March 2007
Missoula Writer Featured at "Dances With Words"
Monday, March 26 2007
The University of Montana Western English department is sponsoring a series of readings of area writers and poets during the 2007 Spring Semester titled “Dances With Words.”
The next reading features Missoula author Rick DeMarinis. Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in The Cup, located on the lower level of the Swysgood Technology Center.
DeMarinis first published work was a set of short stories written during his seven years teaching at San Diego State University. He has written six novels including “The Year of the Zinc Penny” which was a New York Times Notable Book. DeMarinis has published three collections of short stories and his stories have appeared in Harper’s, Antaeus, Story and Epoch. DeMarinis received a Literature Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
In addition to Sand Diego State, he also taught at the University of Texas El Paso and the University of Montana.
Today he lives in Missoula and teaches occasionally at the University of Montana.
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Free Speaker Series Set For Thursday, March 29
Monday, March 26 2007
The University of Montana Western School of Outreach is sponsoring a Free Speakers Series during the 2007 Spring Semester.
Each presentation will be held in the Swysgood Technology Center in Room 005 from 7-8:30 p.m.
The next program is Thursday, March 29 with Bill Janus. His program is titled “St. James Way: A Journey Through Spain On Foot.”
For more than 1000 years, pilgrims have flocked to Santiago de Compostela, Spain to honor the burial site of the apostle James the Great. Join Janus as he retraces his 300-mile walking journey over the ancient route to the revered site. He will trace the history of the pilgrimage from its medieval origins to its modern revival and discuss the varied landscapes along the route and the wealth of monuments that are found on the way.
For more information, please call the School of Outreach at 683-7537.
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Recent Survey Shows Students Rate Montana Western Above National Averages
Friday, March 23 2007
Montana Western students rank satisfaction with their university above national averages and well above a similar 1998 campus survey.
The Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory survey (SSI) was conducted on The University of Montana Western campus in December 2006. Assistant Provost David Moore said the SSI measures student satisfaction and priorities across a broad spectrum of college life.
“Students were surveyed to assess their satisfaction with the university in 11 areas including academic advising, instructional effectiveness, service excellence, concern for the individual and campus support services,” Moore said. “The students rated the areas by importance of specific expectations as well as their satisfaction with how well those expectations were being met.”
A similar survey was conducted in 1998. Moore said recent survey results were compared to the 1998 study and 2006 ratings from other four-year universities nationally.
Montana Western students ranked the university higher in every category than their 1998 counterparts and also gave the university higher scores in every category than the national averages. Highest levels of satisfaction were noted in the areas of academic advising and instructional effectiveness.
The results will help guide strategic planning, increase retention rates, meet accreditation needs, identify strengths of institutional marketing and gauge progress toward meeting campus goals, Moore said.
Survey results are available at Montana Western’s website at http://www.umwestern.edu/administration/vcaa/accreditation/page8.htm.
The University of Montana Western is located in scenic Dillon, Mont. and is the only public higher education institution in the country offering the innovative Experience One where students take only one class at a time. A small, caring university with all the opportunities of larger campuses, Montana Western encourages real-world, hands-on experience and each student’s total participation in their education.
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Montana Western Professor Featured at Dances With Words
Monday, March 19 2007
The University of Montana Western English department is sponsoring a series of readings of area writers and poets during the 2007 Spring Semester titled “Dances With Words.”
The third reading features Sid Gustafson, Bozeman author and University of Montana Western professor of Equine Sciences, Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in The Cup, located on the lower level of the Swysgood Technology Center.
Gustafson will be reading from his novel “Horses They Rode.” “Horses They Rode” is a dramatic story of love, family, and changing cultures.
“Gustafson has the rare ability to take you from your seat and place you directly in his novel,” said Justin Easter of the Montana Quarterly. “He accomplishes this in “Horses They Rode” not with the all-too-common literary tactics we are used to, but through the use of fascinating imagery. While giving the reader familiar points in Montana to use as reference, Gustafson brings his readers into a different countryside than the one we see from our windows. If you are interested in opening a book that will captivate your imagination while encouraging introspection, you need not look further than “Horses They Rode.” You may put this novel down wondering about the spirit of the mountains, the relationships you have with people around you, or even the relationship you have with yourself. This is, of course, not surprising when you realize Gustafson is using his own experiences to masterfully shape his characters. Expect to read one of the finer stories related to quickly dissipating Montana culture, and one of the most impressive novels written by a Montana author this year. Hold on to your emotions, because there will most likely be an instant when Gustafson is able to open your mind in a way that is truly fascinating.”
Gustafson is a practicing veterinarian and also the author of the popular guidebook, “First Aid for the Active Dog”. He is an authority on horses and was quoted in a New York Time’s story on Barbaro, the injured racehorse.
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"On The Rocks" Adds Program To March Schedule
Friday, March 16 2007
"On the Rocks" is a guest speaker series sponsored by the Department of Environmental Sciences and Program in Mathematics at Montana Western. Unless otherwise noted, all programs begin at 4:15 p.m. in Room 311 of Block Hall. Three programs have been added to the March schedule.
On Wednesday, March 21, the program features Dr. Linda Lyon, a candidate for the Botany/Environmental Interpretation faculty position. Her program is titled "Learning to Heal and Conserve Within the Forests of Madagascar."
On Monday, March 26, Dr. Sherrie Landon from the Bureau of Land Management is the featured speaker. Her program is titled “Preserving Paleontological Resources During Booming Energy Development"
On Tuesday, March 27, the featured speaker is Biochemistry/Biology job candidate Dr. Gregory Crowther from The University of Washington. His program is titled "Metabolic Studies of Alcohol-Consuming Bacteria."
"On the Rocks" provides a forum for the presentation of topics of interest to the scientific community. Neither Western nor the Department of Environmental Sciences is advocating any particular view or any policy or position.
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"On The Rocks" Set For Monday, March 19
Thursday, March 8 2007
"On the Rocks" is a guest speaker series sponsored by the Department of Environmental Sciences and Program in Mathematics at the University of Montana Western.
The first program of the 2007 Spring Semester is Monday March. 19 at 4:15 p.m. in Room 311 of Block Hall. The presentation features Montana Western student Heather Holloway.
Holloway’s presentation is titled “Of Feathers and Frogs, An Internship With Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.”
"On the Rocks" provides a forum for the presentation of topics of interest to the scientific community. Neither Montana Western nor the Department of Environmental Sciences is advocating any particular view or any policy or position.
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Womack Appointed To Executive Board
Monday, March 5 2007
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer appointed retired General James Womack to the University of Montana Western executive board in accordance with 20-25-303, Montana Code, annotated under the Board of Regents.
Womack is a 1947 graduate of Western Montana College (now University of Montana Western). He received his Masters in Education from Western in 1955. Womack succeeds Evelyn Lohman. His term runs through April 15, 2009.
Womack is a long-time Montana educator, local businessman and retired general of the Montana National Guard.
“We wish to acknowledge and thank Evelyn for her service and support to Montana Western,” said Montana Western Chancellor Richard Storey. “On behalf of our campus, I would like to welcome General Womack to our executive board.”
Womack joins Mary Ann Nicholas and Max Nield on the executive board.
The Montana Western executive board provides consultative and advisory service to Chancellor Storey. In addition, the board serves as a liaison between the Dillon community and Montana Western. Finally, the board fosters public awareness of the contributions and value of Montana Western to Dillon and the state.
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