MSU
SURVIVAL 2019 GUIDE
A S P E C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E B O Z E M A N D A I LY C H R O N I C L E
2 I August 2019 MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE
MSU Fast Facts
2019-2020 By Gail Schontzler
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
• Founded 1893 – 126 years ago • Traditional nicknames: “The Bobcats” and “Moo U” • Trademarked nicknames: “Trout U” and “University of the Yellowstone” STUDENT PROFILE: • Enrollment (fall 2018) – 16,902 (largest in Montana, 12th record in 13 years) • Male students – 8,926 or 53% • Female students – 7,908 or 47% • Other students – 68 or less than 1%
FACULTY AND EMPLOYEES
• Undergraduates – 14,919 (up 194 from last year)
• Retention rate (freshmen returning for sophomore year) –77.2% (a record)
• Graduate students –1,983 (up 5)
• Student: faculty ratio – 18.6:1
• Freshman average high school GPA – 3.54 (up .03)
• Tenurable faculty – 588 (up 85)
• Average ACT score – 25.2 (up 0.2)
• Adjuncts & non-tenurable – 592 (up 66)
• Average SAT score – 1,233 (up 92)
• Research faculty – 42
• Total degrees & certificates awarded (2018) – 3,233
• Administrators (president, VPs, deans, directors) – 62
• Average graduates’ salaries (2017 survey):
• Professionals – 700
• Bachelor’s degree -- $44,542
• Classified -- 1,214
• Master’s degree -- $52,694
• Grad teaching and research assistants – 620
• Doctorate -- $76,602
• Total MSU employees – 3,834
MSU-BOZEMAN BUDGET (INCLUDING GALLATIN COLLEGE)
BRAWL OF THE WILD:
• Montanans students -- 8,685 (down 162) • Out-of-state U.S. students -- 7,570 (up 434) • International students -- 583 (down 88) • Native Americans –775 students (up 63) • Hispanics – 703 students (up 76) • Asians – 163 students (up 5) • African Americans – 90 students (up 15) STUDENT TUITION AND FEES 2019-2020: • Montana undergraduates -- $7,732 a year (up $454 from last year) • Out-of-state undergrads -- $25,850 (up $858)
• State contribution FY18 – $61million, 26% of budget (lowest of MT campuses)
• On-campus room & board -- $10,300 (up $200)
• Student tuition and fees -- $169.4 million, 71%
• Books & supplies -- $1,450
• Out-of-state students’ tuition (includes WUE) – $110.1 million, 46.2%
• Total estimated one-year cost for Montanans -$22,878 (up 348) • Total one-year cost for out-of-state -- $41,408 (up $1,164) • Students taking out loans – 51% (down from 66% in 2012) • Average debt for students who borrow -- $27,764 (up $510) STUDENT SUCCESS: • Six-year graduation rate – 54.7% (a recent record; MSU’s goal is 65%) • Four-year graduation rate – 29.3% (up 10 points in seven years)
• In-state students’ tuition -- $53.6 million, 22.5% of budget
• Since 1897, the University of Montana Grizzlies have won 72 games, while the MSU Bobcats have won 40. • In this century the Grizzlies have won 11 times, including one win vacated by NCAA. The Bobcats have won eight, including games in 2016, 2017 and 2018. • The Bobcat community has won the Can the Griz food drive competition 15 out of 18 years. SUSTAINABILITY:
GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET (“CURRENT UNRESTRICTED”):
• Campus waste diverted from landfill – 33% (up from 9.5%; goal was 25%)
• 2018-2019 -- $238.3 million, up 5.8%
• Greenhouse gases reduced - 20% from 2008-2016
• Includes $29.3 million in tuition and fee waivers, most for out-of-state students
• LEED-rated Platinum building: Asbjornson Hall; Gold buildings: Cooley, Jabs, Gallatin and Yellowstone halls; Silver: Gaines Hall.
RESEARCH SPENDING • 2017-2018 -- $126.5 million • 2016-2017 --$130.8 million (all-time record)
Sources: MSU Quick Facts, Common Data Set, 2017 Career Destinations Report, MSU Budget reports, Regents’ agenda September 2018, MSU Strategic Plan, MSU News Office, MSU Registrar reports, MSU Office of Planning & Analysis; Office of Sustainability; and CantheGriz.com
MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE August 2019 I 3
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4 I August 2019 MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE
Cruzado Sees Another Promising Year for Montana State By Gail Schontzler
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
Montana State University President Waded Cruzado always sounds upbeat, but she talks about the outlook for the upcoming school year as especially exciting. “We are very, very happy because we have many things to celebrate this coming year,” Cruzado said. Cruzado, 59, MSU’s first female president, spoke in an interview recently in the Montana Hall office that has been hers for almost 10 years. She answered questions about everything from growing enrollment to bringing back the popular International Food Bazaar, the fate of the cell biology and neuroscience department, and whether MSU will ban sex between faculty members and undergraduates. One highlight of the coming year is that MSU will host the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, expected to bring 4,000 students and professors from around the nation here in March 2020. The event will celebrate the impact on students when they do original research or creative work, an area in which MSU prides itself as a leader. “We’ve known for a while — What you hear, you forget. What you see you might remember. But it is when you do things with your hands, the learning experience really takes hold of an individual,” Cruzado said. At the end of this month the Bozeman campus will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maurice Hilleman. A poor motherless kid from eastern Montana, Hilleman got a scholarship to then-Montana State College that opened doors for him to become a scientist, who developed the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and a host of other vaccines that saved millions of lives, more than any other scientist of the 20th century.
C H R O N I C L E S TA F F
Montana State President Waded Cruzado poses for a photo in her office on Aug. 7, 2019, in Montana Hall.
Cruzado named after Hilleman the scholarship program MSU created four years ago to help 50 Montana kids a year who might not otherwise get to attend college, and next spring it will celebrate its first graduates. This fall MSU, already Montana’s largest university, is preparing for what could be another record year for student enrollment. Whether the campus will beat last year’s record of 16,902 students — its 12th record in a row — won’t be known for several weeks. But so far, Cruzado said, “Enrollment is very good. It looks very strong.” MSU is focused not only on attracting more students, but also on “helping them stay in school, graduate on time and with less debt,” she said. “And it’s working.” MSU’s six-year graduation rate has moved up 5 points in the last five years to 54.7%. The four-year graduation rate has jumped 10 points in seven years to 29.3%, which Cruzado called “very promising.” The retention rate for freshmen who return to school
instead of dropping out has increased by 5 points over 10 years to 77.2%. Around campus, arriving students will see big changes — including five major construction projects totaling more than $128 million — the $32 million renovation of historic Romney Hall into a classroom building, the long-sought, $20 million American Indian Hall, the new $58 million dormitory on West College Street, reconstruction at the Student Fitness Center, where two gym roofs collapsed last winter under record snowfall, and a new $18 million building to house the football program on Bobcat Stadium’s northwest end. “We love cranes,” Cruzado said and laughed. People who were upset last February when MSU’s Office of International Programs abruptly canceled the International Food Bazaar after 35 years will be glad to know the event will return this year. “The International Food Bazaar is a very important component of our academic life,” Cruzado said. “I think the Office of International Programs needed that
MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE August 2019 I 5
year to reorganize itself, to reconfigure the event…. It’s coming back, in a better format.” MSU ran into another controversy last spring over changes to the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience. Hundreds of students signed protest petitions, fearing changes would hurt their opportunities to do brain research. The provost ultimately decided to fold CBN into the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Cruzado said despite a lot of “noise and confusion” over the changes, there were no CBN faculty retirements or resignations, and she believes the merger is “expanding the horizons” of both students and faculty members. “Now they’re going to be working shoulder to shoulder with our most productive department in research,” she said. Cell Biology and Neuroscience is still “very strong, it is a vibrant program we’re very proud of. We look forward to wonderful things … when we put all those wonderful faculty members together.” While other U.S. universities have taken strong stands in light of the #MeToo movement to bar faculty romances and sexual relationships with undergraduate students, MSU is still waiting for the results of its relationships task force, which started last year. Cruzado said the task force is nearly ready to move forward with a proposal. “I’m hopeful a strong recommendation comes forward,” Cruzado said. “Times have changed and our policies and rules
have to change with the times. I’m ready to take a strong stance … to accept a recommendation for banning sexual relationships between undergraduates and faculty and staff. But I also want the community to have an opportunity to express their opinions about this important topic.”
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In January Cruzado will mark her 10year anniversary as president. She can look back at a remarkable number of accomplishments during her tenure. MSU enrollment grew 25% to make it the state’s biggest campus. It set records in research, in students winning prestigious national and international scholarships and in raising a record $413 million in donations; built new homes for the engineering, honors and business colleges, new dorms and a new dining hall; won legislators’ approval of three tuition freezes, research money and rebuilding Romney Hall; increased diversity by hiring more women faculty in STEM fields, increasing handicapped access and growing Native American enrollment; and beat the rival University of Montana Grizzlies on the football field five times. That includes winning in Missoula four times, Cruzado pointed out with a smile. “As strange as it is for some to think about it, a woman from Puerto Rico ending up in Montana, there has been a great fit,” Cruzado said. “I find communion with the Montana ethos of simplicity and hard work and endurance and friendship and authenticity. That’s why I love it so much here.”
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6 I August 2019 MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE
An MSU graduation ceremony is shown in this file photo.
C H R O N I C L E S TA F F
How to Graduate in Four Years By Chronicle Staff
LOAD UP
Don’t shy away from signing up for a full load of courses. As a general rule, five classes a semester is a good way to set yourself on track for a four-year degree. However, it is important to pay attention to the number of credits offered per class, because some classes have more or less than the average of three credits. Try to take 15 credits a semester.
Take general education requirements first Getting required core classes out of the way can help you focus on major-specific classes down the road. Additionally, taking a wide array of subjects in the beginning of your college career can help you narrow in on your interests and help you decide on a major. Some of the general classes are also prerequisites for higher-level courses.
USE YOUR AP SCORES
PICK A MAJOR EARLY ON
Doing well on advanced placement tests in high school can give you a boost in college. Scoring a three or above on AP tests can earn you credit at MSU. Furthermore, some AP class-equivalent courses are prerequisites for higher level classes, which means you can take them earlier in college and not repeat something you have already learned. Be sure to send in your scores to the registrar to receive credit.
While this step is not required to graduate in four years, knowing what you want to major in early in college can help tremendously. Having a specific, or even general idea of what you wish to focus on will lead you in the right direction toward taking classes you need for your degree. If you know what you want to do, don’t be afraid to declare early and find an adviser.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUMMER CLASSES Attending school in the summer might sound like a bore, but summer classes are a great way to further your progress toward a degree. Summer classes are typically shorter than their fall and spring counterparts and can help you efficiently work toward completing your major. For students who work or leave Bozeman for the summer, try an online class.
MEET WITH YOUR ADVISER Advisers are your resource to use, so make sure to ask for help. Academic advisers can help you plan your schedule, talk about your college path, and help you overcome bumps in the road. Try to meet with an adviser at least once a semester to stay on track for graduation.
MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE August 2019 I 7
GETTING IN DEEP:
A Guide to Local Skiing By Chronicle Staff If you’re going to school in Montana, odds are you like to ski or snowboard. So here’s a primer to get you hyped for the best season of the year.
BRIDGER BOWL
Bridger Bowl, located 16 miles or around 30 minutes north of town, is considered by most to be Bozeman’s local ski hill. Enthusiasts helped establish the area — one of the few nonprofit mountains in the country — with a single lift in 1955, and it has since grown to include several lifts, which access 2,000 acres of terrain and 2,600 feet of vertical. One of the highlights of Bridger Bowl is the Ridge Terrain — the very top and sides of the mountain — which is accessible only by hiking from the top of several lifts. Though the area is controlled for avalanches and patrolled, riders are required to carry an avalanche beacon for any part of the Ridge. The mountain sees around 350 inches of annual snowfall, which usually includes regular dumps of light “cold smoke” powder. For the eco-conscious or carless among us, the area also has a bus service that runs from outside the Strand Union Building every hour on the hour between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. or from the Gallatin County Fairgrounds on Oak Street at 15 minutes past the hour. On weekends and powder days, riders often hitchhike to the mountain starting from Rouse Avenue, though this method is certainly less dependable than the bus. For ticket and pass prices, check Bridger’s website.
C H R O N I C L E S TA F F
A woman snowboards off a terrain feature at Bridger Bowl in this Chronicle file photo.
BIG SKY RESORT
The self-proclaimed “Biggest Skiing in America,” located around an hour’s drive south of Bozeman, includes 300 runs spanning 5,800 acres and more than 4,300 feet of vertical. Aside from its sheer size and relatively small crowds, the resort prides itself on the diversity of its terrain. From short beginner runs to long, expansive intermediate slopes, to white-knuckle chutes and couloirs, the area has something for just about everyone. From the top of the Lone Peak Tram at 11,166 feet, riders with proper avalanche equipment can check out with ski patrol to access the resort’s most challenging runs, including the famous Big Couloir and the massive North Summit Snowfield. The Skyline Bus offers shuttle service between Bozeman and Big Sky Resort during the winter. For lift ticket info, check Big Sky’s website.
DISCOVERY SKI AREA
A two-hour drive west of Bozeman outside the town of Philipsburg, Discovery offers another option for Montana skiers and snowboarders. And with 67 trails and 2,300 feet of vertical, the mountain is nothing to be sneezed at. Make a day of it by spending an afternoon in Philipsburg, where those of age can check out some of Philipsburg Brewing Company’s award-winning beers. For Discovery ticket info, check its website.
OTHER RESOURCES
For riders considering trips into the backcountry, look no further than the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, which issues daily snowpack and avalanche hazard updates, as well as detailed maps, photos and videos — all for free. The center also offers an avalanche education course, complete with a day of training on the mountain. For more information, check out the GNFAC website at mtavalanche.com.
8 I August 2019 MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE
This rendering shows two temporary structures that will replace lost gym space on the Montana State campus. These “bubble” structures will provide gym space while permanent structures are designed and built.
MSU Racing to Reopen Fitness Center for Students By Gail Schontzler
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
Dozens of construction workers are hustling to install temporary basketball courts at Montana State University and get the main fitness center ready for students’ return, all part of a major effort to replace two gyms lost last winter when the roofs collapsed in record snowfall. MSU’s insurance companies have paid out about $2.5 million for the work so far and the final total is likely to be “considerably more,” Dan Stevenson, associate vice president for university services, said recently during a tour of the construction area. Workers have demolished the old gyms, reinforced exposed interior walls of the Marga Hosaeus Fitness Center and laid foundations for two new “bubble” structures.
Two inflatable domes will cover the outdoor tennis courts and serve as temporary gyms for a few years until a permanent addition can be constructed on the fitness center’s east side. This spring, students and other fitness center users will be invited to voice their ideas for what should be in the permanent addition. Two 1973-era gyms stood there for more than 40 years — until March 7 and 9, when the roofs caved in under tons of snow. No one was injured. After the roofs collapsed, MSU closed even the 2008-built, modern expansion of the fitness center. Weights, cardio equipment and spinning bikes were moved into temporary quarters in Shroyer Gym, Romney Hall and Norm Asbjornson Hall.
MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE August 2019 I 9
“The companies were busy before this happened,” But the lower half housed the popular new climbing wall and other facilities that students really wanted to Stevenson said. “We’re very grateful to them for the resave, he said, as well as the main electrical breaker box. sponsiveness of all the contractors and subcontractors.” That lower half of the building, deemed structurally sound, now has a new roof. That area should reopen Student government leaders have been involved in all later in the fall. the decision-making, Stevenson said. “It’s the students’ building. They’re the primary constituents, stakeholdThe east wall of the fitness center is now solid black ers, in saying how things will happen.” with waterproofing material, and that will soon be
The top priority now is to get the fitness center reopened for students, whose Move-In Day into the dorms is Aug. 21. This week crews will start moving that gym equipment back and cleaners will remove dirt and debris from the roof collapse to prepare for students’ return, said Michael Becker, MSU spokesman. “There’s going to be an incredible push between now and then to make it happen,” Stevenson said.
covered by a metal panel to turn the interior wall into an exterior wall.
Students will be able to use almost all the fitness center’s facilities. One exception is the swimming pool — engineers want to open and inspect its roof, which is similar to those that collapsed, before letting swimmers return.
Meanwhile, crews are excavating around the tennis courts to put in concrete foundations for the two bubble buildings. They will be used for basketball, volleyball and many other sports. The floor of the larger bubble building will be resilient material and the smaller building will have a wooden floor.
Also closed for a while will be the climbing wall area on the east edge of the fitness center, along with racquetball courts and studios used for martial arts, boxing, cross-fit and other sports. Those are located in the lower half of a building called the “upper gym” because it used to stand a little taller than the North and South Gyms, now demolished. The upper half of the upper gym was also demolished because the structure was compromised, Stevenson said.
The bubbles arrived Aug. 15 but won’t be ready to open until around Oct. 1, Stevenson said. Several companies are working on the projects, including 45 Architects, Dick Anderson Construction, Martel Construction, Montana Crane Service, CTA Architects Engineers, Morrison-Maierle engineers and a host of subcontractors.
Just how much the work will cost finally and how much insurance companies will pay is in the early stages of negotiations, he said. MSU is working with McLarens as an independent, third-party administrator to help work out solutions. “It’s incredible,” Stevenson said of the complex project. He said he has been involved in designing and constructing buildings for 27 years and “this is as impressive an effort as I’ve seen.” Everyone from the building contractors and suppliers to university officials has been supportive, he said. “It’s been quite a thing to be part of. “I’m not sure I ever want to do it again,” he added with a laugh.
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10 I August 2019 MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE
BISON OR BOBCAT:
Montana State Replacing Parking Permit Alphabet with Animal Icons By Gail Schontzler
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
After years of student complaints about how hard it is to find parking at Montana State University, the campus is changing its parking system to try to reduce frustrations. The new system will also raise prices for parking permits and streamline parking enforcement. The confusing system of SB, E and F parking permits is being replaced with Bobcat, Bison and Moose permits. Each lot will be marked with an animal icon. Animal images are intended to be clearer to people than the current system of letters. The price of parking is also going up. The most popular SB standard commuter permits and E permits cost $205 last year. New Bobcat and Bison permits will cost $220 a year, a 7% increase. Before SB permit holders could park at several different lettered lots, but now permits can’t be mixed. Only vehicles with Bobcat permits can park at Bobcat lots.
C H R O N I C L E S TA F F
A new parking sign is shown on campus at Montana State University.
“Parking can be frustrating,” said Michael Becker, MSU spokesman. “Obviously we want people to park at the university and not spend an undue amount of time looking.”
MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE August 2019 I 11
Students have long griped that MSU oversells the number of parking permits compared to the number of actual parking spots. MSU used to sell twice as many permits as spaces for some permits, according to the university’s website.
Students who will live in the dorms and want to buy parking permits can do so online through the MSU parking website (http://www.montana.edu/parking) starting Aug. 17. Permits for faculty, staff and commuter students went on sale Aug. 1.
Overselling will still happen, but now there will be caps on the number of permits sold, which should mean more turnover and more open parking spaces, Becker said. The university sees some overselling as reasonable because not everyone parks on campus at the same time. It plans to adjust overselling rates, based on experience with the new system.
Parking stickers and hangtags are things of the past.
“By putting limits, we can oversell by a certain percentage based on historic turnover to try to ensure there are available spots when people need them,” Becker said. With a cap on the number of Bobcat permits, once those are sold out drivers will have to buy either a more expensive Elk or Wolf permit, or a cheaper but more distant stadium lot permit. There will be no cap on permits for the stadium or Moose (F) lots, the least expensive at $80 a year.
Instead parking enforcement crews will use new drive-by scanners that check each license plate against a database of parking permits. That should allow them to check lots more quickly and improve enforcement, Becker said. Enforcement will start the first day of classes. The confusing and unsightly clutter of signs in parking lots is being reduced, replaced by fewer signs at the entry to each lot. Each lot will also be marked with a number — the parking garage will be No. 10, for example — to reduce confusion for visitors and others. Visitors will have to download a Passport Pay-byApp to their smartphones to pay for parking. The cost is $5 for the first hour and $2.50 an hour after. Professors who used to buy reserved permits to park
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in the Linfield Hall lot have a choice of an Elk permit ($540 a year) or Wolf permit ($400). Parking garage permits are $610 a year, up from $525. The most central and exclusive parking lot is closest to Montana Hall, which takes an Eagle permit ($840 a year). There’s a waiting list for that lot, which is not oversold, Becker said. Owners of low-emission vehicles can get a 20% discount on their parking permits. Family and graduate student residence parking will cost $140 a year, up from $126. More handicapped parking spaces will be added near the site of the former North Gym to make up for spaces lost north of Roberts Hall because of construction of the American Indian Hall. Becker said in the future, the Centennial Mall will be extended east so the new American Indian Hall will open onto the mall, not onto a parking loop. Designers are hoping to create a new drop-off loop for pedestrians heading to the Centennial Mall, to replace the old drop-off loop in front of Roberts Hall, but the parking spaces there will not return.
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12 I August 2019 MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE
Romney Construction Ready to Start, Grant Street to be Closed By Gail Schontzler
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
The “renaissance of Romney” is about to begin. But first come the wrecking crews and the roadblock. The $32 million renovation of historic Romney Hall in the heart of Montana State University has started. While the renovation will ultimately benefit MSU’s growing number of students, some may grumble about the inconvenience of navigating around yet another construction project. Crews will erect fencing around Romney. And Grant Street in front of Romney will be closed for the duration of the reconstruction. Construction is expected to take a couple years, said Dan Stevenson, MSU associate vice president for university services. Work inside the building, starting with demolition, began Aug. 15. MSU President Waded Cruzado sent a campus-wide message Tuesday calling the start of construction “very happy news.” MSU had tried since 2010 to persuade the Montana Legislature to put up money to turn the old building, originally a gym, into a modern classroom building. The 2019 Legislature finally passed $25 million for the renovation. Lawmakers also required MSU to raise another $7 million for the project. Cruzado said that generous alumni and donors have committed $3.6 million so far. “Instead of a marginally useable building with just four classrooms with a seating capacity of 141 students per hour, Romney Hall will hold 19 classrooms
C H R O N I C L E S TA F F
Part of Grant Street will be closed for about two years while Romney Hall undergoes reconstruction
seating more than 1,000 students,” Cruzado wrote. In addition, Romney will house a writing center, a math center, an office serving students with disabilities and a larger veterans center. Once finished, Cruzado wrote, Romney Hall will be a place that “nearly every Montana State student will benefit from during their time here and for generations to come.” Grant Street, a major east-west route through campus, will be closed from the Black Box Theatre to the west edge of the Strand Union Building’s loop drive, said Michael Becker, university spokesman. Grant Street will be used by heavy construction vehicles and for storage of construction materials. Streamline buses and other vehicles will still have access to the loop drive at the back of the SUB, off of Grant Street, but won’t be able to continue west to 11th Avenue. There will be sidewalk detours, but students and staff will be able to enter the Marga Hosaeus Fitness Center, scheduled to reopen Aug. 19. Two key goals of the renovation are to make the 97-year-old Romney Hall handicapped accessible and create classrooms seating a total of 1,000 students at a time, Stevenson said. One problem with Romney now is that it has a split-level configuration that makes it difficult for anyone in a wheelchair, Stevenson said. The renovation will improve access by putting the first floor on one level and installing a new elevator.
CTA Architects Engineers drew up plans for Romney a couple years ago, while MSU officials were still trying to win legislators’ approval. A CTA website described the “renaissance of Romney,” calling it an iconic building with significant historic value. It said the 47,000-square-foot building was constructed in 1922 in an Italian Renaissance style, with beautiful details, including tapestry brick and terra cotta designs, large windows, copper details and a barrel-vaulted roof. Swank Enterprises based in Kalispell sought bids this month for demolition work, which is slated to go on through winter 2020. Removing lead and asbestos are part of the demolition. When students return Aug. 21 they will find other big construction projects going on as well. Hannon Lawn and the parking lot in front of Roberts Hall are fenced off so some old trees could be removed and the site prepared for construction of the $20 million American Indian Hall. Construction crews are also busy installing two giant bubble buildings to replace the North and South gyms, where the flat roofs collapsed in March under record snowfall. The bubble buildings will be used for a couple years while MSU designs and builds a permanent structure on the east end of the fitness center. Cruzado invited the campus community to celebrate the kick-off of Romney’s renovation on Sept. 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Romney Oval.
MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE August 2019 I 13
Tickets Available for MSU Convocation Featuring ‘Educated’ Author By Chronicle Staff Tickets are available at the Bobcat Ticket Office, all Ticketswest outlets and online for MSU’s Aug. 22 convocation featuring Tara Westover. The author of “Educated,” the bestselling memoir about the redemptive power of education, will speak at MSU’s 2019 Convocation in Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.
C H R O N I C L E S TA F F
Tara Westover
“Educated” has been at the top of many bestseller lists for more than a year including The New York Times’ list, where it has been on or near the top of the nonfiction list for 66 weeks. “Educated” has also won many awards, including being While admission is free and open to the a finalist for the 2019 Andrew Carnegie public, advance tickets are required for the event, which will be held at 7:30 p.m., Medal for Excellence. She recently was named to the Time 100 list of the most Aug. 22, to celebrate MSU’s incoming influential people of the year, nominated freshman class. by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who Westover is a historian and writer known wrote that “’Educated’ isn’t a political for her personal journey that is detailed book, but it touches on common divides in her memoir. Born to survivalist in our country: red states vs. blue states, parents who opposed public education, rural vs. urban, college-educated vs. Westover grew up near Buck’s Peak in not. Tara has a lot of smart things to say southeastern Idaho. She was not allowed about overcoming those divides.” to attend school, have a birth certificate MSU’s Convocation is the formal or see a doctor. Yet she taught herself welcome of the incoming class, where enough mathematics, grammar and scithe university focuses attention on the ence to take the ACT and was admitted start of the academic, intellectual and to Brigham Young University when she personal journey of first-year students. was 16. She graduated magna cum laude Westover’s lecture will be part of MSU’s from BYU in 2008 and won the Gates 14th convocation. Cambridge Scholarship. She earned a
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14 I August 2019 MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE
C H R O N I C L E S TA F F
In this Chronicle file photo, a Montana State University student places a flag on the lawn in front of Montana Hall as her pledge to raise awareness about on-campus sexual assault.
Voice Center Provides Confidential Support to All Students By Chronicle Staff The Voice Center at Montana State University provides 24-hour free and confidential support, advocacy and resources for survivors of sexual assault, relationship violence or stalking.
THE VOICE CENTER’S WEBSITE STATES IT IS FORMED TO: • Provide a safe, highly confidential place on campus for survivors of sexual and domestic violence, offering support, advocacy, and resources. • Break the silence and raise consciousness surrounding sexual and domestic violence. Silence adds to a survivor’s shame and delays recovering and healing.
• Help restore personal power and dignity to survivors of sexual and domestic violence by providing choices and decision-making opportunities. • Identify and reduce the existence of sexual and domestic violence at MSU, and provide education and information to all members of the MSU community on issues of sexual assault and relationship violence. • Ensure effective communication between the Voice Center and other people who are concerned about sexual and domestic violence. • Giving power back – Voice Center’s empowerment-based approach.
The probability of sexual assault or violence occurring increases during the first six weeks of college, known as the “Red Zone.” Crisis centers and universities have boosted efforts to make students aware of this time. Over the past several years, the center has seen an increase in volunteers and the number of people reaching out for support. The Voice Center’s phone line is open 24 hours. Call or text 406-994-7069 for free, confidential service. The center’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Strand Union Building, Room 370.
MSU SURVIVAL GUIDE August 2019 I 15
Financial Tips for the Cash-Strapped Student By Chronicle Staff
VISIT A CAMPUS FINANCE COACH
At MSU, students are fortunate to have access to one-on-one financial mentoring. Financial coaches are available for appointments through the Allen Yarnell Center for Student Success and can help you manage your money in college. Visit their office in the SUB or email makechange@montana.edu to set up an appointment.
TAKE MORE CLASSES IN A SEMESTER
Say what? That’s right. At MSU, taking any classes after you have enrolled in 12 credits is free. That means you could take up to three extra classes per semester at no cost to you. By taking just three extra credits (one class) a semester, you could get a minor for free. MSU estimates non-resident students could save over $41,000 through this program in four years.
ATTEND A CAREER FAIR
Twice during the fall semester, MSU holds large career fairs in the SUB ballrooms. Students can interact both with local businesses and big-name companies like Boeing. Be sure to print copies of your resume and dress professionally.
CREATE A BUDGET How much money do you currently have at your disposal? How much would you like to save, spend and invest? These are starting questions to help you craft a personal budget. Some people allot themselves a certain amount of money per week. Others track their spending mentally or with apps like Mint to monitor their spending habits. Try to write down everything you purchase for a week to get a general idea of your monthly expenses.
BE WARY OF CREDIT CARDS Credit card companies often target young people. They know college students are more likely to be impulsive and irresponsible than older adults, and they tend to market heavily to that age group. Buying on credit and building up a credit score can be a very positive and important thing, that is, if you are certain you can pay off your bills. Many college students use debit cards or cosign with a parent. If you choose to sign up for a credit card, keep a close eye on your bank account and set a reminder about when to make payments. Falling down the deep hole of debt and interest is a slippery and unfortunate slope.
FIND THE FREE STUFF Colleges are constantly offering events that include free food, T-shirts, etc. Freebies are easily found in the first few weeks of school, but you may need to be a little creative after that. Check the school calendar to stay up-to-date with freebie events.
40-50 LOCAL JObs AvAiLAbLe
Various shifts available to accommodate student’s class schedules when possible!
Excellent pay - $15-$20 per hour
General Labor • Office Support Receptionist • Data entry Outdoor work • Assembly Packaging • Restocking merchandise On the job training available Call or TEXT for details 406-587-0388 Applicants never pay for our placement services!
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GET A JOB ON CAMPUS
This task is often a lot easier than it sounds. Visit the Office of Career Services in the SUB basement to look at recent postings on their bulletin board. You can also go to their hire-a-bobcat interface on the MSU website to search through hundreds of local and on-campus jobs available to students.
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CALL 406-582-2650 OR VISIT 2820 W COLLEGE TO START TODAY! THIS OFFER IS VALID THRU DECEMBER 31ST 2019. THIS IS AN INTRODUCTORY OFFER FOR NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. MUST NOT HAVE BEEN A SUBSCRIBER IN THE LAST 90 DAYS TO QUALIFY
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