March 2002

Bear Briefs
Record Enrollment-UM has reached its highest spring-semester enrollment ever, according to new figures from the Registrar's Office. UM's spring 2002 head count is 12,414, up 470 students from last spring when 11,944 students attended the University. Full-time equivalents (FTEs) jumped from 10,565.23 in spring 2001 to 10,772.68 this spring. "This enrollment report indicates that we have kept our focus on serving student needs," UM President George Dennison said. "Because of the good and hard work of a large number of people, the University continues to do well."

Helena Hire-The vice president of a Nebraska college with a wide range of educational, administrative and private-sector experience has been selected to lead the Helena College of Technology of UM. Steven Hoyle, vice president of Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte, Neb., began his new duties as campus executive officer and dean of HCOT March 15. Hoyle was one of four finalists who interviewed for the position from among 85 total applicants.

Hall of Famers-Two outstanding former student athletes were inducted into the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame March 1. Shelley Smathers, a Morton, Wash., native, ran track and cross country for UM during 1991-94, becoming a four-time NCAA All-American, a seven-time Big Sky Conference champion and an 11-time Big Sky Conference Athlete of the Week. Also inducted was Great Falls native and quarterback Dave Dickenson, who played for the Grizzlies during 1991-95, leading Montana to its first I-AA national championship in 1995.

Student Orator-A third-year UM law student brought home the Best Oralist Award and joined her teammates in capturing a second-place award for best legal briefs at a regional meet of the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Julie Johnson of Helena won the UM School of Law's first oralist prize in its five years at the prestigious Jessup Competition, earning the highest oral argument scores among more than 50 participating law students. Twelve teams represented law schools from the Pacific Northwest and upper Midwest at the regional competition, held in early February at Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minn. Competitors argued a timely and complex law problem about computer hacking, cyberterrorism and the difficulty of regulating the Internet across international borders.

New Catalog-UM libraries in Missoula, Butte, Helena and Dillon recently launched a new Web-based catalog system that allows users to check the availability of UM's more than 1.5 million books, journals and media materials with the click of a mouse. The new system, the Montana Public Access Catalog (MPAC) of the Affiliated Libraries of The University of Montana, cost about $620,000 and was installed by Endeavor Information Systems of Des Plains, Ill. The catalog may be accessed by any computer at libcat.lib.umt.edu. MPAC replaces the dated Telnet system, called "Griznet" in Missoula, which was a first-generation electronic catalog system. "If you know how to use the Internet, you'll have no problem with the new system," said Frank D'Andraia, UM dean of library services. "This is a quantum leap over Telnet -- like night and day."

Regional News-Headwaters News, a free online news service that provides a daily snapshot of news in the Rocky Mountain region, now offers a weekly feature called "Perspective," which combines editorials by prominent Western writers with in-depth analysis and a moderated forum. Each "Perspective," posted every Wednesday, includes a column by a noted Western writer or public figure. The opinion pieces address issues such as public lands management, regional economics, changing demographics and the need for improved dialogue on tough issues facing Westerners. Headwaters News is a project of the UM's O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West.

ROTC Option-Paying for college doesn't have to be traumatic. Students may be eligible for up to $30,400 for in-state tuition and up to $54,400 in scholarships for out-of-state tuition through UM Army ROTC. Contact Lt. Col. Eric Kettenring, UM enrollment officer, at (406) 243-2627 to learn more about ROTC options.

Native Journalism-The UM School of Journalism will receive a $250,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to fund a new Native American journalism project. The project, known as "Reznet," is a Web-based publication produced by UM American Indian journalism students. Although the project is still in its infancy, plans are under way to use the grant to expand it and recruit 20 reporters drawn from American Indian colleges across the nation. In a letter to School of Journalism Dean Jerry Brown, the Foundation expressed support for the Reznet project, terming it "sound" and "innovative" and noting that it would help "place more Native American journalists in newsrooms. The success of this online project will underscore (UM's) reputation as a national leader in training Native American journalists."

Timely Forums-The UM political science department will host a national issues forum from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 30, in the Davidson Honors College. Topics will include "Dealing With Terrorism: What Do We Do Next?" and "When Small Towns Get Larger: Dealing With Growth and Urban Sprawl." Funding for the event is provided by the Kettering Foundation of Dayton, Ohio.

Land Governance-Nationally recognized experts with a variety of viewpoints will gather to discuss public-land issues at the 25th annual Public Land Law Conference at UM April 11-13. The conference, titled "Public Land Governance: The Legal and Political Role of National and Local Perspectives," is sponsored by UM's Public Land and Resources Law Review and the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West. Admission is $20 and advance registration is requested; call (406) 243-6568 for a registration form. Students are admitted free.

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