TO: Board of Regents

FROM: Alex Capdeville, Chancellor

DATE: March 21, 2002

SUBJECT: Campus Reports for the March 2002 Board of Regents Meeting

         Master Plan - The formal, structured planning process at MSU-Northern has been wrapped up. Marcy Drummond, the consultant from Critical Data, Inc., who was assigned to the MSU-Northern project, came to campus in late February to discuss the planning document with the campus community. Many people on the MSU-Northern campus participated in the planning discussions, and they are to be commended for their efforts on behalf of the institution and its future. A synopsis of the Master Plan has been provided to members of the Board.

         ATC Building - Bear Paw Development Corporation, through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, has secured a grant of $1 million for the construction of an Applied Technology Center on the campus of Montana State University-Northern.

This significant investment by the EDA in MSU-Northern shows the unmistakable link between building a better economy and the role of higher education in accomplishing that goal. The Applied Technology Center will present the private sector with the opportunity to partner with a public institution in the practical application of university-level research and development. It will also serve as a location where technology-based start-up companies can incubate themselves and take advantage of the facility's high-tech infrastructure to grow their business.

The grant will compliment a $2 million investment made by the 2001 Montana legislature to construct the facility.

         Advising Center Our New Student Advising Center will open April 1, 2002. This center is designed to be a one-stop shop to help students successfully navigate through the application and registration process. Students will take the compass placement tests and receive personalized assistance in registering for classes. They will also receive training on how to apply for financial aid and how to register on-line.

This Advising Center will help students make a smooth transition into their new and exciting life at MSU-Northern.

         Donaldson Hall Renovation MSU-Northern is currently putting plans together to renovate Donaldson Hall into a state-of-the-art dormitory. You can see architectural plans on display in Donaldson Commons.

         NAIA National wrestling tournament On March 1 & 2,MSU-Northern hosted the 2002 NAIA National Wrestling Tournament at the Bison Fieldhouse in Great Falls with approximately 30 teams and 220 wrestlers in attendance. MSU-Northern finished second in the tournament, behind Lindenwood University in Missouri. Two Northern wrestlers won the national title in their weight class; and one of those wrestlers, Tyson Thivierge, was named outstanding wrestler of the tournament. Special congratulations should go to Northern's football coach, Walt Currie, who served as tournament director, and his colleagues in the athletic department. The Great Falls community was very supportive and MSU-Northern looks forward to holding the tournament in that city again next year.

         The Northern Montana Technology Exposition Is being held this weekend, March 22 & 23 on the campuses of MSU-Northern and Havre High School. The "Techspo" is a collaboration between education and business entities in Northern Montana to showcase the advances in the use of technology in their respective industries and cultivate the relationship between them. The event is hosted by MSU-Northern and Havre Public Schools, and has brought nationally known economic development and educational technology presenters to provide participants a chance to engage in hands-on workshops in a variety of applications.

         MCTM Math Contest On March 12, Northern hosted the Montana Council of Teacher of Mathematics Math Contest attracting almost 900 students. Northern has been a regional site for this contest for more than twenty years. MCTM awards scholarships at the state level and to the top male and female senior students at each regional level. MSU-Northern welcomes the event as it gives us a chance to showcase our campus.

         Hi-Line Regional Science Fair On March 25th, Northern will host the 17th annual Hi-Line Regional Science and Engineering Fair, involving 180 middle school and high school students from 15 regional schools. The Havre Science Fair has been associated with the International Science and Engineering Fair for the last 11 years. Other corporate sponsors along with MSU-Northern are Montana Power and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation.

         VICA Northern will be hosting the 2002 Montana Vocational Industrial Clubs of America State Leadership and Skills Conference on April 8, 9, and 10. MSU-Northern has proudly hosted the Montana VICA Conference since its inception in 1971. Competitions are held in areas such as architectural drafting, welding, diesel technology, automotive technology, public speaking, and technical computing. Northern's faculty and staff, serve as contest chairpersons, and take this opportunity to present educational opportunities and answer questions about our campus.