Family Weekend 2012 is set for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12-13, and will include the Grizzlies football game against Southern Utah.

The Holiday Inn Downtown has set aside a block of 50 rooms for Family Weekend participants. The rooms can be reserved for $99 a night until Sept. 1, when the rate will increase to $109 per night. Reservations can be made online.

Family Weekend tickets will go on sale online in early September, and the weekend will include many free activities as well. Look for more details in future issues of Transcripts and on the Family Weekend website.

Residence halls will reopen for spring semester at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. Students may arrive early without making prior arrangements starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, but they will be charged $17 per night until the residence halls officially open. Students planning to arrive before Jan. 17 also will be charged $17 a night and will need to make arrangements in advance by calling 406-243-2611. Students who did not make arrangements before leaving for winter break will be charged a $35 processing fee.

Residence Life encourages students planning to live on campus for the 2012-13 academic year to submit an application as soon as possible. Residence Life assigns rooms based on the date students turn in their housing application and deposit. The sooner a student completes the application, the more likely they will be assigned their top housing preference. The office already has processed a large number of applications and encourages students to apply immediately.

Students hoping to receive federal financial aid, which includes Pell grants, Perkins and Stafford loans, and federal work study, should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as soon as possible. The application is the first step in receiving federal aid and can be completed online. The priority deadline is Feb. 15.

UM's Financial Aid Office will hold a general information session on FAFSA at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, on the third floor of the University Center. The office also will host one-on-one sessions to help students complete the FAFSA from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, in Gallagher Business Building Room L026. Students should bring their tax information from 2011 (or a previous year) to the session. No appointment is required, and the sessions are free.

Additional locations that provide FAFSA assistance in Montana can be found online.

UM's Office of Career Services offers many opportunities and resources for students to gain the tools and skills necessary to compete in today's job market. Here are a few highlights of what the department will offer this spring:

• Noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 8, University Center Room 330: Ask-an-Alum Leadership Luncheon. UM students are invited to attend Ask-an-Alum luncheons to hear how the skills and experiences gained from student employment positions, extracurricular activities, internships and volunteer opportunities have helped propel UM alums in their professional and personal lives after graduation. This luncheon will focus on degrees in chemistry. A complete schedule, plus information on the Ask-an-Alum Networking Program, is online.  

• 3:30-4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14, Lommasson Center Room 154: Resume, Cover Letter and Job Search Workshop. Participants will learn to create cover letters and resumes that will effectively market their talents to employers, communicate their skills to compete in today's labor market and target a job search in challenging economic times. A complete schedule of workshops offered this semester can be found online.   

• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 22, University Center Ballroom: Annual Big Sky Employment Fair. Students can learn about full-time professional positions, part-time employment vacancies and internships, as well as summer and volunteer opportunities. Second-day interviews will be held Thursday, Feb. 23. More information is available on the Career Services website.

Plans currently are taking shape to update the Learning Commons in UM's Mansfield Library to better support student success. The Learning Commons will be upgraded to incorporate a variety of study areas, including multimedia work pods, areas for tutoring, group study and independent work. 

"The Learning Commons initiative is a cornerstone of our focus on student success," UM President Royce Engstrom said. "Group study areas will be equipped with the technology you find in state-of-the-art office buildings. Librarians will be right there ready to assist students in accessing the information they need."

The Mansfield Library was built in 1973 before computers, the Internet and wireless networks became ingrained in education. There have been no significant renovations since then.

"We are in the Digital Age, and new knowledge travels around the world in an instant," Engstrom said. "Librarians in the Learning Commons will facilitate access to the latest information. The space for collaboration will encourage collective thinking and problem solving."

The University and the UM Foundation are working together to garner private support for the Learning Commons. To learn more about the project and how to support the Learning Commons, call Curtis Cox, UM Foundation assistant vice president, principal gifts, at 406-243-2585 or email curtis.cox@mso.umt.edu.

Internship Services at UM can help students explore majors and careers through academically supported domestic and international internships offered each semester and summer. 

Internships provide academic credit and are supervised by a faculty member and on-site job supervisor, which give students opportunities to explore and develop declared areas of study, try out a career, network with professionals and build their resumes.

UM students have interned all over the U.S., including at the White House, Microsoft, Nike, Boeing and more. Internships are generally completed sometime after the sophomore year.  

Internship Services staff members are available to help students discover ways to enrich their academic experience and set academic, career and life paths. The office is located in Lommasson Center Room 154. Call 406-243-2815 for more information.

School of Business Administration students taking the Individual and Corporate Philanthropy class at UM recently dispersed grant funds totaling $10,000 to Missoula nonprofits serving needs related to youth, disabilities and animals.

The students issued a request for proposals in October and received 27 submissions from local nonprofits. With only $10,000 to award, the students implemented a rigorous in-class review and scoring process to determine which projects to fund.

In the end, four Missoula nonprofit organizations received funding. The Humane Society of Western Montana received $2,517 for its spay and neuter program. The Girls Way Inc. received $2,118 for its Summer Sustainability and Outdoor Adventure project. The Missoula Children's Theatre received $2,247 to maximize the theater experience for hearing-impaired patrons with assisted listening devices. The Missoula Food Bank received $3,118 for its Kids Table takeout program.

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Two UM journalism students recently each took third-place honors in the national Hearst Journalism Awards.

Junior Bille Loewen took third place in the feature writing category for a first-person account she wrote about hitting a teenager on the freeway in Washington state.

Radio-television senior Clark Hodges took third place in the live news coverage category for three radio stories he reported, wrote, voiced and edited for the School of Journalism's Advanced Audio course. The stories ranged from a first-person audio diary and a story on designer drugs to a piece highlighting campus diversity issues.

The Hearst Awards, often referred to as the "college Pulitzers," accepts contest submissions from students at nationally accredited journalism programs. The program annually awards more than $500,000 in prizes, stipends and grants.

A cohort of Brazilian students will arrive at UM this week as part of a new partnership with Brazil's Science Without Borders Program.

International Programs successfully applied for UM to serve as a host institution for the program, and new cohorts of undergraduate students will arrive each semester for about three years to study a science, technology, engineering or math discipline.

The Science Without Borders Program provides scholarships to undergraduate students from Brazil for one year of study at colleges and universities outside of Brazil, with about half of all participants expected to attend U.S. institutions. The Institute of International Education administers the placement of program participants at institutions in the U.S.

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Residence Life is now accepting applications for the 2012-13 resident assistant staff. RAs are returning students who build community in the residence halls by providing social and educational programming and serving as a resource for students. RAs are compensated with an on-campus room, meal plan and stipend.

To be considered for a resident assistant position for the 2012-13 academic year, candidates need to complete an online application, available on the Residence Life website, and participate in a selection process. The selection process includes one individual interview and a group interview. Applications are due Feb. 17.

• Monday, Jan. 16: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
• Friday, Jan. 20: Last day of Wintersession classes
• Saturday, Jan. 21: Residence halls open for spring semester
• Monday, Jan. 23: Spring semester begins
• Monday, Feb. 20: Presidents Day holiday
• Monday-Friday, April 2-6: Spring break
• Monday-Friday, April 9-20: Autumn semester registration
• Friday, May 4: Last day of regular classes
• Monday-Friday, May 7-11: Final exams
• Saturday, May 12: Commencement