Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education Minutes
Regular Meeting
July 14, 2005
Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology
2100 16th Avenue S.
Great Falls, MT 59405
These Minutes were approved unanimously by the Board of Regents at the September 21-23, 2005 meeting in Billings, MT
Administrative/Budget Item
Academic / Student Affairs Item
Workforce Development Committee Item
Consent Agenda
THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2005
The Full Board may take action on any item on the following Agenda.
(Public Comment is welcome during all meetings)
The full Board convened at 1:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Roll Call indicated a quorum present
Regents Present: Stephen Barrett, Mike Foster Vice Chair, Lynn Hamilton, John Mercer
Chair, Mark Semmens, Lila Taylor. Also present was Commissioner Sheila M. Stearns.
Regents Absent: Kala French, Governor Brian Schweitzer ex officio, and Linda McCulloch
ex officio, all excused
a. ITEM 128-1004-R0705 – Authorization to Proceed, Series J 2005 and Series K 2010 Refunding and Facilities Improvement Revenue Bonds and to Utilize Variable and Fixed Rate Debt Instruments, with an Interest Rate Swap Agreement; The University of Montana-Missoula
Regent Semmens recused himself from this item since D. A. Davidson may be selling the referenced Bonds.
Regent Barrett moved APPROVAL of Item a. President Dennison gave a brief overview of all projects included in this bond item. Motion APPROVED unanimously on 5-0 vote with Regent Semmens abstaining, and Regent French Absent.
a. ITEM 128-109-R0705 - Approval of Best and Brightest Scholarship distribution plan; Office Commissioner of Higher Education Attachment 1 Attachment 2
Regent Hamilton moved APPROVAL of Item a. Motion APPROVED unanimously on 6-0vote with Regent French Absent
a. ITEM 128-106-R0705 – Consideration of Study for School of Rural Medicine; Office Commissioner of Higher
Education
Regent Foster reported the Workforce Development Committee had addressed the issue
of whether or not to pursue the study of a medical school in Billings. Dave Gibson
had prepared an impressive piece of research that was very informative. Following
their discussion the Committee recommended to the full Board to not proceed with further
study of a medical school in Billings. The Committee also took a second action and
directed staff to do research and prepare a document for the Committee on the issues
in Montana. The issues to be covered are 1) Expansion of Montana WAMI slots from
20 to 25 or more; 2) Expansion of the Rural Physicians program in Montana; 3) Analysis
of the Montana Family Practice Residency Program; 4) Examination of WAMI requirements
for students to return to Montana for a required number of years; 5) Examination of
the $5000 tax incentive for rural physicians passed 15 years ago; and 6) Evaluation
of the work place environment for physicians in rural situations. The Committee believes
it is important to look at these points before considering the possibility of a medical
school. Regent Foster encouraged people to direct any questions to Dave Gibson since
he did a lot of work on the research.
Regent Barrett moved ADOPTION of the Committee’s recommendation to not pursue the study. Motion APPROVED on 4-2 Vote with Regents Foster and Mercer dissenting, and Regent French Absent.
CONSENT AGENDA
Staff Items:
a. ITEM 128-100-R0705 – Staff; Office Commissioner of Higher Education
b. ITEM 128-1000-R0705 - Staff; The University of Montana-Missoula
c. ITEM 128-1500-R0705 - Staff; Montana Tech of The University of Montana
d. ITEM 128-1503-R0705 - Authorization to Confer the Title of Professor Emeritus of Geophysical Engineering
Upon William R. Sill; Montana Tech of The University of Montana
e. ITEM 128-1504-R0705 - Authorization to Confer the Title of Professor Emeritus of Metallurgical and Materials
Engineering Upon Larry Twidwell; Montana Tech of The University of Montana
f. ITEM 128-1500A-R0705 - Staff; Montana Bureau of Mines and Technology
g. ITEM 128-1600-R0705 - Staff; The University of Montana Western
h. ITEM 128-1900-R0705 - Staff; The University of Montana-Helena College of Technology
i. ITEM 128-2000-R0705 - Staff; Montana State University-Bozeman
j. ITEM 128-2001-R0705 - Authorization to Confer the Title of Professor Emeritus of Exercise Science upon
Ellen Kreighbaum; MSU-Bozeman
k. ITEM 128-2300-R0705 - Staff; Ag Experiment Station
l. ITEM 128-2400-R0705 - Staff; Cooperative Extension Service
m. ITEM 128-2700-R0705 - Staff; Montana State University-Billings
n. ITEM 128-2850-R0705 - Staff; Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology
Regent Hamilton moved APPROVAL of all Staff Items. Motion APPROVED unanimously on 6-0 vote with Regent French Absent
Labor Agreements/Other Items:
a. ITEM 128-101-R0705 – Approval of Tentative Agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers
Local 400; Office Commissioner of Higher Education Memo Agreement
b. ITEM 128-102-R0705 – Approval of Tentative Agreement of Communications and Graphic Communications International
Union; Office Commissioner of Higher Education Memo Agreement
c. ITEM 128-103-R0705 – Approval of Tentative Agreement with Butte Teamsters Union Local # 2; Office Commissioner
of Higher Education Memo Agreement
d. ITEM 128-104-R0705 – Approval of Tentative Agreement with International Union of Operating Engineers,
Local 400, Colleges of Technology; Office Commissioner of Higher Education Memo Agreement
e. ITEM 128-105-R0705 – Approval of Tentative Agreement with Montana District
Council of Laborers; Office Commissioner of Higher Education Memo Agreement DID
NOT RATIFY
f. ITEM 128-108-R0705 - Approval of Tentative Agreement with The Vocational Technical Educators of Montana;
Office Commissioner of Higher Education Memo Agreement
g. ITEM 128-110-R0705 - Approval of Tentative Agreement with The University Faculty Association, The University
of Montana-Missoula Memo Agreement
Regent Semmens moved APPROVAL of Items a. – d. and f. and g. Motion APPROVED unanimously on 6-0 vote with Regent French Absent
Administrative/Budget Items:
a. ITEM 128-1003-R0705 - Authorization to Replace Arena Floor – Adams Center; The University of Montana-Missoula
Attachment
b. ITEM 128-1502-R0705 - Authorization to Expend Student Computer Fees; Montana Tech of The University of
Montana
c. ITEM 128-2002-R0705 - Authorization to Expend Equipment Fees; Montana State University-Bozeman
Regent Semmens moved APPROVAL of Items a. through c. Motion APPROVED unanimously on 6-0 vote with Regent French Absent.
Commissioner Stearns introduced Representative Ralph Lenhart who is Interim President of Dawson Community College, Kevin McRae who replaced Kathy Crego as Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations in the Office of the Commissioner, Jan Lombardi the new Education Policy Advisor for the Governor’s office, and Emily Sirota representing Evan Barrett in the Governor’s Office. President Dennison introduced Dan Bingham, the new Dean at the Helena College of Technology.
Alan Peura, Associate Fiscal Analyst with the Legislative Fiscal Division read the
following into the record:
On behalf of the Working Group for the Quality Schools Interim Committee, I want to
give kudos to the concept and now the practice of shared leadership.
Recently the Quality Schools Interim Committee awarded a contract to Montana State University and faculty members Dr. Douglas Young and Dr. Christiana Stoddard. These two university system faculty will be conducting, on behalf of the legislature, a very important and very broad labor market study and analysis of school teacher, administrator and staff salaries, benefits, retention and recruitment, and an analysis of all these issues across Montana.
The results of this labor market research will likely provide much of the foundation for the public school funding formula that the legislature will be considering in the upcoming special legislative session. I say much of the foundation because personal service costs account for 65-70% of the total costs of public school education.
Therefore, in this legislative contract we see shared leadership in action between state government and the Montana University System.
Also, the Working Group would like to thank Commissioner Stearns for her support of
this process and most especially, thanks to Associate Commissioner Dave Gibson for
his extreme diligence and prompt work to get the inter-agency contract for this study
distributed, posted and into the hands of the faculty who have the needed expertise.
A job well done.
With no further business to come before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. and the Board went into the Strategic Planning Session.