Think Grizzly, It's ... Wednesday?
 

Yes, we're kicking off the academic year with a special Wednesday edition of TGIF. We want to make sure you have all the information you need to get the school year off to a great start!

Fall semester classes begin Monday, Aug. 27.

 

 State Of The University Address Is Aug. 24
 

President Dennison will present the State of the University address at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 24, in the Montana Theatre of the PAR/TV Center.

During the event, new members of UM's faculty and administration will be introduced and faculty members who have earned promotion or tenure during the last year will be recognized.

President Dennison also will make an important announcement about UM's "Invest in Discovery" campaign.

Refreshments will be available at 9:30 a.m. in the Montana Theatre foyer.

Office of the President 

 Academic Convocation Ushers In School Year
 

President Dennison and the University's new provost, Royce Engstrom, will welcome students, administrators, faculty and staff to the new academic year at the 2007 Academic Convocation Saturday, Aug. 25.

The event begins at 4 p.m. in the University Theatre. UM's dynamic chemistry Professor Garon Smith, aka G. Wiz, will be the keynote speaker.

A reception will follow, offering an opportunity to visit with parents, students and colleagues.

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

 

 UM Welcomes Students With Free Lunch
 

UM will treat all new and returning students to a free lunch on Friday, Aug. 31.

WelcomeFeast will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the UM Oval. In addition to free food, the event will offer live music, prizes, volleyball and information about campus programs.

Lunch will feature selections from UM's Farm to College Program, which is dedicated to purchasing locally and regionally produced food.

WelcomeFeast provides information about student affairs, academic affairs, and other campus programs and services.

"We want students to feel at home and to support them in their choice to be here at The University of Montana," said Vice President for Student Affairs Teresa Branch.

Division of Student Affairs 

 UM Ranked Among Nation's Best Colleges
 

Only about 15 percent of four-year colleges in the United States are listed in the Princeton Review's "Best 366 Colleges," and UM made the grade.

The rankings in the new 2008 edition are based on Princeton Review's survey of 120,000 students. The top schools earn a two-page profile with student comments.

The UM survey said students are friendly and love Missoula, students are happy, everyone loves the Grizzlies, there is great off-campus food and the athletic facilities are great. One student wrote, "Missoula is like nowhere else in the world."

Others wrote, "You can enjoy both 'the outdoors and a great education' at UM, a school that 'is whatever you want it to be.'"

UM also was named to Princeton Review's lists of "Best Western Colleges" and "Colleges With a Conscience."

Princeton Review 

 Summer Enrollment Numbers Rise
 

UM President George Dennison praised the work of campus officials to boost summer enrollment this year.

Summer enrollment jumped 191 students from a year ago. Total enrollment for summer 2007 was 3,641, compared to 3,450 students last summer.

"I applaud the work of Continuing Education Dean Sharon Alexander and her staff for working closely with other deans toward a successful effort to enhance our Summer Session enrollments," Dennison said. "Clearly, they have found ways to respond to student needs, and the students have responded."

 

 UM Hires Craighead Chair In Wildlife Biology
 

Joel Berger, a renowned wildlife and conservation biologist, has been hired as the first John J. Craighead Endowed Professor in Wildlife Biology at UM.

The professorship was a fundraising priority of the University's "Invest in Discovery" campaign. John Craighead worked at UM for 25 years, leading the Montana Wildlife Research Unit and doing groundbreaking research on grizzlies. He also helped pioneer the use of radio collars to study wildlife.

Berger comes to UM after a long career at the University of Nevada, Reno. He then worked seven years at the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York, where he was senior scientist for North American programs.

Berger is author of more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and five books, including the upcoming "Living With Fear -- Prey, Predators, and Culture in Wild Animals" from the University of Chicago Press.

The John J. Craighead Chair Endowment was made possible through the generous support of many donors.

 

 Professor Named Montana's Poet Laureate
 

English Professor Greg Pape was appointed the state's new poet laureate by Gov. Brian Schweitzer on Tuesday, Aug. 14.

Created by the 2005 Legislature, the position recognizes and honors a citizen poet of exceptional talent and accomplishment. In his new role as poet laureate, Pape will work to encourage appreciation of poetry by giving readings and presentations throughout the state.

Pape has been a UM faculty member since 1987 and has won numerous awards and honors. His poetry was read by Garrison Keillor on National Public Radio's "The Writer's Almanac."

Montana's first poet laureate, UM alumna Sandra Alcosser, completed her two-year appointment last month.

 

 Hastings Dean Emerita To Give Law Lecture
 

Mary Kay Kane will deliver the Blankenbaker Lecture on Professional Responsibility at the UM School of Law at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28, in the Castles Center.

Kane is dean emerita of the University of California Hastings College of the Law, as well as its John F. Digardi Distinguished Professor of Law.

Her lecture is titled "The Two Faces of Professionalism." She will discuss how two concepts are intertwined: the way in which an attorney should practice the art or craft of lawyering and the commitment to fostering justice, fairness and the preeminence of the "rule of law" as a means of bettering society.

The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception in the Pope Room will follow.

The Blankenbaker Lecture derives its name from Joseph N. Blankenbaker, who established a foundation in 1975 "to express his thanks to the people of Montana for treating him so well."

School of Law 

 Day of Dialogue Scheduled For Nov. 8
 

UM will hold its second annual "Day of Dialogue: Building Communities of Difference" on Thursday, Nov. 8.

The event symbolizes the University's commitment to diversity and aims to help achieve true communities of difference on campus and in Missoula.

The campuswide symposium focuses on the topics of race, gender, ethnicity, ability/disability, religion, sexual orientation, employment hierarchy and academic discipline.

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members are invited to deliver presentations, performances, workshops and more throughout the day.

For more information, call Emily Yaksitch at 406-243-5622.

UM Day of Dialogue 

 Missoula COT Offers Saturday Classes
 

The UM College of Technology in Missoula will offer Saturday classes for the first time beginning this fall semester.

Five general education courses will be offered Saturdays when the semester begins Aug. 27. They are:

• Interpersonal Communication (COM 150S)
• Intermediate Algebra (MAT 100)
• Organizational Psychology (PSY 110S)
• Issues in Biology (SCN 195T)
• English Composition (WTS 101)

These classes are required for many of the college's 35 programs.

For more information, call COT Enrollment Services-Admissions at 406-243-7882 or 800-542-6882 or e-mail cotadmissions@umontana.edu.

College of Technology 

 Plan Ahead For 2007-08 Academic Holidays
 

UM will observe the following holidays during the 2007-08 academic year:

• Sept. 3 -- Labor Day
• Nov. 12 -- Veterans Day
• Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 -- Thanksgiving
• Dec. 25 -- Christmas
• Jan. 1 -- New Year's Day
• Jan. 21 -- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Feb. 18 -- Presidents Day
• May 26 -- Memorial Day

Spring Break is March 24-28.

Academic Calendar 

 'World's Largest Garage Sale' Is Sept. 15
 

Do you have items sitting around the house getting dusty that could be turned into cash? Are you looking for that one perfect piece to complete your new or retro decor?

If so, the "World's Largest Garage Sale" is the place to be on Saturday, Sept. 15.

The sale runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. -- rain or shine -- in UM's covered parking garage on Campus Drive near the Mansfield Library.

For $20, vendors are assigned two parking spaces, each 9 feet by 18 feet. Additional spaces may be purchased for $10 each. Registration forms are available at The Source in the University Center or by calling 406-243-4636.

The semi-annual garage sale, which draws nearly 100 sellers and thousands of shoppers, is a fundraiser for UM Advocates, a campus service organization.

UM Advocates 

 Homecoming Parade Applications Available
 

UM's 2007 Homecoming parade will take place Saturday, Sept. 29, and applications for parade entries are now available.

"Montana Legends: Discovery Never Ends" is the parade theme. The focus can be on any sort of Montana legend -- legendary people, places, events, history, geography or stories. Artists Monte Dolack and Mary Beth Percival will be the parade marshals.

The parade entry fee is $25, and the application deadline is 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21.

Get application forms at the Missoula Chamber of Commerce, the UM Alumni Association office at 115 Brantly Hall or online.

Alumni Association 

 UM Hosts First 'College Colors Day' Wedding
 

UM alumni Kristine Kennedy and Stephan "Dico" Dicomitis will get married Aug. 31 in Washington-Grizzly Stadium in the first official College Colors Day Wedding, hosted this year by UM and Collegiate Licensing Company.

College Colors Day kicks off intercollegiate athletics nationwide, and fans, alumni and students are encouraged to wear apparel of their favorite teams.

Because they are such loyal Griz fans and were engaged to be married this summer, Kennedy and Dicomitis were chosen for the Griz-themed wedding.

The wedding party will dress in UM locker rooms, and Kennedy will walk down the visiting team's tunnel to meet her groom. The UM Marching Band will play "Up With Montana" and other football pep songs, while Monte will be the ring-bearer. The reception will be a tailgate.

The couple's wedding photo will be displayed on GrizVision the next day during the Montana Grizzlies' Sept. 1 season opener against Southern Utah.