September 12, 2017

Dear UM students,

I want to talk about program prioritization and how it will affect you and this university. I know that these times seem uncertain for our university with so many changes taking place. There is uncertainty in the exact future of our university, but I’m certain you will have the opportunity to graduate from your degree program.

Program prioritization is an intricate process with a simple goal. At first the words "program prioritization" sound like buzzwords and mean nothing, but when you really think about it the name explains itself. We need to be giving more money to some programs and services that are ready for growth, or consolidating programs and services to prepare them for growth. However, there are some program on the opposite end of the spectrum. Those programs may not be offered at this university in the years to come. That’s a major simplification of the process, but at its core it’s about growth for the programs and services that need to grow.

Prioritization will result in some programs no longer being offered at our university. However, if you are currently in one of those programs I promise, you will have the opportunity to graduate. Our university is obligated* to ensure that students can graduate with the degree they are currently pursuing. No matter what comes of this process YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GRADUATE. No one is certain which programs and services will continue to be offered after this process, but I know that program prioritization will be a long term solution to our issues at this university.

Program prioritization is a process that is going to give students in the near and far future a more stable University of Montana. We all know that enrollment is down, therefore we have less money. So the university has to make cuts. The university tried just cutting X% from every area of campus for the past few years. As a student I have seen how across the board cuts have affected my department, and my friends’ departments. This method only hurt every program and service at our university. Now we have to work together in building a long term solution.

We want current and future student to have an incredible experience at the University of Montana. We all want our university to have stable enrollment and passionate professors. We want our university to have strong leadership and to be a place in this nation that is solidified by our mission and vision. We are taking those steps through a diligent presidential search, Strategic Vision: Creating Change Together, and arguably most importantly, program prioritization. Don’t let the uncertainty of the future keep our university from moving forward.

Sincerely,

Braden Fitzgerald

President, Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM)
University Center - Suite 104
 (406) 243-2451

*By both Board of Regents policy and Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities (UM's accrediting body) standards