Board of Regents Meeting
Helena, Montana

January 15-16, 2004

The University of Montana-Missoula
President George Dennison

         The University of Montana has received a $3.5 million grant to set up a program geared toward attracting more female science faculty members. The National Science Foundation grant, combined with another $700,000 in funding from UM, will be used to set up the Partnership for Comprehensive Equity (PACE) program on the Missoula campus.

         UM-M's School of Education recently was awarded $1.3 million for the U.S. Department of Justice to help prevent school and community violence. The grant will fund a project in the school's Division of Educational Research and Service.

         The Montana Campus Compact presented the third annual Montana Athletes in Service Award to UM student-athletes Anne Sheehy, a track-and-field competitor from Missoula, and Grizzly football's Dane Oliver from Monmouth, Oregon.

         More than 100 University of Montana student athletes visited five Missoula elementary schools this month as part of the Reading is FUNdamental program. This was the fourth year that Grizzly Athletics has participated in this project.

         The President's Lecture Series hosted Georgetown University's Charles Kupchan who delivered a lecture titled The European Challenge to Pax Americana.

         The UM-M's School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences has received a $3 million federal grant to help fund an $11.5 million expansion project.

         The University of Montana has developed a new Montana Climate Center that provides detailed information on weather, climate, snow, fire, agriculture, and much more. The Montana Climate Center is operated by UM's College of Forestry and Conservation.

         The University of Montana and Montana State University-Bozeman faculty members have received a $200,000 federal grant to help health care students train for possible chemical and biological terrorist attacks.

         The University of Montana has created the American Indian Student Support Services program which is designed to help students with all facets of college life.

         The New Directions Wellness Center was awarded the "Exemplary Service Award" by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

         Assistant Professor Charles Nichols is the recipient of a 2003-2004 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Award for his performance of his pieces "Strata 2" and "Strata 3: Guqin."

         Radio-Television Adjunct Assistant Professor DeniseDowling was selected as regional director of the National Television Academy.

         Producer Gus Chambers won a regional Emmy Award from the Seattle-Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for the Montana PBS documentary he co-produced titled For This and Future Generations: Montana's 1972 Constitutional Convention.

         Professor Terry Beed received the Outstanding Faculty Award for the Master's of Accountancy program, as selected by students in the Graduate Business Students Association. Beed also received the Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty Award from students in Beta Alpha Psi, an honorary fraternity.

         Professor Jack Morton, Adjunct Instructor Ed Guay and Professor Mary Ellen Campbell received the Greek Life Outstanding Faculty Recognition Award from the Order of Omegos, a Greek honor society.

         Professor Jerry Evans received the Outstanding Faculty Award form the Montana Information Systems Association.

         Associate Professor Jeff Shay received the Outstanding Faculty in the MBA Program Award from the Graduate Business Students Association, as well as the Beta Gamma Sigma Award for outstanding faculty in the undergraduate program.

         Jack Stanford will receive the 2004 North American Benthological Society Award of Excellence in Benthic Science at the annual meeting in June 2004 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

         Professor Rita Sommers-Flanagan and Assistant Professor John Sommers-Flanagan received the Parenting Resources Gold Award at the National Parenting Publications Awards ceremony for their book "Problem Child or Quirky Kid?"

Montana Tech of The University of Montana
Chancellor W. Franklin Gilmore

         Mary MacLaughlin, Geological Engineering, attended the 6th International Conference on Analysis of Discontinuous Deformation, held in Norway, to present an invited keynote lecture. Three students accompanied her to the conference and presented papers. This was funded by an NSF grant.

         Last September in Missoula, Pat Munday, Professional & Technical Communication, participated in the Conference on Assessing and Re-naturalizing Streams Impacted by Mining. He also participated in the 20th Annual Montana Water Resources Conference: Reclaiming the Headwaters of the Clark Fork in Butte, in October. Professor Munday's poster presentation was titled "The Politics of Uncertainty: Remediation & Restoration in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin of Montana."

         John Amtmann, Safety, Health & Industrial Hygiene, presented Personal Safety for Nurses at the Montana Nurses Association in Butte this past October. Kelly and John Amtmann co-authored an article "Personal Safety for Nurses" that appeared in the December issue of the peer-reviewed The Pulse, the official publication of the Montana Nurses Association.

         The Safety, Health & Industrial Hygiene department received American College of Sports Medicine endorsement of their academic program, which is one of only 31 programs in the country to be endorsed.

         John Amtmann's article High Intensity and Volume Approaches to Strength Training will be appearing in the December issue of Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director, and his article "The Role of Judo in Health Promotion" has been accepted by the same magazine.

         John Amtmann's article, "If I Get to Five" highlights the important points of coaching and appeared in the Autumn issue of The World of Judo Magazine (the official publication of the British Judo Association).

         John Amtmanns article Strength Training Considerations for the Junior Judoka appeared in the Fall issue of American Judo Magazine (a publication of the United States Judo Association).

         In October, Willis Weight, Geological Engineering, presented two papers: 1) Weight, W.D. and Schledewitz, H. (2003) Water-level changes from drought and industrial impacts in the Sand Creek Drainage Basin, southwestern Montana. Annual Meeting of the Montana Section of American Water Resources Association (AWRA) Reclaiming the Clark Fork; and 2) Weight, W.D and Erickson, D. (2003) Hydrostratigraphic interpretation of groundwater conditions in the north Havre Montana residential area. Annual Meeting of the Montana Section of AWRA, Reclaiming the Clark Fork. He was also published in the November- December issue of Ground Water (an internationally recognized peer-reviewed journal) under the Readers Forum section. In November, he was invited to give a presentation on the connection between health and the environment at the 107 Elder Advisory Meeting at Crow Agency.

         Larry Smith, Montana Bureau of Mines & Geology, published "Late Pleistocene stratigraphy and implications for deglaciation and subglacial processes of the Flathead Lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, Flathead Valley, Montana" in Sedimentary Geology.

         Kumar Ganesan, Environmental Engineering, has been elected president of the Pacific Northwest International Section of the Air and Waste Management Association.

         Larry Twidwell, Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, has been awarded the prestigious Frank Aplan Award from the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers. Dr. Twidwell was cited for his teaching, consulting and research efforts that have contributed to the implementation of metallurgical processes resulting in more environmentally benign and responsible metals production.

Montana State University-Northern
Chancellor Alex Capdeville

         MSU-Northern Nursing Program MSU-Northern's nursing program received the external evaluator's report. The report, noted some strengths, but cited problems with the design of the curriculum, some teaching and testing methods, faculty credentials and salaries, and relationships between the faculty and students. As a result of the report, the administration implemented an action plan that designates short-term and long-term solutions.

         Some short-term changes to the nursing program have already been implemented. During December 2003, senior faculty member, Mary Pappas, was named Interim Director of Nursing. On Thursday, December 18, the nursing faculty and staff met with the Provost in an all-day retreat. The agenda was full, and several items were completed including: Review of syllabi and assessment procedures for Spring Semester 2004; modification of the schedule to include a combination of face-to-face and use of NorthNet to deliver course theory; assigning more masters-prepared faculty to supervise student clinicals; and reviewing procedures and regulations for student re-entry into the program.

         Other recommendations of the external evaluator will continue to be addressed beginning Spring Semester 2004 including: Reviewing the scope and sequence of the ASN program, identifying research-based prerequisites for nursing program success; reviewing current literature on student achievement (or non-achievement) in nursing programs, assessing student learning using NorthNet and other forms of distance delivery; developing well-defined professional behaviors for students in the nursing program and using appropriate means of assessments for the same, monitoring of student success factors and barriers within the program, reviewing and monitoring of NCLEX pass or non-pass rates providing training and development workshops for students in study and test-taking techniques, conducting training and development workshops for faculty, exploring, developing, and implementing mentoring techniques for students and new faculty improving student access to access to faculty, staff and administration involved with the nursing program.

         Cabin Fever Cabin Fever Institute is a partnership between MSU-Northern Extended University Department and the County Extension Offices in Hill, Blaine, Liberty and Chouteau Counties. The mission of the Cabin Fever Institute is to provide an opportunity for individuals to participate in a wide variety of educational offerings, sometimes including ones that might not otherwise be available in this area. Cabin Fever is designed to be self-supporting and the course fees generate the income to pay the expenses associated with this program. This year's Cabin Fever Program will be held December 20-23, 2003 and January 5-10, 2004. If you would like further info, please contact MSU-Northern Extended University at 265-3730. 

         Athletics MSU-Northern is currently seeking applications for a head football coach to begin very soon. Coach Walt Currie announced early in December his intentions to retire at the end of the academic year.

         75th Anniversary Montana State University - Northern will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary in the year 2004-05. This remarkable journey began on September 24th, 1929, the day the doors of MSU-Northern were opened, not just for the students who entered that day, but for all of us. A university committee has met and the theme "A Remarkable Journey" has been chosen. Plans are proceeding to have Anniversary banners designed for display throughout the campus and community. A special program and ceremony to mark the opening is being planned for next fall with a ribbon cutting followed by a reception. The schedule of events is still in the planning stages, however an All-School Reunion at Homecoming, a play series, and a speaker series are among some of the events and activities being considered.

         NAIA National wrestling tournament MSU-Northern will host the 2004 NAIA National Wrestling Tournament to be held at the Bison Fieldhouse in Great Falls on February 27 and 28, 2004. It is a great opportunity for Northern to host a national tournament such as this. I would like to invite everyone to attend. If you need further information, please contact Sharon Caven at 265-3509.

         We Love MSU-Northern Ball The 18th annual We Love MSU-Northern Ball sponsored by the Soroptimist International of Havre will be held on Saturday, February 14, 2003. This event has a long track record of serving excellent food and providing great entertainment. During the past 17 years the Soroptimists have raised many thousands of dollars for scholarships for non-traditional students. I would again like to invite everyone to attend. Please contact my office for further information.

Montana State University-Billings
Chancellor Ronald P. Sexton, Ph. D.

 


         Dr. Stuart Snyder, Assistant Professor, Biological and Physical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded a patent by the US Patent Office:  "Ambient Method and Apparatus for Rapid Laser Trace Constituent Analysis."

         The Montana Center on Disabilities (MCD) participated in the Community Services Day hosted by Rimrock Mall. Staff members set up a display in the center court of the mall and distributed literature about the Center's services in the community.

         Ms. Jennifer Olson has been accepted by the Office of Public Instruction as the Certification Officer for the College of Education and Human Services at Montana State University-Billings.

         Dr. Rhonda Dillman, Assistant Professor of Biological & Physical Sciences and Dr. Jeffrey Sanders, Associate Professor of History, Native American Studies, Political Science, and Sociology, received $500 awards presented by the Montana Center on Disabilities for their exceptional support to students with disabilities in the classroom.

         Exxon Mobil donated a scale model (Platforming Unit valued at over $20,000) to the College of Technology Process Plant Technology Program.  The Exxon Platforming Unit will be used as a classroom-teaching tool.

         The College of Business was host to the National Advisory Board Meeting on November 13 - 14, 2003.  Dr. Joe Michels, Dean, College of Business and Mr. Ed Garding, Chief Credit Officer of First Interstate Bank, Chair of the Board, conducted the meeting.

         The College of Technology (COT) hosted a Health Occupations Career Connection for the COT health occupatation students on November 14, 2003 with community employers attending from Saint Vincent's Healthcare, Deaconess Billings Clinic, Professional Nursing Pool, Yellowstone City-County Health Dept., St. John's Lutheran Home, Big Sky Hospice, and Saint Vincent's Healthcare Medical Rehabilitation Program.

         The Billing Senior High School invited Professor Simon Atkins, Assistant Professor of Marketing, to visit and share his expertise in marketing with the Senior High business students on November 6, 2003.  The feedback from the Business Education Teacher, Ms. Christa Bekke indicated the presentation by Professor Atkins was exceptional.

         Dr. David Davison, Education/Mathematics, Department of Educational Theory and Practice and Dr. Ken Miller, Chair, College of Education and Human Services, presented in Columbus, Ohio at the School of Science and Mathematics Conference. In addition, Drs. Davison and Miller have been invited to present at an international conference in Conception, Chile.

         Mr. Brett Cormier a senior at MSU-Billings received a first place award for creating a virtual multi-million dollar business. The Capstone/Foundation International Challenge a worldwide internet based contest for business majors, involving International students from 500 colleges and Universities, presented the award to Mr. Cormier at the College of Business on December 11, 2003 for his outstanding achievement.

         Dr. Hobbs, together with Dr. Tony Hecimovic, developed and proposed to the College of Education and Human Service faculty a modified version of the initial conceptual framework specifically tailored for master's candidates also seeking certification.

         Ms. Kathy Sindt, Assistant Professor, Educational Theory and Practice, College of Education and Human Services presented at the Montana Educators Association Conference held this fall. Her presentations included "Creating Web-Based Electronic Portfolios" and "Multimedia in Education."

         Ms. June Hermanson, Montana Center on Disabilities Project Coordinator, was appointed by Governor Martz to serve on the Governor's Public Health Advisory Council.

          Construction is proceeding ahead of schedule for the new "High Technology Outreach Center" at the College of Technology, which was recently funded through a federal appropriation. The new $1.5 million center will include two new state-of-the-art computer labs, a student study lounge, and a conference center.

Montana State University- Bozeman
President Geoffrey Gamble

         The Montana Shakespeare in the Schools theatre group traveled from Main Street in Bozeman to perform near Philadelphia's Main Line, the longest-road trip in the troupe's 30-year history. Joe Cox, headmaster of The Haverford School, invited Shakespeare in the Schools to perform the play at their school in Philadelphia after seeing the group perform in a barn on the Hobble-Diamond Ranch south of Big Timber.

         A new five-year strategic plan is being developed by the MSU University Planning, Budget and Analysis Committee (UPBAC). The committee posed the question, "If we are successful, where should MSU be five years from now?" The statement is organized into six general areas of campus-wide interest. The areas are: student body, faculty and staff, curriculum, research, partnerships and physical and financial infrastructure. The resulting document is posted online at http://www.montana.edu/upba/vision.html. The group is now soliciting university-wide and public input.

         Montana State University has hired Douglas L. Steele as its new vice provost and director of the MSU Extension Service. He begins Jan. 12, 2004. Steele comes to MSU from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where he been assistant director of the 4-H youth development program since 1997. From 1993 to 1997, he was a 4-H youth development specialist at Purdue University, and previously held various Extension positions within the Texas A&M University program, including county agent, county director, program director and subject-matter specialist. Searches for the Deans of Agriculture and Nursing are making good progress

         Barbara J. Andreozzi, a Montana State University Extension agent based in Anaconda, was awarded the National Volunteer Leadership Award by the American Cancer Society. She was joined at the national awards ceremony by her fellow recipients, faculty from the Medical schools at Universities of Texas, California-Davis, and Wisconsin-Madison and Brown and Baylor Universities.

         About 1,000 young scientists visited the Bozeman campus on Tuesday, Nov. 25, for the 19th Montana Science Olympiad. Organizers from MSU's Science Math Resource Center supervise as the students compete in a variety of events across campus such as bridge building, egg drop and the science of crime busters. "Student teams of 12 to 16 individuals competed against teams from other Montana middle and high schools in 28 different events," said Cathy Elliott, coordinator of the event. "Teams send competitors in pairs to compete in various events such as the Qualitative Analysis or the Robot Ramble competition."Events involve several disciplines including earth science, physics, civil engineering, agriculture, nursing, chemistry, ecology and music/physics.

         Want to know where soldiers will be fighting in the future? Think water, says David Mogk, a geology professor at Montana State University-Bozeman. Mogk and his Geology 102 students spent the first few months of 2003 analyzing the geological factors that cause and influence war as the United States was contemplating sending troops into Iraq. Mogk presented a paper on the course in November at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America.

         Interim Dean of Nursing Jean Ballantyne presented the results of an external review of MSU-Northern's Associate Degree in Nursing to students and faculty in the program. The review was conducted by Tina DeLapp, Director of the School of Nursing at University of Alaska-Anchorage. At the same time, Northern's Interim Provost Cheri Jimeno presented the campus plan to address the short and long-term recommendations of the review.

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

         Hybrid Course Design: Blending Traditional Education with Educational Technology: Over 50 faculty and IT professionals from MSUGF, MSU-B, UM-Western, MSU, and the Great Falls Public Schools attended the first annual Connected Classroom Conference hosted by MSU-Great Falls College of Technology on December 4th and 5th. The conference featured presentations, discussions and working sessions with Dr. Jay Brophy Ellison and Dale Voorhees from the University of Central Florida, pioneers in the area of hybrid course design. Hybrid courses utilize both face-to-face and online technology. It is anticipated that hybrid courses may help with facility space issues since there is less required seat time. While the Florida experts were on campus, they assessed the Colleges system for the development and delivery of on-line courses.

         Creative Enterprises: In response to a request from the Governors Office of Economic Opportunity, MSUGF is developing programming to support and expand Montana's creative enterprise cluster, encompassing artists, artisans, handcrafters, arts-based businesses, and arts-based organizations. In order to expand its expertise and resources, the College has won grants to participate in two different international networks: CraftNet, a network of two-year colleges with arts-based programs, and EntreNet, a network of organizations and colleges incorporating entrepreneurship into workforce preparation and business expansion efforts. Dean Mary Moe, Interior Design Program Director Kris Hartman, and Business Management/Entrepreneurship Program Director Marilyn Besich are leading the project, meeting with practicing artists and artisans to develop customized training, a two-year degree program, and incubation services supporting creative enterprise.

         Montana's Public Health Network is Online: The national Internet-based Health Alert Network (HAN) is now the primary method of communication for health and crisis alerts for public health employees. Emergency information now reaches even the most remote parts of Montana almost instantaneously. Through efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and the Montana Public Health Training Institute, public health employees serving all of Montana's communities are now adding technology skills to their rich public health knowledge base. Montana State University Great Falls College of Technology has developed and facilitated a series of three progressive training modules to educate Montana's public health employees in the use of the Internet, email and basic software applications in their work places.

         Hardanger Scholarship Recipient: Nellene Sullivan, Elementary Education, was recently selected as the first student to receive the Hardanger Scholarship, instituted in honor of Esther Stinnett, an English faculty who served last year as the College's Director of Instruction. Funded entirely by employee contributions, the scholarship is designed to assist a student whose qualities of character suggest strong potential for future contributions to others. Nellene, a Choteau student, is devoted to helping others. She is putting her own children through college at the same time that she is enrolled, she is caring for her mother, and she has been involved in many volunteer activities in her community.

         Dual Credit Coursework: In response to the national report on "the lost senior year," the College has been active for the past two years in developing college dual credit courses that keep high school students academically engaged during their senior year and actively working on postsecondary education. In December, academic leaders at MSU-Great Falls met with administrators from Centerville, Valier, Hobson, and Great Falls high schools to expand the current offerings to a broader region and wider variety through web-based technologies.

         Moe Recognized for Volunteerism: At the annual banquet, the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce named Dean Mary Sheehy Moe its "Volunteer of the Year." In presenting the award, Chamber President Rick Evans noted Mary's contributions in the areas of business retention and expansion, community economic development, and the revision of the Chamber's bylaws.

Flathead Valley Community College
President Jane Karas

        The Broussard family has committed $500,000 over a five-year period to establish the Jerome and Rebecca Broussard Family Endowed Scholarship Fund at Flathead Valley Community College. This is the largest single donation other than planned gifts ever made to the community college's Foundation since the establishment of the college in 1967. Flathead Valley Community College plans to award the first Jerome and Rebecca Broussard Family Endowed Scholarships for the 2004-2005 academic year starting fall 2004.

        The Flathead Valley Community College Foundation raised over $16,000 from the ninth annual Christmas Tree Excellence benefit. Funds were raised from the sale of gala tickets, tree prize raffle tickets, and stocking stuffer chances. This event has become a holiday tradition involving our community, and helps promising and needy students at FVCC and supports local nonprofits, as well. This year's nonprofit community partners the Discovery Developmental Center, Whitefish Bulldog Cheerleaders, and the FVCC Student Senate, sold 1,728 raffle tickets and will share in $864 of Christmas Tree Excellence proceeds. The winners of this years community trees are: Montana Chip PartnersDining in Style, sponsored by Morrison and Frampton, PLLP; Chuck DietzGet Away to Seattle, sponsored by CenturyTel; David BowdishMade in Montana, sponsored by Lincoln County Title Co.; and Paul WachholzThe Great Outdoors, sponsored by Great Harvest Bread Co. and First Citizens Bank.

        Two FVCC faculty members have been named to the eighth edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers.  Humanities Instructor, Blake Smith, and History and Political Science Instructor, C. Jonathan Moses, have been recognized in the publication, updated every two years, which honors the country's top teachers. Blake serves as the advisor for the FVCC student newspaper, The Mercury, and she has been teaching at FVCC since the fall semester of 1998. This is the fifth time that Dr. Moses has been recognized in Who's Who Among America's Teachers, and he has been teaching at FVCC since the fall semester of 1987.

        FVCC Instructor, George Cowan, has been recognized in the 58th edition of Who's Who in America. The publication profiles the country's most accomplished men and women from all significant fields of endeavor. George instructs students in Theatre and English and has been teaching at Flathead Valley Community College since 1988.

        FVCC's Lincoln County Campus dedicated their new building and hosted an open house on November 25, 2003. The new building will enable the Lincoln County Campus to better meet the needs of students and the community.

        As a continuation of college/community partnerships, students in FVCC's Paramedicine Program, Surgical Technology Program, and Radiologic Technology Program will attend classes and clinicals in a remodeled area of the Kalispell Regional Medical Center (KRMC) beginning January 2004. The MSU Nursing program will also have offices at KRMC.

         FVCC was selected as one of three community colleges to pilot a comprehensive analysis program called Strategic Horizons conducted by the Consortium for Community College Development at the University of Michigan. Two representatives from the program, Pat Carter and Dick Alfred, visited FVCC October 27-29, 2003, to meet with community groups and FVCC faculty and staff to gather information about our college and community. FVCC will receive a comprehensive report on the Consortium's findings and use that information in strategic planning for the college.

Dawson Community College
President Terry Hetrick

         Bids for the construction of the adjoining Physical Education and Performing Arts Centers were opened in late November. Unfortunately, the lowest bid was $800,000 above the architect's estimated cost. The Board of Trustees rejected the bids and instructed the architect to modify the plans to accommodate alternative construction methodologies such as pre-engineered building manufacturers. The revised bid specifications will be reviewed by the administration and by the Board on January 26, 2004 and, if approved, will be published by the end of January.

         The College has been collaborating with Miles Community College to initiate a Nursing extension program for Glendive and Sidney residents. Tentative start-up date for this much-needed program is the fall of 2004.

         Paul Kingsbury, Ag Power and Machinery Program instructor, attended the Association for Career and Technical Education Annual Convention conducted in Orlando, Florida from December 11 - 14, 2003. Mr. Kingsbury attended special programs on Agricultural Education in order to enhance his program offerings at DCC.

         The College will be hosting the 2nd Annual Gateway to Opportunity: a regional economic development program on January 6 and 7, 2004. On Wednesday, January 7, approximately 30 seminars will be conducted on the campus. In addition to educational activities, this year the program includes a Taste of the Mon-Dak Region highlighting local companies producing a wide variety of culinary products. Gateway to Opportunity is the result of a cooperative venture of many individuals who are interested in developing and promoting Montana and North Dakota products and businesses.

         Thirty-one Dawson Community College instructors and administrators are planning to attend the Two-Year Education Conference to be conducted at Miles Community College on January 8 and 9, 2004.