You are invited to join your student and UM for Family Weekend 2011 on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-15.

Family Weekend tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Mountain time Wednesday, Aug. 31, on GrizTix. To purchase tickets, click on the "Grizzly Football" icon, then enter promo code "GRIZMO29" in the box that appears in the upper right corner. 

Once you enter the promo code, you'll have the option to select a package ticket, which includes a football game ticket in the Family Weekend seating section and a ticket to the pregame tailgate, or a tailgate-only ticket. Package tickets cost $57 each, and tailgate-only tickets cost $21, plus applicable fees.

When purchasing your tickets, you also will be required to enter your student's name, as well as the names of family members attending and their relationship to your student.

While student tickets will become available the week of the game, we recommend purchasing a package ticket for your student if you want him or her to sit with you in the Family Weekend section at the football game.

Tickets are sold first-come, first-served and must be purchased online. If you need assistance purchasing your ticket online, call the Adams Center Box Office at 406-243-4051 or 1-888-MONTANA (666-8262) between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. MDT.

You will pick up your tickets during Family Weekend registration from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, or from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, on the third floor of the University Center.   

We invite those not attending the football game to join us for a football game viewing party to watch the Grizzlies on the big screen and enjoy a free nacho bar and prize raffle. Registration for the viewing party and most other Family Weekend events is free and available here.

For more information and a tentative schedule of events, visit the Family Weekend website. For the latest updates, check out the UM Family Weekend Facebook page.

UM President Royce C. Engstrom welcomed the campus community to the 2011-12 academic year with his first State of the University address Aug. 26 in the Montana Theatre.

Engstrom, who became UM's 17th president last October, first welcomed newcomers to campus and thanked them for choosing to serve the University. He then outlined the strategic issues featured in "UM 2020: Building a University for the Global Century": partnering for student success, education for a global century, discovery and creativity to serve Montana and the world, providing a dynamic learning environment and maintaining the planning-assessment continuum.

He cited implementing the new planning process, record student enrollment, increased retention and continued achievement and development of faculty as early indicators of the plan's success. He also gave an overview of specific initiatives for the next few years, including continuing to strengthen student services, providing competitive salaries for faculty, staff and graduate fellows, developing a marketing and brand strategy and launching the Global Leadership Initiative, among others.

• Wednesday, Aug. 31: Family Weekend tickets
  on sale
• Monday, Sept. 5: Labor Day holiday
• Friday-Saturday, Oct. 14-15: Family Weekend
• Friday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day holiday
• Wednesday-Friday, Nov. 23-25: Thanksgiving holiday
• Friday, Dec. 9: Last day of classes
• Monday-Friday, Dec. 12-16: Finals week
• Friday, Dec. 16: Residence halls close at 5 p.m.