More than 3,700 graduates and degree candidates are invited to participate in UM's 115th Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 12, in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Events kick off with a free continental breakfast hosted by UM President Royce Engstrom for graduates and their families, which runs from 7 to 8:30 a.m. in the University Center Atrium.

The general ceremony for UM's professional schools, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Technology will begin at 10 a.m. in the stadium. The stadium opens at 8 a.m., and guests should be seated in the westside seating area by 9:30 a.m. No tickets are required. Read more

During the general ceremony, UM will present an honorary degree to A. Warren Wilcox, a Missoula business and community leader who also is the great-grandson of Oscar Craig, the University's first president.

UM's School of Business Administration nominated Wilcox, a Missoula native, who will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Read more

Seven UM students and recent graduates will travel to countries around the world as recipients of Fulbright U.S. Student scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year.

The Fulbright Program is the nation's leading international exchange program, operating in more than 155 countries. It is sponsored by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

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The Undergraduate Advising Center at UM recently earned an Outstanding Advising Technology Innovation Certificate of Merit from the National Academic Advising Association for creating a series of online tutorials and informational videos to help current and incoming UM students succeed.

UM academic adviser Shannon Janssen developed KPCN: The Peer Connection Network. Under Janssen's supervision, students in the Undergraduate Advising Center's Peer Advising program write, act, direct and produce the videos.

Videos produced by KPCN can be viewed online.

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With Missoula's low rental-vacancy rate and high number of young renters, many students experience difficulty finding off-campus housing and may have problems with their landlords. The Associated Students of UM's Off-Campus Renter Center provides students with a variety of free resources to help them deal with these issues.

The Renter Center's Guide to Finding Housing includes maps, scams, costs, resources, a list of property management companies and the number of grievances it has counseled regarding each company. The center also provides the online Housing Finder, where students can find student-only roommates, rentals and post ads. 

The center also provides lease counseling, including a brief education on renters' rights and a review of leases before students sign. After students sign a contract, the Renter Center provides counseling when renters feel their rights have been violated. It helps more than 300 students each year with tenant-landlord conflicts.  

Students can make appointments for lease advice on the website.

UM residence halls will close at 5 p.m. Friday, May 11. Anyone requiring housing past May 11 will need to make special arrangements in advance at their hall desk.

Students are required to empty and clean their residence hall rooms. They will complete check-out with their resident assistant and turn in their keys and/or access card. Students will need to schedule a time at their hall desk, and all residents must attend a mandatory floor meeting to learn what they must do to check out properly from the residence halls. Students can contact their RA or hall desk with any questions.

Students also will need to change their mailing address on Cyberbear before they leave for summer. Otherwise, all mail will be returned to sender.

Students may not store items in their residence hall rooms over the summer. There are a limited number of storage units available for rent over the summer in certain residence halls. Students interested in storing items for the summer should speak with their hall desk.

For students living on campus for the 2012-13 academic year, the residence halls will open Saturday, Aug. 25. Students may move in early starting Saturday, Aug. 18, and pay $17 per night until Aug. 25. More information is available by calling Residence Life at 406-243-2611.

Internship Services at UM encourages students to visit with internship coordinators early in their academic careers to discuss ways they can test drive their major, clarify goals enrich their campus experience and put academic, career and life plans into action.

Around 600 UM students in all majors complete top-tier internships each semester throughout the U.S. and the world. Internship placements for this summer include the San Francisco 49ers, Walt Disney World and Kraft Foods. UM students also will acquire skills and prepare for professional positions with placements at government agencies, banks, museums, libraries, research laboratories, ad agencies, zoos, mining companies and local employers.

Students can visit Internship Services in Lommasson Center Room 154 or call 406-243-2815 for more information.

UM recently launched Academic Enrichment, a new office that connects students to a variety of University programs and experiences to enhance their real-world skills.

Students can visit the Academic Enrichment website to learn more about study abroad, undergraduate research and creative scholarship, civic engagement, internships, field experiences, leadership opportunities and more.

For the third consecutive year, the Princeton Review saluted UM as one of the nation's most environmentally responsible "green colleges."

UM made "The Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition," which profiles institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

UM's profile opens with the fact that since UM and Missoula are "nearly surrounded by a national forest, it makes sense that conservation would be a way of life here." It notes the Environmental Studies Program and various programs in the College of Forestry and Conservation. It also cites student environmental groups, such as Climate Action Now and Forum for Living with Appropriate Technology, which maintains an experiential learning home to demonstrate the practicality of sustainable living.

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University Relations is planning for  Family Weekend 2012 and wants to hear from you. Take a moment to fill out a short, eight-question survey and let us know what types of UM experiences interest you.

If you haven't already, mark your calendar for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12-13, and plan to spend the weekend in Missoula. The Griz will take on Southern Utah at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The Holiday Inn Missoula Downtown offers UM families a discounted group rate, and reservations can be made online or by calling 800-399-0408.

University Relations has launched a "UM News and Events" page on Facebook, allowing users to receive official UM news releases, photographs, videos and other useful information via the social media site. University Relations hopes you will like and share this new resource, which can be found online. 

• Friday, May 4: Last day of regular classes
• Monday-Friday, May 7-11: Final exams
• Saturday, May 12: Commencement
• Monday, May 21: First day of summer session classes
• Monday, May 28: Memorial Day holiday