Board of Regents Meeting
May 19-21, 2004

Havre, Montana

Montana Tech of The University of Montana
Chancellor W. Franklin Gilmore

         John Amtmann, Safety, Health & Industrial Hygiene, and Applied Health students Billie Rose He Does It, Kyle Kastelitz, and Lisa Speegle, will present Yoga for Health at the 21st Annual Southwest Montana Gerontology Conference.

         Josie Youderian, PTC junior, has received a scholarship from the Society for Technical Communication. This is one of two scholarships awarded annually nationwide.

         Chris Gammons, Geological Engineering, and Steve Parker, Chemistry, went to Argentina on a research trip over spring break.

         Willis Weight, Geological Engineering, gave a presentation regarding Groundwater on the Crow Indian Reservation. In attendance were Tribal Elders and Legislators.

         Montana Tech's Design Team recently won 1st Place and the USDA Award for Task 5 "Reduction of Fecal Bacterial Load in Produce Packing-House Wash Water" and 2nd Place in "Reducing the Costs of Silica-based CMP." They also received the Judges Choice for Innovation and Applicability for Task 2, Arsenic Treatment for Domestic Water Systems at the WERC competition in Las Cruces, NM.

         The Mining Team hosted the 26th International Intercollegiate Mining Competition and placed 1st in Co-Ed, 2nd in Women's and 3rd in the Men's competition.

         Ray Rogers and Tony Campeau from the Admissions Office presented educational sessions at the AACRAO Annual Meeting in April in Las Vegas.

         Ed Johnson, Registrar, served as a program committee member for the AACRAO conference, assisting in creation and delivery of over 300 educational sessions to more than 3,000 conference attendees over the four-day conference.

         John LaFave and Tom Patton, MBMG, were invited to present on the basic science of ground-water/surface-water interaction to the Legislative Environmental Quality Council in Helena recently.

         Pat Munday, Professional & Technical Communication, has been invited to contribute the entry on "History of Science" to the new Dictionary of the History of Ideas published by Charles Scribner's Sons. This is a new edition of the famous Dictionary last published in 1968. Once published in December 2004, the project will represent one of the most significant works of scholarship of the decade.

         For a second year, Professor Munday has been selected as an instructor with American History Teachers 2004--a summer institute for American History high school teachers. The teachers, staff, and instructors will tour a portion of the route traveled by the Lewis & Clark expedition.

         In May, Professor Munday accompanies winning students from Montana to Intel's International Science Fair in Portland, Oregon. More than 1,200 young scientists from 40 countries will be competing for $3 million in awards and scholarships.

         In April, Professor Munday accompanied a team of Montana Tech students to the Regional Ethics Bowl hosted by The University of Montana. Sixteen teams from colleges throughout the northwest will showcase their analytic moral reasoning skills in a friendly, competitive atmosphere.

         Robert Ziegler, Liberal Studies, was invited to organize and chair a session at the University of Kentucky's annual Foreign Language Conference.

         Montana Tech was named one of the nation's "Best Value" undergraduate institutions by The Princeton Review.

         Jack Crowley, Liberal Studies, presented a paper titled "Death in Ireland: The McGarr Mysteries of Bartholomew Gill" at a joint conference conducted by the Popular culture Association and the American Culture Association in San Antonio, Texas.

The University of Montana-Missoula
President G. M. Dennison

         The University of Montana once again shattered all spring semester enrollment records with a 2.9 percent increase in the number of students attending the Missoula campus for the second half of the 2003-04 academic year. A total of 12,998 students are enrolled in classes, an increase of 372 over the 2003 spring semester headcount of 12,626.

         Two University of Montana-Missoula students, Amanda Ng and Dawson Dunning, have been awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarships for the 2004-05 academic year. Each will receive up to $7,500 for tuition, fees, books and room and aboard.

         Former U.S. Vice President Walter "Fritz" Mondale has joined the board of directors for The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. Former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Thomas S. Foley has been elected board chair.

         The KUFM/Montana Public Radio news staff recently won four regional 2004 Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio-Television News Directors Association. The station's news staff, comprising Sally Mauk, Edward O'Brien, Kirk Siegler, Nate Biehl and Beth Saboe, was honored for overall excellence based on the quality of their entries.

         Joshua Klaus, a graduate student in environmental studies at The University of Montana, was recently awarded a $1,000 scholarship for his work in the Environmental Studies Program.

         Jerry Fetz has accepted the position of dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Montana.

         Cameron Lawrence, a visiting assistant professor in the business school at The University of Montana, was one of 25 national winners of a C-SPAN essay contest. Lawrence's essay describes how C-SPAN propelled him on his personal journey from smoke jumper to University faculty member.

         Five University of Montana students, Beth Saboe, Angela Marshall, Steve Dent, Martin Ross, and Lisa Hornstein; earned awards in the latest rounds of the Hearst Journalism Awards Program.

         William Woessner, a University of Montana geology professor, has been awarded a prestigious lectureship from the Geological Society of America's Hydrogeology Division.

         Nancy Szokan, an editor at the Washington Post, will teach a seminar and work with the Montana Kaimin staff as next fall's Pollner Professor.

         Two moot court teams from The University of Montana School of Law recently captured high honors at the National Native American Law Student Association competition in Denver, Colo. Amy Sings In The Timber, and Susan Stahle, placed second in the competition. Another University of Montana moot court team consisted of Denise Juneau and Rhonda Swaney, who placed among the top 16 teams in the national competition.

         The University of Montana Ethics Bowl team recently won the quarterfinal competition of the 10th annual Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl in Cincinnati. The University of Montana team members are senior Nate Biehl, senior Rhiannon Dodds, and junior Kelly Kirwan. In addition, the team has four student coaches: Jarrett Heintz, Loren Meyer, Justin Whitaker, and Michael Williams. Professor Mark Hanson, interim director of The University of Montana's Practical Ethics Center, was the team's faculty sponsor.

         Novelist James Lee Burke received this year's H.G. Merriam Award for accomplished writers during the Friends of the Mansfield Library 41st Annual Spring Banquet. Burke, who divides his time between Missoula and New Iberia, La., has published 21 novels and one collection of short stories.

         "The Really, Really Big Floods," a television program produced by Montana PBS' John Twiggs, recently won a Parent's Choice "Recommended" Award from the Parent's Choice Foundation.

         Three University of Montana students, Dawson Dunning, Sierra Howlett, and Lauren Caldwell, have received prestigious Morris K. Udall Scholarships of $5,000 each for academic year 2004-2005.

         Junior Lauren Caldwell was named as the recipient of a prestigious Truman Scholarship. Winners of the Truman Scholarship receive $3,000 to complete undergraduate studies and $27,000 to attend graduate school.

         Ian Smith, a history graduate student at The University of Montana, has been awarded this year's $3,000 Susan Koch Library Research Scholarship.

         The University of Montana-Missoula and Montana Tech of The University of Montana in Butte are two of the nation's "best value" undergraduate institutions, according to a new book published by The Princeton Review.

         Montana Public Radio held its annual on-air fund-raiser 13-21 March 2004, earning pledges worth $410,094 from grateful listeners.

Flathead Valley Community College
President Jane Karas

         Flathead Valley Community College's 2002-2003 graduate survey affirms 96 percent of FVCC's graduating class members who sought employment were hired in fields related to their education. This makes for the fifth consecutive year that more than 95 percent of job-seeking graduates successfully secured employment. The survey also states the majority of FVCC graduates planned to stay in the state of Montana to continue their education or to work. According to the survey, 63 percent of FVCC graduates planned to continue their education. Of those students, 84 percent attend Montana colleges. Forty-threepercent of the graduates transferred to UM-Missoula, and 24 percent transferred to Montana State University-Bozeman. The survey also states that 96 percent of the graduates are employed in Montana. Of those graduates, the majority are employed in Flathead, Lake and Lincoln County districts. The average starting salary for all employed two-year degree recipients is between $10-12 per hour.

         Two Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees positions will be up for election May 4. Currently held by John D. Engebretson and Mark Holston, the positions are in the Flathead High School District and are three-year terms beginning May 2004 and expiring May 2007. Both incumbents have filed applications for re-election, and applications have been received from L. J. Kemmie Aasheim and Clarence S. Frisbee.

         The Flathead Valley Community College Foundation will offer six $250 scholarships to Lincoln County high school seniors, two from each of the three area high schools. Funded for the 2004-2005 academic year, the scholarships will benefit graduates of Libby High School, Troy High School and Lincoln County High School who plan to attend FVCC's Kalispell or Lincoln County Campus either part or full-time and who have minimum grade point averages of 2.0.

         Flathead Valley Community College's 2004 Honors Symposium has been highly successful with audiences totaling over 1,100 at the first six lectures. Due to larger than anticipated audiences, the location of the series was moved to a larger venue. The series featured experts of various backgrounds to lecture on topics relating to this year's theme: "The Peril and Promise of Progress: DNA and the Human Genome." The series consisted of eight lectures covering topics from human cloning to genetic basis of human diseases.

         FVCC is pleased to announce the establishment of The Theodore Chase Endowment Fund to support the college's Honors Symposium and program activities. With the establishment of the $10,000 Fund, Chase's daughter wishes to acknowledge her father's deep respect for higher education and community colleges. In addition, the Fund will help to ensure the future of the Honors Symposium lecture series held to educate and expand community conversation on current issues. Chase passed away in January 2003 and was a native of Massachusetts and a graduate of Harvard and Harvard Law School. Chase helped to establish the Massachusetts Regional Community College System and served on its original board for 15 years, chairing it for 10 of those years. In the time Chase served, 15 community colleges were founded.

         FVCC's Lincoln County Campus provided the U.S. Forest Service with Facilitative Instructor Training, a 40-hour seminar for 15 students the week of February 9. The seminar prepared employees to become instructors in future U.S.F.S. training programs.

         Flathead Valley Community College President Karas held numerous Community Conversations throughout Flathead and Lincoln Counties in March and April. The conversations gave community members an opportunity to learn about the colleges strategic planning process and new programs and to share their ideas about their community college's future.

         FVCC Robotics Instructor Gordon Sheldon appeared on Tech TV's "The Screen Savers" program April 2 to demonstrate how to build robots out of "junk". His skills and creativity have also sparked interests with Popular Science Magazine and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

         Flathead Valley Community Theatre held two productions this spring. The group kicked-off the season with a world-premiere play, Cyclone, by New York Playwright Ron Fitzgerald. The author of the play joined FVCT for the play's last week of rehearsals and opening weekend as well as participated in seminars with FVCC students and interested members of the public. The second production was Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, by playwright Alan Ball. An irreverent comedy set during a wedding reception at an estate in Knoxville, Tenn., the play centered around five bridesmaids who escape the reception of a high-society Southern bride none of the bridesmaids like.

         FVCC Logger Sports Team placed third in the 65th Annual Association of Western Forestry Clubs Conclave at Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif., and placed first in the Stumpjumper Days competition held at FVCC April 17.

         On April 23, Flathead Valley Community College hosted over 200 local third graders for Suessville University, a day-long celebration of Dr. Seuss. Held to promote a love of books in children, the event included an art class, music class, games, storytelling and a theatre production. The event was produced by the FVCC Student Senate, Service Learning Office and AmeriCorps members. Approximately 30 FVCC students participated in the event through the Service Learning program, which provides students with opportunities to serve the local non-profit agencies and schools.

         Flathead Valley Community College hosted its eighth annual Career Fair April 28. Over 35 businesses and organizations attended the Fair to meet with potential candidates, consisting of FVCC students and alumni, for job positions. The Fair was sponsored through a Carl Perkins grant.

         Flathead Valley Community College held the Annual Student Awards Reception April 29 honoring students at the college who have been selected to receive private donor scholarships for the 2004-2005 academic year. Forty-six scholarships totaling $47,900 were awarded to 64 students.

         The Flathead Valley Community College Foundation will sponsor Springtime in the Rockies 2004 June 6-9. Proceeds will benefit students in FVCC's Professional Chef and Food Services classes. The benefit will include five dinners prepared by some of the top chefs in the Flathead Valley, fun food prepared by FVCC's professional chef students, a wine tasting featuring a fine selection of wines, wine shopping and a chance to win a trip to Orlando, Fla., for the Capital One Bowl.

         Flathead Valley Community College's Spring 2004 Commencement will be May 14. A total of 290 students from both the Kalispell and Lincoln County campuses have applied for graduation. The commencement speaker will be Commissioner of Higher Education Sheila Stearns.

Montana State University - Great Falls College of Technology
Dean Mary Sheehy Moe

         Rural Information Technology Education Grant Received: The College has received a grant of $500,725 from the National Science Foundation to increase Montana's pool of qualified information workers by: 1) providing a 2+2+2 seamless academic pathway to IT employment; 2)developing secondary and postsecondary faculty with skills focusing on the integration of educational technology into Curricula and instruction; and 3) improving IT student recruitment, retention, and job placement with a special focus on attracting women, Native Americans, and place-bound rural Montanans into IT careers.

         Student Receives Phi Theta Kappa Award: Phi Theta Kappa, the International Honor Society of the 2 year college, has selected MSU Great Falls College of Technology student, Mark Olszewski, as Montana's 2004 New Century Scholar. Mark's selection was based on scores earned in the All-USA Academic Team competition sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa and USA Today News. His score was the highest in Montana. He will receive a $2,000 stipend funded by the Coca-Cola.

         Celebrations of Diversity: In January, MSU-Great Falls Campus hosted a Martin Luther King Day Presentation & Discussion by Rev. Robert Payne, Jr. A conference on April 22, Gender Barriers: Bent but not Broken, explored the invisible barriers of gender discrimination. May 5th was the first celebration of Cinco de Mayo on the MSU-Great Falls Campus. Food was sold by Melaque, a local Mexican restaurant. Festivities included music by local DJ, Fernando Torrez; Salsa and Latin dance lessons. and a demonstration of Flamenco dancing.

         Accreditation of Health Sciences Programs: The Health Information Coding Specialist program is in the initial steps of program accreditation. The Dental Hygiene program hosted a site visit on March 25-26 and was granted accreditation. The Practical Nurse program hosted representatives from the Montana Board of Nursing on the Great Falls Campus on April 8-9. The team examined the program and approved the program for reaccreditation.

         Regional Growth Alliance Formed: The mission of the newly organized RGA is to provide a forum for regional businesses as well as community and government leaders to identify and address emergency issues of significance to the economy of the Great Falls region. Dean Mary Moe and University of Great Falls President, Eugene McAllister, presented their vision for higher education in the community at the monthly RGA meeting on March 5.

         Dr. Cherie McKeever, Biological Science, is passionate about teaching and building bridges between the College and the region. McKeever's Biology students harvested and cleaned native seeds last fall for a landscaping project at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. In April, advanced biology students from Fort Benton High School attended the College's Anatomy & Physiology I lecture and lab, followed by lunch and discussion group activities with their college mentors for a day. Dr. McKeever and about 45 of her A&P II students also put on a health fair at Lincoln Elementary School, conducting a variety of hands-on activities for over 300 grade school students. She has also developed a new Genetics course which was approved by Academic Council and will be offered for the first time this summer.

         Dr. Greg Paulauskis, MSU-Great Falls Respiratory Care faculty, has been named President-elect of the Commission on Accreditation in Allied Health  Educational Programs  (CAAHEP), the largest programmatic/specialized accreditor in the health sciences field. His presidential term will begin in April 2005. In collaboration with its Committees on Accreditation, CAAHEP reviews and accredits more than 2000 educational programs in twenty-one (21) health science occupations across the United States and Canada. Accreditation is an effort to assess the quality of institutions, programs and services, measuring them against agreed-upon standards and thereby assuring that they meet those standards.

Montana State University-Billings
Chancellor Ronald P. Sexton, Ph. D.

         Ms. Jacquelyn Marie Weitz a junior in the Department of Music, was recently awarded $1,000 at the Aurora Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition held in Boulder, Colorado on March 22, 2004.  As the winner, Jacquelyn has been engaged to perform Rachmaninoff's Third Concerto in D minor with the Aurora Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Richard Niezen in Aurora on May 8, 2004. 

         With the support of Senator Max Baucus, the Center for Business Enterprise, led by Professor Gary Amundson, sponsored a conference on International Agriculture Issues Affecting Montana and the Regional Economy.  This conference brought in nationally recognized speakers to speak on Mad Cow Disease as well as Cuban trade. 

         Dr. Joe Michels, Dean of the College of Business, inducted twenty-two (22) students into the Sigma Beta Delta National Honorary on March 23, 2004. Mr. Ed Garding, Chief Credit Officer for First Interstate Bank and President of the College of Business National Business Advisory Board was also inducted as a Sigma Beta Delta National Honorary Inductee.

         Ms. Kathy Holt received a competitive state grant to host a state training session for the English Writing Proficiency Exam to be held at Montana State University-Billings.

         The second annual "Spring Career Exploration Day" held on Thursday, March 18, 2004, was attended by more than 115 junior and senior high school students from Rapelje, Reed Point, Billings Central, Hardin, Plenty Coup, Laurel, and Absarokee. This fun-filled day of "exploring" a wide array of careers in health, industry, transportation, business and computers was hosted by the College of Technology.

         Dr. Katharin Kelker recently presented on the topic of Asperger's Syndrome for a Vision Net presentation broadcast by PLUK throughout Montana and via computer streaming to several states, including Massachusetts, Florida and Colorado.

         Dr. Susan Barfield and Ms. Reno Charette presented at the National Association of Bilingual Education

         Conference in Albuquerque, February 2, 2004, on Cultural Considerations for American Indian Students:

         Lessons Learned.

         More than 130 individuals from Billings and the surrounding region, representing over 40 different businesses, 10 city/county agencies and 20 educational institutions, attended the Montana Computer Network Security Conference.  The conference, held on the MSU-Billings College of Technology campus, exposed the participants to a wide range of topics that explored recent developments and fascinating insights of the myriad of security issues that are present every time a computer is turned on.

         The College of Business participated in the Montana Business Incubator (MBI) "Go Global with E Commerce" conference held on March 25, 2004. 

         Dr. George White, Dean, College of Education received a contract award of $50,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to host a regional workshop on March 11-13, 2004, to address issues of the No Child Left Behind Initiative.

         Eric Faulks and Lori Balcer, students from the Health Administration program, attended the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) annual congress in Chicago the week of March 2, 2004.  These students have leadership roles with the health administration student group recently recognized by the American College of Healthcare Executives.

         Dr. Mary Susan Fishbaugh was elected to the national board of the American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRSE).

         The MSU-Billings Library hosted the Librarians' Workshop at the 2004 AIHEC (American Indian Higher Education Consortium) Spring Conference on Saturday, March 20, 2004.  Tribal college librarians toured the MSU-Billings library and heard presentations from Jane Howell on assessment and accreditation.

Montana State University-Northern
Chancellor Alex Capdeville

         Commencement - Saturday, May 8, 2004 MSU-Northern held its Commencement ceremonies. Dr. Sheila Stearns, Commissioner of Higher Education, presented the commencement address. There were a total of 386 graduates earning 451 degrees.

         Founders Day - Founders' Day at Montana State University-Northern is a special graduation week tradition that honors and recognizes individuals who promote the ideals of service and excellence. Founders' Day is a time when alumni, friends, faculty and students rekindle the spirit of campus life and pause to reflect upon the people, places and events that have helped create an environment for lifetime learning and participation. This year the MSU-Northern Founders Excellence Awards were presented to three individuals who have contributed to the growth and development of the campus and who have received outstanding recognition within their own professional fields. Those honored during the Founders' Excellence Dinner May 7th were: Judy Greenwood; Ray Watson; and Gordon Obie. A Chancellor's Excellence Award was also presented to student Emmett Willson.

         50-year Reunion - Montana State University-Northern welcomed the Northern Montana College Class of 1954 back to campus on May 7th & 8th, 2004, to celebrate their 50th reunion. This is a memorable event for the returning alums and the schedule included campus and community tours, class meetings, and socialization time for the class members to catch up with one another. On Saturday, the "Golden Grads" marched in the processional leading the new graduates in graduation exercises. At the conclusion of Commencement, they joined the Class of 2004 and their families and friends and the faculty, staff and administration at the Student Union Building Ballroom for the graduation brunch.

         Student Excellence - Ten Montana State University-Northern students were recently named student excellence award winners for the 2003-2004 school year. In order to qualify for a student excellence award several criteria must be met. Students must be of junior standing, have a 3.0 or higher grade point average and be actively involved in the campus community. The student excellence award is the highest honor a student at Montana State University-Northern can receive. Those students honored were: Amy Boehm; Catina Hinkle; April Keith; Tiffany Laisnez; Warren Quick; Carley Robertson; Chris Rossmiller; Caleb Schaeffer; Jennifer Vaughn; Emmett Willson.

         Northern Students score high at recent National PAS Conference Members of the MSU-Northern PAS Club attended the 2004 National PAS (Post-secondary Agriculture Students) Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the week of March 8th. Northern was represented by five students, Chris Westergard (Plentywood), Brent Peterson (Havre), Rylee Strauser (Chinook), Clayton Hoefeldt (Chinook), and Amber VandenBos (Valier) along with their advisors Tom Welch and Bill Danley. All five students competed on the MSU-Northern College Bowl Team (general-knowledge Quiz Bowl) and took First Place among the 34 teams that competed. In addition, Rylee, Amber, and Brent competed in the Beef Production Specialist program and took First Place; also, Amber won the High-Individual Award in the Beef Production Specialist program. About 600 students representing 18 states attended the conference. The 2005 PAS Conference will be held in Albany, NY. The College Bowl is designed to test knowledge of agricultural students against the clock. If you see these students or their advisors, please congratulate them on a job well done.

         Willson Wins 2004 Dan Hodge Award - All-American wrestler Emmett Willson has won the 2004 Dan Hodge Award as the nation's outstanding collegiate grappler.

         This 10-year old award typically goes to an athlete from a NCAA Division I powerhouse and is regarded as college wrestling's equivalent of college football's Heisman Trophy. Emmett is the first NAIA wrestler ever to win the award. The award, which is sponsored by the International Wrestling Institute and Museum and W.I.N. Magazine, is given annually to the nation's most outstanding collegiate wrestler, who best exemplifies the criteria of dominance, number of wins, record, past credentials, quality of competition, sportsmanship, citizenship and heart.

Dawson Community College
President Terry Hetrick

         The DCC College Rodeo was conducted on April 23-25, 2004 at the Dawson County Fairgrounds. College rodeo teams from across the state participated in this annual event.

         Tentative date for re-bidding the new Performing Arts and Physical Education Centers is May 17, 2004. By that time, the architectural firm will have modified the blueprints and related documents to facilitate bidding by both metal and wood building manufacturers. Anticipated date of bid opening is June 17, 2004.

         On April 19-21, 2004, the College underwent a comprehensive on-site evaluation by the Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities. The team's written response will be sent to the College in approximately two weeks. At that time, the institution can respond only to errors in facts cited in the report. Official notification of the College's accreditation status will be provided at the Commission's meeting in June, 2004.

         The 62nd DCC Commencement is scheduled for Friday, May 14, 2004. Dr.Frank Gilmore, Chancellor of Montana Tech of The University of Montana, will be commencement speaker. Approximately 150 students will be awarded certificates or degrees. This will be the largest graduating class in many years.

         On April 16 & 17, 2004, the Early Childhood Education Program, under the direction of Brenda Stockert, conducted its 5th Annual "Shaping the Future" conference. Over 150 Eastern Montana educators attended this year's activities. Two venues were provided: one focused on curriculum and the second on early childhood education. Lisa Carter, a nationally known presenter, conducted the "Curriculum Alignment" conference, while Deb Theurer and Patty White conducted the Early Childhood Education conference.

Miles Community College
President Darrel L. Hammon

         Bette Jewell, Math Instructor; Delores Cameron, Information Technology Instructor; and Larry Torstenbo, Librarian and Rodeo Coach have retired. New hires include: Ann Rutherford, Librarian; Jeff Brabant, Information Technology Instructor; and Wally Badgett, Rodeo Coach.

         Commissioner Sheila Stearns visited Miles City and Miles Community College on April 19th. She attended a variety of events, including the Board of Trustee meeting.

         James P. Lucas, Board of Trustee member, received the 2004 Distinguished Alumnus Award at a special ceremony at the Board of Trustee meeting on April 19, 2004. Mr. Lucas has been an integral part of Miles Community College, formerly known as Custer County Junior College, for almost fifty years. He has been a trustee since 1971.

         Rob Bishop, Pioneer baseball coach, just reached his 100-win milestone at a recent baseball tournament in Colorado. Coach Bishop was also recently honored as the NJCAA Division II Region IX Coach of the Year.

         Shelly Weight, Director for the Center for Technology and Learning, was elected Chair of the E-MET consortium, composed of sixteen school districts in eastern Montana, MSU-Billings, Dawson Community College, and Miles Community College. The purpose of E-MET is to develop and deliver both secondary and postsecondary programming to consortium members.

         Vicky Crofutt, Administrative Assistant in the Nursing and Health Sciences Department, was recently elected secretary of the Tongue River Cattle Women Association, an organization that has been in existence since 1925.

         Miles Community College sponsored three students to Montana's first HOSA State Leadership Conference in Helena, April 18-20. Our secondary and dual-enrolled students competed in Researched Persuasive Speaking (placing third), HOSA Bowl (placing third), and Nursing Assisting (placing fifth). Placing third and above entitles one to compete at National conference in Orlando this June 22-26. Additionally, two Miles Community College students were elected to two of the four HOSA State Officer positions for the 2004-05 academic year term: Brice Steen, a dual-enrolled secondary student, was named Vice President; and Jana Becker, a postsecondary student, was named Secretary.

         Miles Community College Photo II students submitted photos to the Montana Campus Compact "Raise Your Voice 'Faces of Civic Engagement'" Photo Contest. The intention of the contest was to encourage the importance of documenting student civic engagement. Brenda Little and Tyler Rasmussen were awarded Honorable Mention.

         The Miles Community College Pioneer baseball team won the Mon-Dak conference title for the 4th straight year.

         The Miles Community College Pioneer golf team won the Region IX title for the first time ever and will compete at Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona, in May. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) officially opened the Ashland satellite on February 6, 2004, with new volunteers and three new workstations.

         Miles Community College and RSVP were each recipients of a HAVA grant for $5,000.

         Miles Community College hosted National Alcohol Screening Day on April 8 with 17 participants.

         Miles Community College sponsored a Voter Registration Booth on April 14 with 26 students registering to vote.