Classes begin Monday, Aug. 27. UM will kick off the academic year with the Week of Welcome, held Tuesday through Saturday, Aug. 21-25.

Welcomefest 2007 brings administrators, faculty, staff, students and volunteers together as a community to greet new and returning students and their families.

From noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, and Saturday, Aug. 25, a move-in crew of more than 100 volunteers wearing Week of Welcome T-shirts will direct parking, provide information and help students get their luggage into residence halls.

For more information, call Kevin Molm, Welcomefest coordinator, 406-243-2388.

Students can get information about part-time employment on and off campus, as well as work-study and volunteer opportunities, at the Fall Student Job Fair Thursday, Aug. 30.

The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom and is free and open to all UM students.

UM Career Services offers free workshops and career fairs for students throughout the year and also provides up-to-date job opportunities and an application process online.

Following is important information from Missoula International Airport about runway closings that may impact student travel plans.

Airport runways will be closed:

• 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27, to 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 31.
• 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, to 6 a.m. Friday, Sept. 7.
• 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10, to 6 a.m. Friday, Sept. 14.

Normal operations: Labor Day weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Sept. 1-3, and on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 8-9.

Some major airlines will accommodate travelers through nearby airports such as Helena, Butte and Spokane. More information is online.

Do you know the words to the UM Fight Song? Here they are, and if you are one of the lucky parents we call and you can sing or recite the words for us, you'll win great Griz gifts. So keep these handy!

Students who live in Knowles Hall and are enrolled in the Introduction to Honors course will now only have to walk downstairs to get to class.

In fact, several Davidson Honors College classes soon will be offered in Knowles Hall, where many first-year UM honors college students live.

The residence hall's television room has been renovated to include all the technology needed for instruction. The change will give students and faculty members the opportunity to experience a learning environment outside the traditional classroom.

The 2007 Academic Convocation is a great way for students and parents to learn about expectations and opportunities at UM.

The event begins at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, in the University Theatre.

President George Dennison and Provost Royce Engstrom will welcome students to the new academic year. Keynote speaker for the event is UM's dynamic chemistry Professor Garon Smith, aka G. Wiz.

A reception will follow to give students and parents an opportunity to talk with UM administrators, faculty members and staff.

For more information, call Arlene Walker-Andrews, UM associate provost, at 406-243-4689 or e-mail arlene.walker-andrews@umontana.edu.

Each year, UM holds an essay competition -- the First-Year Reading Experience -- open to all first-year students.

Students connect by reading the same book, and they can write essays about the book to enter in a competition for cash prizes.

This year's First-Year Reading Experience book is "Three Cups of Tea" by Bozeman author Greg Mortenson.

Mortenson will speak at UM at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, in the University Theatre.

Competition guidelines and more information are online.

UM was awarded the 2006-07 Sterling Savings Bank Big Sky Conference Presidents Cup -- an award that goes to the school with the most successful student athletes in the classroom and on the field.

Montana captured regular-season championships in football and women's basketball, while the UM women's cross country and men's tennis teams took second. The Grizzly women's soccer team tied for second.

Academically, Montana finished with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.11 and had 30 student athletes combine all-conference honors with a GPA of at least 3.00.

UM student firefighters now have a 24-hour number to call that will allow them to take advantage of an extension for registration, financial aid, housing and other important fall semester deadlines.

The extension applies to all students working in the firefighting effort, including those providing support services for fire crews, National Guard members and other military personnel.

The deadline for those students has been extended to Monday, Sept. 17. To qualify for the extended deadline and reserve spaces in courses, students must call 406-243-6566 by Friday, Aug. 17.

The number offers a recording asking students to provide the following information: name, student identification number and name of the agency with whom they are working.

Family Weekend, a time for parents, siblings and other family members to explore UM and gather with students at fun events, is Friday through Sunday, Nov. 2-4.

The weekend includes a full slate of family entertainment, including a Saturday Griz football game against the Portland State Vikings.

Check the Family Weekend Web site for more details in early September and watch your mailboxes for a schedule and registration form.

Thank you for reading Transcripts and for being part of the UM community.

Go Griz!