Dr. G. Pritchy Smith, nationally recognized multi-cultural educator will speak at The University of Montana-Western, Tuesday, April 5 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Great Room of the Swysgood Center.
The University of Montana-Western Student Senate presented its yearly awards at their Annual Student Senate Banquet.Following campus-wide discussions beginning last fall, University of Montana-Western Chancellor Richard Storey has appointed Dr. Rita Moore, associate professor and chair of education as Interim Dean of Education, Business and Technology.
“We are thrilled to appoint such a qualified, intelligent, dedicated and wonderful colleague to the position of Interim Dean of Education, Business and Technology at UMW.” said Storey.
Moore, a nationally recognized scholar and master teacher, teaches literacy and education courses at UM-Western. A former K-12 literacy specialist and high school language arts teacher, Moore's current interests include classroom research into literacy instruction and interactive reader response. She is the co-author of the recently published book “Reading Conversations.” Moore would serve as interim dean for the for 2005-06 academic year while the campus evaluates its existing administrative structure.
The current plan during this period is for Provost Karl Ulrich to continue to serve in the capacity of Dean of Arts and Sciences. Moore will assume administrative duties assigned formerly to the vacant dean position and be responsible for leading and administering the accreditation reviews of the School of Education, Business and Technology.
The Provost would continue to have that same responsibility for the College of Arts and Sciences duties would include the supervision of external academic program review. The Provost and the Interim Dean, in cooperation with the existing 0.75 FTE Accreditation Coordinator Sally Munday, will assume leadership in the communication of changing accreditation needs, both in-state and nationally. They will also work with faculty on the academic planning process and assessment related to NWCCU, OPI, NCATE and other specialized accreditations that may be sought by academic programs.
Moore received her B.S. from Missouri Southern State College; her M.S. from Southwest Missouri State and her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
It was announced at the March 17th meeting of the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education that the Commissioner of Higher Education had approved an alteration to The University of Montana-Western pre-professional health sciences program, which included the renaming of the B.A. option area to Biological and Biomedical Sciences. The changes will go into effect in the Fall of 2005. The changes offer an option area of Biological and Biomedical Sciences with related areas in diverse areas such as cell/molecular biology, mathematical biology and veterinary science. “This is a huge step as we progress towards making our current students and prospective students aware of the sciences that are available here at Western,” said assistant professor of biology Michael Morrow.
For more information on this degree option please contact Dr. Michael Morrow (406-683-7254) m_morrow@umwestern.edu
The Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education formally approved the University of Montana-Western proposal to award a Bachelor of Science in Natural Horsemanship with two options, Natural Horsemanship Science and Natural Horsemanship Management. The unanimous decision was made at the Regent’s March meeting in Helena on March 17. The degree will go into effect in the Fall of 2005. "This degree program builds on Western’s established expertise and associate level degrees in Natural Horsemanship and Equine Studies,” said UM-Western Chancellor Richard Storey, “The program is unique in the nation and will allow Western to attract students from across the United States and beyond." As is the case with its A.A.S. degree in Natural Horsemanship, Western has developed a collaborative agreement with La Cense Montana, which provides the equipment, facilities and horse trainers for the field portions of this degree program. “I am very happy to hear of this announcement,” said William Kriegel, owner of La Cense Montana. “The partnership between La Cense Montana and UM-Western is very important. For the first time in America, there will be a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Horsemanship.” "Graduates of the program will not only be actively engaged in the local, statewide, and national equine business community but will also be involved in the internationally-recognized discipline of natural horsemanship,” said UM-Western Provost Karl Ulrich. This method of equestrianism incorporates an understanding of Horse Ethology, (i.e. horse behavior) in order to create a more sophisticated working relationship between human and horse. The natural horsemanship method is quickly becoming the international standard by which horsemanship is judged. The creation of a university-accredited program, developed in collaboration with industry, will ensure, for those who wish to pursue a career in natural horsemanship, the existence of an internationally recognizable credential.
For more information, please contact Dr. Sid Gustafson (406-683-7334) s_gustafson@umwestern.edu
or visit the Equine Studies Program Web Site
Holly Williams of Quinton, Virginia, is the new VISTA (Volunteering In Service to America) Volunteer on the University of Montana-Western campus. Williams is serving a one year appointment. The position involves a wide variety of duties. Current projects include coordinating the Food Commodities Program for Senior Citizens in Beaverhead County. Williams wants to form a board of local citizens to continue the work of the Food Commodities Program after her appointment is completed. She is working with the American Cancer Society and their program Relay for Life, and managing the Center for Service Learning on the Western campus. Williams is also looking for service projects and volunteer opportunities for the Western campus community. Prior to her VISTA appointment, Williams also worked one year in Americorp's Triple C Program. The Triple C Program is National Civilian Community Corps. During her ten-month appointment, Williams worked in Phoenix, Arizona helping low income folks with the tax returns; on Catalina doing Trail Maintenance at the Catalina Island Conservancy, and working at the Hawaiian Food Bank. Williams is a 2004 graduate of the University of North Carolina. She majored in history with focus on medieval and ancient history. After her one year with VISTA, Williams plans to return to school and obtain her Masters in Education. After graduate school, she wants to teach on the high school level where she will teach history with a Service Learning Component.
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The University of Montana-Western Art Gallery/Museum is currently exhibiting "Montana Legacy," a collection of aerial color cibachrome photographs by Washington artist Mark Abrahamson through April 1. The public is invited to a public reception on Wednesday, March 16 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., immediately before the Southwest Montana Arts Council Showcase Series concert by Australian musician and story teller Paul Taylor. The gallery will also be open at intermission and directly after the concert. This exhibit was commissioned by the Art Museum of Missoula in 2000. Abrahamson is known for his unusual photographs that document human impact on the environment. Some of the 38 images are benign, such as cattle being feed, or road complexes, but others squarely focus on some of Montana's more notorious history of mining and its environmental impact, particularly watershed damage. Abrahamson took landscape photographs while flying in Cessna airplanes at low altitudes. Taken from above, the landscape appears very different. "At first glance the exhibit like a collection of abstract images," says Gallery Director Randy Horst. "The colors and shapes of these images are really amazing. You get seduced by their beauty before you realize just exactly what you're seeing." What viewer's will see are striking images of the impact of hard metals on areas such as the Clark Fork watershed from Deer Lodge to Pend Oreille, Idaho, the Superfund sites at Butte and Anaconda, and the strip mines in Colstrip. The Art Gallery can be found at the south end of the first floor of Main Hall on the Western campus. Regularly scheduled gallery hours are Tuesday through Fridays from 12 noon until 4:30 p.m. To arrange for special times or visits call the director at 683-7232. The next exhibit of the spring semester will be the "Image & Idea" by UMW junior and senior art majors starting April 6. This project is supported by the Montana Arts Council, the Montana Art Gallery Directors' Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, and was organized by the Art Museum of Montana.
United Blood Services and UM Western are sponsoring a blood drive on March 15. It will be held in the Keltz Arena from 10 am - 3 pm. To make an appointment, follow this link or call 683-7916 for more information.
The University of Montana-Western Tolerance Club, along with the UM-Western Honors Program and the UM-Western Student Senate present University of Montana-Missoula history professor Dr. Mehrdad Kia, Tuesday, March 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Great Room of the Swysgood Technology Center.