The Montana University System

The following Strategic Plan was adopted by the Board of Regents October 19, 2001.

Mission
The Mission of the Montana University System is to serve students through the delivery of high quality, accessible postsecondary educational opportunities, while actively participating in the preservation and advancement of Montana's economy and society.

Vision
We will prepare students for success by creating an environment of ideas and excellence that nurtures intellectual, social, economic, and cultural development. We will hold academic quality to be the prime attribute of our institutions, allocating human, physical, and financial resources appropriate to our educational mission. We will encourage scientific development and technology transfer, interactive information systems, economic development and lifelong learning. We will protect academic freedom, practice collegiality, encourage diversity, foster economic prosperity, and be accountable, responsive, and accessible to the people of Montana.

Goals
The following five goals and subordinate objectives will guide the Montana University System in moving toward realization of its vision for the future of higher education in Montana.

A. To provide a stimulating, responsive and effective environment for student learning, student living, and academic achievement.

1. To assure adequate campus policies to protect academic freedom and promote the free exchange of ideas while requiring pre- and post-tenure evaluation of faculty performance and systematic program review that reflect the Regents' priority on student learning.
2. To offer academic programs and services focused around approved campus missions and consistent with available resources.
3. To foster an environment that attracts and retains high quality faculty and staff.
4. To improve rates of student retention and degree completion across the Montana University System.
5. To develop, maintain at/near state-of-the-art condition Montana University System facilities, technology and infrastructure and to coordinate the use of capacities and resources across all MUS institutions.
6. To ensure student readiness for higher education and validate student competencies for graduation.

B. To make a high quality, affordable higher education experience available to all qualified citizens who wish to further their education and training.

1. To identify or seek creative funding alternatives that will expand public and private resources.
2. To make sure that every academically qualified individual has an opportunity to receive the benefits of higher education without financial or social barriers.
3. To expedite student progress toward degree objectives in order to reduce time to degree (and related costs) and maintain affordability for the widest range of students.

C. To deliver higher education services in a manner that is efficient, coordinated, and highly accessible.

1. To operate as a unified system of higher education and increase productivity through effective planning, assessment, collaboration and resource sharing.
2. To increase student access to Montana University System programs through coordinated statewide delivery and expanded use of technology.
3. To increase the coordination of academic resources to improve student progress toward degree.
4. To promote diversity with special attention to Montana's Native American populations.

D. To be responsive to market, employment, and economic development needs of the state and the nation.

1. To offer programs and services consistent with the changing market and employment needs of the state and nation.
2. To encourage basic research and technology transfer to contribute to the economic development of the State of Montana.
3. To promote the full spectrum of higher education needs and opportunities in two-year, four-year, graduate and professional education.
4. To make the Montana University System more accessible and responsive to businesses, government and other constituents.

E. To improve the support for and understanding of the Montana University System as a leading contributor to the state's economic success and social and political well being.

1. To improve and expand the communication and outreach of the Montana University System to constituents, communities and policy makers.
2. To meet constituents' expectations for accountability through responsible stewardship of resources.
3. To expand community involvement, service and outreach initiatives at the campus level.
4. To partner with state government, our congressional delegation, K-12 education, tribal and local governments, labor and business leaders to preserve and improve the economy of Montana.

The University of Montana back to top

Mission
The University of Montana capitalizes on its unique strengths to create knowledge, provide an active learning environment for students, and offer programs and services responsive to the needs of Montanans. The University delivers education and training on its four campuses and through telecommunications to sites inside and outside of Montana. With public expectations on the rise, the University asks its students, faculty, and staff to do and accomplish even more than they have in the past. The dedication to education for and throughout life reflects the commitment to service learning and community building on and off the campuses. The University enhances its programs through continuous quality review for improvement and remains fully accountable to the citizenry through annual audits and performance evaluations.

The University of Montana-Missoula back to top

Mission
The mission of The University of Montana-Missoula is the pursuit of academic excellence as indicated by the quality of curriculum and instruction, student performance, and faculty professional accomplishments. The University accomplishes this mission, in part, by providing unique educational experiences through the integration of the liberal arts, graduate study, and professional training with international and interdisciplinary emphases. Through its graduates, the University also seeks to educate competent and humane professionals and informed, ethical, and engaged citizens of local and global communities. Through its programs and the activities of faculty, staff, and students, The University of Montana-Missoula provides basic and applied research, technology transfer, cultural outreach, and service benefitting the local community, region, state, nation and the world.

Vision Statements
In pursuit of its mission, The University of Montana-Missoula will:

1) Educate students to become ethical persons of character and values, engaged citizens, competent professionals, and informed members of a global and technological society.

2) Increase the diversity of the students, faculty, and staff for an enriched campus culture.

3) Attain the Carnegie Commission status of Doctoral Research--Extensive University by 2005--50 or more doctorates annually in at least 15 fields--and increase funded research to $50,000,000 annually by 2005.

4) Develop more partnerships--especially with local communities, businesses and industries, public schools, community and tribal colleges, state and local governments and universities abroad--and expand the training and technology transfer programs to promote community and economic development.

5) Develop the capability and infrastructure for use of information technology to increase the efficiency and productivity of the campus and the state; and

6) Involve and engage the faculty, staff, students, alumni, partners, and friends of the University in institutional governance.

Accreditation back to top
The University of Montana-Missoula is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.

Many of the professional schools and departments have the approval of appropriate accrediting organizations, also. The Department of Art is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD); all programs of the School of Business Administration are accredited by AACSB International--The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; the Chemistry Department's Bachelor of Science program is approved by the American Chemical Society; computer science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET); drama is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theater at the undergraduate and graduate levels; all programs preparing licensed school personnel though the School of Education are fully accredited by the Montana Board of Public Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education at the undergraduate and graduate levels; the athletic training option in the Health and Human Performance Department in the School of Education is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs; the food service management program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Educational Institute Accrediting Commission; the forest resources management program is accredited by the Society of American Foresters; the School of Journalism is accredited by the American Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications; the School of Law has approval of both the Association of American Law Schools and the American Bar Association; the Legal Assisting program is approved by the American Bar Association; the Department of Music is fully accredited at the undergraduate and graduate levels by the National Association of Schools of Music; the School of Pharmacy is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the baccalaureate program is accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education and the entry-level Doctor of Pharmacy program has been granted candidate accreditation status by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education, 311 West Superior St, Suite 512, Chicago, IL 06010, (312) 664-3575, (800) 533-3606, Fax (312) 664-4652; both the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and the Master of Science degree in Physical Therapy are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association through the year 2008; the practical nursing program is approved by the Montana Board of Nursing; the graduate program in clinical psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association; the recreation management program is accredited by the Parks, Recreations, and Leisure Services Education Council on accreditation sponsored by the National Recreation and Parks Association in cooperation with the American Association for Leisure and Recreation; the respiratory care and surgical technology programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs; and the baccalaureate program in social work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

The University of Montana-Missoula is fully accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care.

University Officersback to top
June 2002
Board of Regents of Higher Education

Christian Hur (Student Regent)	Billings
Ed Jasmin (Vice Chair)	Bigfork
John Mercer	Polson
Lynn Morrison-Hamilton	Havre
Richard Roehm	Bozeman
Margie Thompson (Chair)	Butte
Mark J. Semmens	Great Falls
Richard Crofts, Commissioner of Higher Education	ex officio
Linda McCulloch, Superintendent of Public Instruction	ex officio
Judy Martz, Governor	ex officio

Local Executive Board

Arlene Breum	Missoula
Sam Roberts, COL (R)	Missoula
Leonard Landa	Missoula

Administrators

George M. Dennison, Ph.D. President
Lois Muir, Ph.D. University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs-Missoula
Barbara B. Hollmann, Ph.D. Vice President for Student Affairs
David Aronofsky, J.D.Legal Counsel
Robert A. Duringer, M.B.A.Vice President for Administration and Finance
T. Lloyd Chesnut, Ph.D.Vice President for Research and Development and Graduate Studies

Academic Officers

Sharon E. Alexander, Ed.D.Center for Continuing Education
Betsy Wackernagel Bach, Ph.D.Assistant Provost for Retention and Enrollment Management
Philip T. Bain, Ph.D. Registrar
Jerry E. Brown, Ph.D. School of Journalism
Perry Brown, Ph.D. School of Forestry
Frank D'Andraia, M.L.S. Library Services
E. Edwin Eck II, J.D. School of Law
Roberta D. Evans, Ed.D. School of Education
Gerald A. Fetz, Ph.D. Davidson Honors College
David S. Forbes, Ph.D. School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences
Larry D. Gianchetta, Ph.D. School of Business Administration
Shirley Howell, D. A. School of Fine Arts
Lois Muir, Ph.D. Provost
Donald L. Robson, Ed.D. Associate Provost
Thomas Storch, Ph.D. College of Arts and Sciences
David Strobel, Ph.D. Graduate School
Joanna Shelton, Ph.D. Mansfield Center
R. Paul Williamson, Ed.D. College of Technology