This one week program (June 10-14) will focus on the art and science of police work and provide participants with a variety of entertaining activities including a day at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota.  

         DCC is commencing its self-study process for a comprehensive evaluation by the Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities in 2004. The steering committee, comprised of three faculty members, two staff members, and three administrators, conducted a planning session in June to determine leadership for the appropriate number of study committees. These committees will be created this fall with data analysis and findings completed by the end of the upcoming academic year. Majel Dominguez, Sociology instructor, is chairing the steering committee.

         Holly Dershem-Bruce, Law Enforcement Program Director, attended a week-long training session at the end of May in Denver, Colorado for CCCOnline Internet instructors. This is the second training session attended by Mrs. Dershem-Bruce who taught a Political Science course this spring for the sixteen college consortium. Holly is the first DCC faculty member to participate in this distance delivery system.

         DCC Women's Softball players have been named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association 2002 NJCAA Division III All-American first, second, and third teams. DCC, one of the smallest junior colleges in this division, led the nation by placing an unprecedented eight players on this elite list. Dawson's All-Americans included: First Team Kaila Fowler (Great Falls), Brooke Lowman (Park City), and Sami McDonald (Laurel). Second Team Amanda Babon (Missoula), Ciana Roeber (Butte), and Tawnya Vernon (Stevensville). Third Team Josi Carlson (Missoula), and Chelsea Rathie (Billings). Selections are made at-large and are based upon a combination of season statistics, scouting reports, post season play, and other information.Memorandum

Flathead Valley Community College
President Jane Karas


         FVCC cross country runners Brett Winegar, Morgan Hamilton, Andy Lilienthal and Tony Shamp were recently named to the NJCAA Division III Cross Country Academic All American Team for the Fall 2001 season.

         FVCC's "Connecting for the Community's Future" campaign exceeded its original goal of $3.3 million and raised $3.7 million. The Foundation hopes to conclude the campaign in October, and reach a new projected goal of $4 million. 

         Lisa Stich was hired as Vice President for Instruction and Student Services effective June 3.

         FVCC's summer semester began June 10 with a headcount of 651 and FTE of 225.9. This compares with the 2001 Summer Semester FTE of 201 and a headcount of 722. 

         Chad Shilling, Business Instructor, and Dorothy Hintz, English Instructor, will take over the administrative duties for the FVCC Libby Campus this fall. Chad Shilling will be responsible for budget and operations. Dorothy Hintz will be responsible for instruction and student services. 

         The first session of an exciting Kids College program begins the week of June 17. More than thirty half-day courses will be offered in six different weeks of Kids College. Some of the classes include Space Camp, Little Chefs, Italian is FUN, Looking for Atlantis, Clowning Around, and South Seas Island Adventure.

         The FVCC Foundation sponsored their third, Springtime in the Rockies 2002, June 9 12. Proceeds will benefit students in FVCC's professional chef classes and hospitality management program. The events included three evenings of pairing fine food and wine at three of the Valley's finest restaurants, and concluded with the grand wine tasting event, on June 12, at the Majestic Valley Arena. 

         Bill McClaren, local native plant expert and former FVCC administrator, presented a free evening lecture on designing and planting a native plant garden on Thursday, June 6, in the college's arboretum.

Montana State University Great Falls College of Technology
Dean Mary Sheehy Moe

         Summer enrollments at MSU-Great Falls College of Technology were once again at record-setting levels as the summer session began on June 6. Headcount had increased by 4% and FTE had increased by 8% over the previous summer's enrollments. The average credit load was 6.2. Apart from the usual college course work, the College has special summer offerings. Approximately 60 Montana high school teachers will visit Great Falls this summer to participate in Cisco training provided by the College. A new outreach program this summer is the "Take a Walk" series, in which participants set out on foot to tour different segments of the Great Falls Community as a community guide tells them the stories behind the scenes. The first walk, featuring Great Falls's churches, drew over 40 participants. The popular Harry Potter and Computer Camps for Kids are filling up again.

         Fourteen students, all Montana residents, were selected in June from 38 applicants to be the first class in the College's new Dental Hygiene Program. Applications came from communities spanning the state, as well as other states and Canada. Twelve of the 14 selected students will transfer to MSU-Great Falls College of Technology from another Montana institution of higher education. One will transfer from a tribal college. All 14 students in the first class are female; 36 of the 38 applications came from female applicants. Eight students in the first class have certificates in Dental Assisting. Senator Conrad Burns, who was instrumental in making the College's new Dental Hygiene Program possible, will personally cut the ribbon on the new Dental Hygiene facility at the MSU-Great Falls College of Technology. The Senator's advocacy at the Congressional level was the moving force behind a $625,000 Congressional Award to help the College establish the program. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be Friday, July 19 at 5 p.m. on the MSU-Great Falls Campus. All Regents, employees, and students of the Montana University System are cordially invited to attend. 

         Dr. Suzanne Waring, Director of Outreach and Continuing Education, will bring a 33-year career in education to an end on July 29, 2002. Dr. Waring has been employed at MSU-Great Falls College of Technology for 30 yearsfirst as a teacher, then as a department chair, and finally as Director of Outreach. Her accomplishments as an educator and her contributions to the business community were recognized by the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce with the coveted Athena Award in Fall 2001. A reception in her honor will be hosted by the College on July 24 at 3:30 p.m. in Room G45 at the MSU-Great Falls Campus. All Regents and employees of the Montana University System are invited to attend and wish Suzanne well in her retirement.

Montana State University-Northern
Chancellor Alex Capdeville

         C-TEC Grand Opening - The Community Technology Education Center's ribbon cutting was held on May 30th at the Vande Bogart Library. With U.S. Senator Max Baucus being recognized as a distinguished guest the event drew a large crowd from both the campus and the community. Since opening in early May, the Center has held numerous computer education and job skills training classes for adults as a community outreach effort of MSU-Northern. The center has also begun a summer program for youths to provide the area's children with structured and supervised activities in computer training. 

         Summer Enrollment - The enrollment for the Summer Session in both headcount and FTE are showing a slight increase over Summer Session 2001. The FTE as of June 17 is 423.12 for 2002 compared to 409.92 for 2001. A balance of courses and workshops designed to meet the diverse audiences is part of the reason for the continued success of the summer session program.

         EOC Grant - Our Education Opportunity Center has been funded for an additional four years. The first year of the new grant will begin on September 1, 2003 with an initial allocation of $568,600 representing an annual increase of $76,306. The EOC's main office is located on the MSU-Northern campus with coordinators located at ten sites across the state of Montana including five on the reservations. With the increase in funding Northern will be looking to add an additional site coordinator. This is the only EOC program in the state and is important because it focuses on potential college students among first generation, low-income, and Native American populations.  

         MMRS begins fourth season - Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety program has been located at MSU-Northern since 1999. This year MMRS will train over 1000 people, compared to 884 in 2001. Sites for the 2002 training season are: Billings, Bozeman, Conrad, Glendive, Great Falls, Havre, Kalispell, and Missoula. Arrangements are currently being made to open sites in Libby and Malta. MMRS has 30 instructors located throughout the State.

Montana Tech of The University of Montana
Chancellor Frank Gilmore

         The Board of Regents has been requested to approve the hiring of William Kirschke as Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement & Development and President of the Montana Tech Foundation effective August 1.

         In their first competition, Montana Tech's General Engineering students in the Civil Engineering option placed in the top ten at the National Society of Civil Engineering competition in Moscow, Idaho. Students designed and constructed a steel bridge and concrete canoe.

         A group of students from General Engineering in the Mechanical Engineering option, designed, constructed and erected three flagpoles at the entrance to the Montana Tech campus in honor and memory of September 11. Senator Baucus was instrumental in helping fund the project and even mentioned it during a speech on the Senate floor. Senator Baucus will be invited to Tech on September 11, 2002, for the official flag raising ceremony.

         Montana Tech Registrar, Ed Johnson, was recently honored as retiring Chairman of the AACRAO Small College Issues Committee at the 88th Annual Meeting of The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Also attending and presenting facilitating sessions were Ray Rogers, Director of College Relations and Marketing, and Tony Campeau, Associate Director of Admissions.

         Dr. William Macgregor will be the conference chair at the "National Gathering" of Educators for Community Engagement hosted by the Salish-Kootenai College in late June. This conference is supported in part by the Montana Campus Compact.

         Dr. Marvin Speece, Geophysical Engineering, has received a Fulbright Grant and will spend December and January in Cairo, Egypt.

         Dr. Diane Wolfgram, Professor and Department Head, Geological Engineering, is chairing the Society of Economic Geologists' Committee on Committees. This six member committee, selected by the President-Elect of the Society, is responsible for filling all committee vacancies for the forthcoming year.

         Steve Luft, College of Technology Drafting Instructor and Department Head, has received a fellowship through the Montana Campus Compact/Learn and Serve Grant whereby drafting students will participate in the Habitat for Humanity program.

         The Business and Information Technology (BIT) Program at Montana Tech has been granted initial accreditation by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). The IACBE is a specialized accrediting body that focuses on the approximately 800 small to mid-sized colleges and universities that offer either bachelor's or graduate degrees (or both) in Business/Management. The IACBE uses a mission-based, outcomes-driven accreditation process rather than the prescriptive input accreditation process used by such agencies as the International Association for Management Education (formerly the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business).

         Dr. Corby Anderson, Camp Director, and Dr. Courtney Young, Materials & Metallurgical Engineering Department Head, returned from successful trips down under. Both presented papers at ALTA Conference and Murdoch University/AJ Parker Center for Hydrometallurgy in Perth and expect collaboration to develop with research and exchange programs as part of the international program. Dr. Anderson additionally spent time at Monash University in Melbourne. Dr. Young spent time at UNSW in Sydney seeking collaboration on research and means for getting a student to travel to Butte.

         Dr. Mary MacLaughlin, Geological Engineering, has received a grant for $69,590 from NSF entitled "Development of a Rockbolt Support Element for Discontinuous Deformation Analysis" that will support one graduate student and two undergraduates (Geological and Software Engineering).

The University of Montana
President George Dennison

         Ric Hauer, Flathead Lake Biological Station and the Division of Biological Sciences, will serve as president of the North American Benthological Society, the world's primary scientific society advancing the study of streams and rivers. 

         Douglas Emlen, Division of Biological Sciences, received the prestigious 2001 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government upon scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers. 

         Three new start-up companies--Purity Systems, Sunburst Sensors, and Sustainable Systems--have resulted from technologies developed by the Department of Chemistry.

         Jack Ward Thomas, School of Forestry's Boone and Crockett Professor of Wildlife Conservation, has joined the National Research Council (National Academy of Sciences) Board for Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2002.  

         Cindy Garthwait, Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Work, received recognition as the Montana Gerontology Society Outstanding Member.

         Keith Parker, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received the Mershon Award for Scientific Achievement from the Montana Academy of Sciences, the highest award the academy offers for scientific achievement and service.

         The UM School of Law Team won first place in the regional round of the National Moot Court Competition for the third year in a row. The Team also received recognition, for the third time in the past five years, for having the best brief. In addition, a team of students from the School of Law placed third at a Native American Law Student Association Moot Court national competition sponsored by the Native American Law Student Association. 

         The Department of Music's Zallsvre Trio, composed of Megan Guenther (violin), Lisa Henderson (piano), and Lucas Poe-Kiser (cello), won both State and regional chamber music competitions sponsored by the Music Teachers National Association.

         Mike and Maureen Mansfield Library Associate Professor Coburn Johnson was elected Vice President/President Elect of the Montana Library Association.

         The Western States Communication Association honored William W. Wilmot, Professor Emeritus, Department of Communication Studies, with its 2001 Distinguished Service Award for lifetime contributions to scholarship and professional service. 

         The Montana Arts Council, in recognition of outstanding individual artists in the State, awarded four of its eight $5,000 fellowships for 2001 to University artists: Roger Dunsmore, Professor Emeritus, Liberal Studies Program, and Henrietta Spencer Goodman, Adjunct Assistant Professor, English, received literature fellowships; Karen Kaufmann, director for the UM-based Montana Transport Company and Assistant Professor in Drama/Dance, honored in the performing arts division; and Doug Hawes-Davis, a faculty affiliate, Environmental Studies Program, received recognition for his work in the media arts.

Montana State University-Billings
Chancellor Ron Sexton

         Summer enrollment at the College of Technology will be the largest in MSU-B history. Current enrollment exceeds Summer 2001 by 24%.

         Dr. Joe Michels, currently the Dean of the School of Systems and Logistics at the Air Force Institute of Technology, has accepted the position of Dean of the College of Business at MSU-Billings.

         Dr. Lee Peters, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, has accepted an appointment as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, at the University of Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut.

         Professor Mary McNally and Mari Kusama, Director of International Studies, accompanied nine students on a two-week trip to Japan, broadening MSU-Billings relationship with the Prefectural University of Kumamoto. Students stayed with host families, took courses, including elementary Japanese, and developed strong ties with students there.

         Campus dining at MSU-Billings was awarded "The Montana Food Star Award" for achieving excellence in food safety. The award is sponsored by the MT Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Yellowstone County Health Department.

         Wine Festival 2002 was a success, with ten events, from cooking schools to the gala dinner and live auction. Most events sold out. The live auction Scholarship Lot generated $73,450 for student scholarships, an all-time record. The total net proceeds for the entire festival are currently being calculated.

         Summerfair 2002, a fundraiser for the Yellowstone Art Museum, will once again be held on the MSU-Billings campus. This fair is expected to bring 1,700 people from around the region to campus to view and to buy work of artists and crafts people from the state and region.

         Mike Hermanson, Director of the Montana Center on Disabilities, attended a meeting coordinated by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratories to assist in the development of a paraeducator curriculum across five northwestern states.

         The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs were on the College of Technology campus in May to conduct a site visit.

         Drs. Rakesh Sah and Tim Brotherton, College of Business Faculty, have each been awarded Scholarships from the Center for International Business Education and Research to attend the 2002 Globalization Seminars at the University of Memphis this summer.

         Construction has begun on a propane back-up system which will allow MSU-Billings to contract for interruptible natural gas. The project is funded through DEQs Energy Savings Program. The project cost $750K and has a six year pay back. Anticipated completion is late this fall.

         The renovation of the facility for the new Lowe Childcare and Enrichment Center has been completed. Doors will open on June 17th, and the Center will support 50 children ages 0 to 5 years.

         Dr. Bill Kamowski of the Department of English and Philosophy has concluded a two-week study tour in England with a group of students from MSU-Billings and MSU-Bozeman.

         Dr. Matt Benacquista of the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences has presented a paper on astrophysics at a conference in Germany.

         Dr. George White, Dean of the College of Education and Human Services, has been appointed to a three-year term as the Higher Education Representative to the Certification, Standards, and Practices Advisory Committee for the Board of Public Education.

         Dr. Dan Gretch, Biological and Physical Sciences, received a $10,000 mini-grant from the NIH-NCRR BRIN (Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network) administered out of Bozeman.

         Dr. Tasneem Khaleel of the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, has recently published an article on reproductive biology of Aspens in the Intermountain Journal of Science.

         MSU-Billings Academic Support Center recorded more than 10,000 student visits for tutorial services in the Learning Lab during the 2001-2002 academic year.