Students are moving back into the dorms and a hint of autumn is in the air as campus gears up for fall semester 2004.

President George Dennison will usher in the new academic year today, Aug. 27, with his annual State of the University Address. Dennison will review UM's successes and challenges of the past academic year and outline his goals for the institution. New faculty and administrators also will be introduced during the event, which begins at 10 a.m. in the Montana Theatre.

Classes kick off Monday, and students are invited to celebrate with a free lunch and live music at WelcomeFEAST. The event, which takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the Oval, also will offer information about UM programs, departments and more.

Three employees with years of service to UM became new administrators in Student Affairs during the summer. All were chosen after national searches to fill the positions. They are:

• Jed Liston, previously director of marketing and recruitment in Enrollment Services, now the new assistant vice president for Enrollment Services.
• Patrick Weasel Head, the new director of UM's American Indian Student Services Program, which he has been interim head of since its creation a year ago.
• Candy Holt, formerly associate director for administrative, personnel and fiscal services in UM's Mansfield Library, now director of the University Center, the hub of student life on campus.

Summer enrollment at UM-Missoula took a disappointing downturn and officials are still trying to understand what happened.

The student headcount this year was 3,210, compared to 3,349 last summer -- a 4 percent decline. Fewer students also meant fewer credit hours were taken. Full-time equivalents (FTEs) totaled 1,186, compared to 1,388 last summer for a 14.5 percent decrease. An FTE represents 15 undergraduate or 12 graduate semester credits. The largest decrease occurred with undergraduate students.

Based upon current projections, it appears enrollment should rebound in the fall, resulting in continued record numbers of students attending UM.

Research at Montana's two largest universities recently received a major boost.

The National Science Foundation's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research has been awarded $13.5 million for a multitude of science efforts at UM-Missoula and Montana State University-Bozeman. The money will be distributed during the next three years.

Thanks to a recent $1.6 million, four-year award from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, UM will research traumatic stress on the Rocky Boy Reservation and provide school-based trauma services to children and teens from the Chippewa-Cree tribe.

Aaron Morsette, a trauma specialist from the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, and his UM team members at the Division of Educational Research and Service (DERS) and the Department of Psychology will partner with trauma experts from RAND Corp., the University of California, Los Angeles, and Duke University.

UM-Missoula is offering a new student leadership program to provide students with the skills they need to succeed academically and professionally after graduation.

Ursa Major is a four-stage leadership development experience that uses a variety of co-curricular activities to teach students independence, ambition, creative problem-solving, motivational ability and self-assessment. Activities include conferences, retreats, volunteer opportunities and mentoring.

The program is open to current UM students. Applications and more information are available online.

The Office of Career Services hopes to match students looking for jobs with campus and Missoula employers at the Fall Student Employment Job Fair Thursday, Sept. 2.

The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom and is open to any business, organization or department that needs college students for full- or part-time jobs, internships or volunteer opportunities. Employers with work-study openings also are invited to register.

The event is free to employers and students. Employers can register for the fair online; students do not need to register. For more information, call Valerie Marsh, (406) 243-5460.

The Montana Museum of Art and Culture at UM has received an art loan from a private collector.

The lender, who wishes to remain anonymous, has loaned the painting "Landscape of an Armchair" by Willem de Kooning. The abstract painting was finished in 1971 and, characteristic of de Kooning's 1970s paintings, features bold brush strokes and richly diverse colors.

The painting is hanging in the lobby of the President's Office in Main Hall.

University Dining Services has earned the ultimate professional tribute in college and university culinary arts by winning the 2004 Loyal E. Horton Grand Prize in the "Catering-Special Event" category from the National Association of College and University Food Services.

The award recognizes the department's work on the 12th annual Cowboy Ball, a highly successful fund-raiser for the UM Rodeo Team. The award-winning menu included hand-carved prime rib, rosemary-skewered roasted vegetables and a Chocolate Rodeo Barrel berry dessert.

It's time again to clean the clutter out of your house and earn some extra cash at the "World's Largest Garage Sale."

This year's event will be held -- rain or shine -- from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, on the lower level of the University's covered parking garage on Campus Drive.

Vendors will be assigned two parking spaces for the $20 registration fee. Additional spaces are available for $10 each. Registration forms are available at The Source (formerly known as the University Center Information Desk). For more information call (406) 243-4636.

The UM women's soccer team, coming off home exhibition wins over Carroll College and MSU-Billings last weekend, begins the 2004 regular season this week by hosting the Montana Nike Cup at the South Campus Soccer Field.

The Grizzlies square off against the University of Idaho Vandals at 5 p.m. today and the Washington State University Cougars at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Also participating in the cup are the University of Denver Pioneers, who will face the Cougars in the early match at 3 p.m. today and the Vandals at noon Sunday.

The Montana Grizzlies will meet the Maine Black Bears in the "Battle of the Bears II" Sept. 4 during the Griz opener at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Kickoff is at 1:05 p.m.