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.
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The
University of Montana
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
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 ResearchBExtensive
University (50 or more doctorates in at least 15 fields annually)
and increase funded research to $50,000,000 annually by 2006.
4) Develop more partnershipsBespecially with local communities,
businesses and industries, public schools, community and tribal
colleges, state and local governments and universities abroadBand
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.
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Accreditation
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 InternationalBThe Association
to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, in addition, the accounting
programs have a separate accounting accreditation by the AACSB;
the Chemistry Department's Bachelor of Science program is approved
by the American Chemical Society; computer science is accredited
by 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 approved by the Montana Board of Public Education and fully
accredited by the National Council of 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; the pharmacy technology program
is accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists;
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; 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; the baccalaureate program in social work is accredited
by the Council on Social Work Education; and the M.S.W. program
is a candidate for accreditation 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
Officers
June 2003
Board of Regents of Higher Education
Christian Hur (Student Regent) (Vice Chair) |
Billings |
Ed Jasmin (Chair) |
Bigfork |
John Mercer |
Polson |
Lynn Morrison-Hamilton |
Havre |
Richard Roehm |
Bozeman |
Mark J. Semmens |
Great Falls |
Lila Taylor |
Busby |
Carrol Krause, Interim 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 |
Teresa S. Branch, 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. (Interim) |
Davidson Honors College |
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. (Interim) |
College of Arts and Sciences |
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 |
Conrad W. Snyder, Ph.D. (Interim) |
Mansfield Center |
David Strobel, Ph.D. |
Graduate School |
R. Paul Williamson, Ed.D. |
College of Technology |