MSU Student Guide
2020 MSU
Student Guide
2 / August 2020
MSU Student Guide
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4 / August 2020
MSU Fast Facts 2020
-Founded 1893 – 127 years ago
-Traditional nicknames: “The Bob cats” and “Moo U” -Trademarked nicknames: “Trout U” and -“University of the Yellowstone”
STUDENT PROFILE -Enrollment (fall 2019) – 16,766 (largest in Montana, down 136 from 2018’s peak) -Male students – 8,728 or 52% -Female students – 7,929 or 47% -Other students –109 or 0.65% -Undergraduates – 14,817 (down 102 from previous year) -Graduate students –1,949 (down 34) -Montanans students -- 8,367 (down 318) -Out-of-state U.S. students -- 7,824 (up 254) -International students -- 498 (down 85) -*Native Americans –718 students (down 56) -Hispanics – 764 students (up 61) -Asians – 606 students (down 60) -African Americans – 293 students (up 4) (*Racial and ethnic numbers include students who identify as more than one group in each category they choose)
MSU Student Guide
STUDENT TUITION AND FEES 2020-2021 -Montana undergraduates -- $7,770 a year (up $38 from last year) -Out-of-state undergrads -- $27,400 (up $1,550) -On-campus room & board -- $10,400 (up $100) -Books & supplies -- $1,450 -Total estimated one-year cost for -Montanans -- $23,128 (up $250) -Total one-year cost for out-of-state -$43,158 (up $1,750) -Students taking out loans – 52% (down from 66% in 2012) -Average debt for students who borrow -- $28,158 (up $384)
STUDENT SUCCESS -Six-year graduation rate – 56.1% (a recent record; MSU’s goal is 65%) -Four-year graduation rate – 29.7% (up 10 points in seven years)
MSU-BOZEMAN BUDGET -26.4% of revenue came from state taxpayers in FY19 – $63.1 million (lowest percent share of MT campuses) -72% of revenue came from students -- $172 million in tuition and fees -Tuition breakdown – Most, $113.7 million, paid by out-of-state students (includes WUE) vs. $52.5 million paid by in-state students -MSU offers $35 million in tuition and fee waivers, mostly to attract out-of-state students.
GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET (“current unrestricted”):
-2019-2020 -- $254.5 million, up 6%
RESEARCH SPENDING -2018-2019 -- $138.8 million (all-time record) -2017-2018 -- $126.5 million -2016-2017 --$130.8 million
-Retention rate (freshmen returning for sophomore year) –76.5% (down 0.7%)
FACULTY AND EMPLOYEES
-Freshman average high school GPA – 3.55
-Tenurable faculty – 619
-Average ACT score – 24.9 -Average SAT score – 1,229 -Total degrees & certificates awarded (2018-19) – 3,362 -Average graduates’ salaries (2018 survey): -Bachelor’s degree -- $47,639 -Master’s degree -- $49,371 -Doctorate -- $68,535
-Student:faculty ratio – 18:1 -Adjuncts & non-tenurable – 724 -Research faculty – 42 -Administrators (president, VPs, deans, directors) – 61 -Professionals – 663 -Classified -- 1,083 -Grad teaching and research assistants – 372 -Total MSU employees – 3,724
BRAWL OF THE WILD -Since 1897, the University of Montana Grizzlies have won 72 games, while the MSU Bobcats have won 41, and there have been five ties. -In this century the Grizzlies have won 11 times, including one win vacated by NCAA. The Bobcats have won nine, including the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 games. -The Bobcats have won the Can the Griz food drive competition 16 out of 19 years.
SUSTAINABILITY -Campus waste diverted from landfill – 1.4 million pounds or 32% (up from 9.5%; MSU’s goal was 25%). That includes more than 540,000 pounds of food waste. -Since MSU’s recycling program began, it has diverted 7.4 million pounds from the landfill. -Greenhouse gases reduced -- 60,629 metric tons (goal 20% reduction) -LEED-rated Platinum building: Asbjornson Hall; LEED Gold buildings: Cooley, Jabs, Gallatin and Yellowstone halls; LEED Silver: Gaines Hall.
Sources: MSU Quick Facts, Common Data Set, 2018 Career Destinations Report, MUS Budget reports, Regents’ agenda September 2019, MSU Strategic Plan, MSU News Office, MSU Registrar reports, MSU Office of Planning & Analysis, Office of Sustainability and CantheGriz.com.
MSU Student Guide
Augus t 2020 / 5
So,You Want To Graduate In 4 Years. HERE’S SOME HELPFUL TIPS: PICK A MAJOR EARLY ON
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 a general idea, of what you wish to focus on will lead you toward the 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 GENERAL ED. REQUIREMENTS FIRST
Getting required core classes out of the way could help you focus on major-specific classes down the road. Additionally, taking a wide array of subjects at the beginning of your college career can help you hone in on your interests and help you decide on a major. Some of the general classes are also prerequisites for higher-level courses.
MEET WITH YOUR ADVISER
Advisers are your resource to use, so make sure to ask for help. Academic advisers
Visit Us At 12 N. Willson
We Are Open • 11am-9am Daily!
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.
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 get 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 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.
USE YOUR AP SCORES
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.
6 / August 2020
MSU Student Guide
Virus Could Mean Boom Or Bust For Montana State This Fall, Cruzado Optimistic BY GAIL SCHONTZLER Chronicle Staff Writer
The coronavirus pandemic could be a disaster or a blessing for Montana State University. It would be a disaster if hundreds of Montana students don’t show up for the fall semester, figuring they’d rather take a gap year than online classes. Even worse would be if hundreds of out-of-state students – on whom MSU relies to supply 44% of its budget – decide to attend college closer to home. Then MSU’s expensive new classrooms, dorms and dining halls could go empty and the university could face dropping tuition revenue, shrinking state dollars, budget cuts and layoffs. National experts have already warned that the virus could put some U.S. campuses into a “death spiral.” But MSU could also end up in a strong position. That’s if Montana can hang onto its status as a state with
comparatively low virus numbers and if MSU can pull off the in-person college experience that students crave. Then students, especially those from other states, may flock to the Bozeman campus. MSU President Waded Cruzado -- the first female and first minority president in the university’s history -- sounded positive and optimistic in an interview this summer with the Chronicle. Student application numbers released by the university supported her optimism, but also underscored how uncertain these times are. “Montana State University is going to be fine,” said Cruzado, who has been MSU president for 10 years. “We have great bones. We have faced challenges in our 127-year history. … We’re going to be here 127 years from now.” The virus has been a trial, for MSU and every other college. “Never before as an institution have we had to accept change
so quickly, so rapidly,” Cruzado said.
Montana students, whose cost of education is thus subsidized.
Over spring break the virus forced MSU’s decision to tell students not to return to campus and instead finish their classes online. Faculty had just one week to make the switch. Students, researchers and staff had to change how they operate.
In its budget for the coming year, MSU expects to get 70% of its revenue from student tuition and 28% from the state. The single biggest revenue source is tuition paid by out-ofstate students, 44%.
“Each and every one showed up and did the right thing. That gives me hope,” Cruzado said. “Human ingenuity always finds a way.” It’s true that if out-of-state students don’t come to campus this fall, that would be a big problem, she said. But relying on out-of-state students, who pay tuition three times what Montana students pay, wasn’t a mistake. It was a “very creative” response to declining state support, Cruzado said, and has created great opportunities, both for out-of-state students to get an education and for
“It’s still early for us to tell,” Cruzado said, whether students will show up. “We’ve been trying to plan ahead.” In response to a public information request from the Chronicle, MSU released data comparing MSU’s enrollment numbers compared with the equivalent period last year. With three weeks to go until the fall semester starts (the date has been moved up two weeks this year to Aug. 17), MSU had received 19,060 applications from new first-time students – an increase from 18,854 last year, reported Tracy Ellig, vice president for communications. Applications from Montana students were down a tiny
MSU Student Guide bit – 3,339, just 38 fewer than last year at the equivalent time. Out-of-state applications increased to 15,721, or up 244. Since many students apply to lots of campuses, application numbers are always bigger than the number who actually show up. Asked how many students had taken the next step and registered for classes, MSU provided numbers for ongoing students, leaving new students aside. As of threeand-a-half weeks before the start of classes, some 12,144 MSU students were registered for classes, 62 fewer than at a similar point last year. Of those ongoing students, 6,993 in-state Montana students had registered, down 309 from last year. But 5,089 out-of-state students had registered, up 247 from last year. The ups and downs of student numbers “are especially hard to estimate this year because of COVID-related impacts on individuals and the economy,” Ellig wrote. “The bottom line is we remain cautiously optimistic about this coming academic year.” Many groups on campus have been working hard on different possible scenarios – such as offering more online classes, hybrid in-person and online classes – and on how to mitigate health risks. “We’re going to be very creative,” Cruzado said, to find enough classroom space for a
possible 16,766 students, yet keep social distancing. Some spaces not normally used as classrooms will be conscripted and classes could be scheduled earlier or later in the day than usual. Cruzado acknowledged that there is “a lot of fear” among some Bozeman residents, concerned that the return of students will bring more coronavirus here. But she cautioned that people shouldn’t blame MSU’s 17,000 students, when thousands of tourists come to Bozeman and millions of visitors come to Yellowstone National Park. The virus is perhaps the biggest challenge in Cruzado’s 10 years as president. “It has been difficult,” she said. “It’s also been a blessing and opportunity for growth. “At the beginning of this crisis, the enormity and speed of events was so gigantic – I’ve never surfed in my life, but I felt I was barely hanging onto a surfboard and on a tidal wave of history.” Faculty, students, staff, parents and her executive team all stepped up. “There were days of 18-hour work. Non-stop. No weekends. No breaks. “I think I have more gray hair than two months ago.” Cruzado has saved emails since the pandemic started so future generations can look back and see how people confronted the emergency.
She also wrote a public email in late March about her worries for her son, Gerry, a hospital physician in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and her thanks to all the people in Montana and beyond working hard to protect everyone. This may be a time of crisis, but Congress created landgrant universities in 1862 in the middle of the Civil War, the worst time in U.S. history, she said. “We survived once, and we will survive again.” To keep students and employees safe, Cruzado’s boss, the commissioner of higher education, announced on July 16 that the Montana University System will require face masks indoors and some outdoor settings on all state campuses to prevent spread of the virus. The announcement came a day after Gov. Steve Bullock’s decision to require face masks statewide, in response to a surge in new coronavirus cases in Montana. Masks will be required in all indoor spaces, with some exceptions, and in all outdoor spaces where it isn’t possible to do social distancing – keeping 6-feet distance from others. The exceptions indoors include when one is alone in an office or enclosed study space, alone in a vehicle, eating or drinking, walking or exercising outdoors and consistently keeping a 6-foot distance from others. Students don’t have to wear
Augus t 2020 / 7 face masks in their own dorm rooms, but must put them on in hallways, restrooms or while visiting other rooms. The University System will accept as face coverings things that cover the mouth and nose, including simple cloth masks, scarves, buffs and bandanas. Single-use paper masks are also acceptable when another option is not available. Each campus will come up with its own rules, which should emphasize education and communication, the commissioner said. When students forget their masks, they should just be reminded and handed a paper mask. But people who repeatedly, willfully or aggressively ignore the rules can be asked to leave campus or face other discipline. Cleaning will be beefed up and more cleaning supplies made available across campus, Ellig said. Decisions on the football season were being coordinated with the NCAA and Big Sky Conference. And MSU is trying to be “very judicious in our budget planning,” Cruzado said. Every department was asked to prepare for a variety of budget scenarios, from a budget like last year’s to a 3%, 5% and 20% cut. “We just don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said.
8 / August 2020
MSU Student Guide
New Buildings Show MSU’s Optimism For Future BY GAIL SCHONTZLER Chronicle Staff Writer
Students trying to find their way on the Montana State University campus will have to navigate around some big construction sites, marked by chain-link fences, “keep out” signs and hard hats running heavy equipment. Instead of grumbling at the ugly obstacles, students might think of these sites as miracles and wonders – and signs of MSU’s faith in its future. Romney Hall’s $32 million reconstruction in the heart of campus has shut down Grant Street while crane and heavy equipment operators go to work. It did seem almost a miracle when the 2019 Legislature approved $25 million toward the project, after MSU officials, led by President Waded Cruzado, had lobbied for it since 2010.
The nearly century-old brick building, constructed in 1922 as the original campus gym, is being transformed into a classroom building that can teach up to 1,000 students per hour. It will also house writing and math tutoring centers and offices serving veterans and students with disabilities. Renovation is expected to be finished by the spring of 2022. The $20 million American Indian Hall, under construction north of Roberts Hall at Garfield Street and Sixth Avenue, is another miraculous achievement. Former MSU President Geoff Gamble tried to raise money privately to build it, and he dedicated a tepee sculpture on the site to mark MSU’s commitment. But it wasn’t until 2018 that Cruzado announced she had secured a $12 million gift from the Kendeda Foundation, plus $1 million each from the Donohue and Payne families and $2
million from MSU student government to make it a reality.
be renovated into an academic center for athletes.
“A promise to Native American people will be kept and a dream will be fulfilled,” Cruzado said.
Cruzado announced in July that the new building will also house a clinic, run by Bozeman Health, the city’s hospital, for student-athletes, staff, faculty and their families.
Geothermal wells have been installed and foundations are going in. The hall will serve as home away from home and academic center for hundreds of Native American students and learning space for all students when it opens in fall 2021. Construction has also started on the $18 million Bobcat Athletic Center at the north end of Bobcat Stadium near Kagy Boulevard. Funded by fans and donors, it will be the new home of the football team when it opens in 2021. The two-story building will house locker rooms, team rooms, coaches’ offices, sports medicine, training and rehabilitation for players. The old football offices in the Fieldhouse will
The new $50 million Hyalite Hall dormitory will open this month to house up to 510 students. It’s the latest new dorm constructed, along with Yellowstone Hall and Gallatin Hall, to accommodate MSU’s growing student body. Distinctive for its putty-colored bricks, rather than MSU’s traditional red bricks, Hyalite Hall is sodded, landscaped, lit and ready for students. It was built with money MSU raises through student dorm and dining hall fees, not taxpayer dollars. It has ski lockers, bike storage and gender-inclusive bathrooms. Design work will go on this
fall for another major project affecting all students -- new Student Wellness Center, costing up to $60 million. It will replace and improve on three old gyms and a swimming pool that were damaged or destroyed by record snows in 2019. But the project will go beyond merely replacing old gyms and create larger, modern spaces to replace aging and cramped buildings that now house the student health and mental health counseling centers. The new construction, more than 150,000 square feet, will expand the current Student Fitness Center on Grant Street. And the plan is expected to include a bigger climbing wall.
Once the design is completed, it will take two or three years to build. Insurance for the damaged buildings is expected to cover about half the cost, with the other half coming from students, who voted 66% in April to favor of a $58-per-semester fee to pay for construction. Students can see lots of evidence of MSU’s success in constructing new buildings in the past decade. Major projects include the $35 million, 400bed Yellowstone Hall dorm, the $8 million, 72-bed Gallatin Hall, $53 million Norm Asbjornson Hall, $12 million parking garage, $18.5 million Jake Jabs Hall and $18 million Rendezvous Dining Hall.
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COVID STOPS WITH ME People under the age of 30 make up more than half of Gallatin County’s COVID-19 cases.
DO YOUR part to slow the spread of COVID in our community! • Keep your distance from others. • Wear a mask in public. • Wash your hands. • Stay healthy! Continue to avoid tobacco products or get quit assistance, make time for movement, drink water and eat well.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT HEALTHYGALLATIN.ORG
10 / August 2020
MSU Student Guide
Powder Day: A Guide To Local Skiing BRIDGER BOWL Bridger Bowl is located 16 miles, or around 30 minutes north of town, and is considered Bozeman’s local ski hill. Several lifts access 2,000 acres of terrain and 2,600 feet of vertical. The Ridge Terrain — the very top and sides of the mountain — is accessible only by hiking from the top of several lifts. While considered a highlight of Bridger Bowl, it’s also one of the most challenging places to ski. It’s controlled for avalanches and patrolled, but riders are still required to have an avalanche transceiver. The mountain sees around 300 inches of annual snowfall, which includes regular dumps of light “cold smoke” powder. The hill features areas for novice, intermediate and advanced skiers. Bridger Bowl also hosted the 2020 NCAA skiing national championships, a testament to its quality slopes. Buses to Bridger Bowl run outside the Strand Union Building and from the Gallatin County Fairgrounds on Oak Street and are available more frequently on weekends. Beginning this year, Bridger Bowl will use card technology to replace ski passes. The reloadable and reusable card can be purchased at bridgerbowl.com and can be used for most services on the mountain like lift tickets and season passes.
BIG SKY RESORT Big Sky calls itself “The Biggest \Skiing in America” and is home to more than 300 runs, 5,850 skiable acres and 4,350 feet of vertical. The resort is located about an hour drive south of Bozeman. The mountain features ample space to ski and relatively small crowds. The diversity of terrain is another perk. There’s more than 2,300 acres of beginner and intermediate terrain to go along with 3,525 acres of advanced and expert terrain. Though more expensive and farther from Bozeman than Bridger Bowl, the variety offers something for 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 resort also recently unveiled its eight-seat chairlift, which is one of the only of its kind worldwide. The Skyline Bus offers shuttle service between Bozeman and Big Sky Resort during the winter. For lift ticket info, check Big Sky’s website.
FREE FIRST TIME DAY
CROSSCUT MOUNTAIN SPORTS CENTER Right near Bridger Bowl, Crosscut Mountain Sports Center provides more than 20 miles of trails groomed daily for cross-country skiing. Daily grooming reports are accessible online. Lessons are available and a pass is required. More information can be found at crosscutmt.org. Groomed crosscountry skiing trails can also be found around town thanks to Bridger Ski Foundation.
OTHER RESOURCES
For trips into the backcountry, look no further than the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, which issues daily snowpack and avalanche hazard updates, detailed maps, photos and videos. 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.
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Augus t 2020 / 11
No Car? No Problem
Using Bozeman’s Free Bus Service Bozeman has a free public bus system that picks up passengers at 15 different stops on Montana State University’s campus. It has a fleet of buses that zip all around town, to Belgrade, to Livingston and to the ski hill. Streamline’s canary-yellow buses follow six fixed routes around town Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. There’s also a late night service during summer months and service through the weekend. On Saturdays, buses run from 7:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., and on Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The service is fare-free. The local nonprofit Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) operates Streamline at no cost to passengers. All buses are wheelchair accessible. The service has won the Montana Transit System of the Year Award and was recognized by the Federal Transit Administration as an Outstanding Rural Transit Agency.
The bus service also accommodates cyclists. Buses are equipped with bike racks and Streamline rents out bike lockers on MSU’s campus to keep bikes safe for commuters. Streamline’s Greenline Express stops at MSU, Gallatin Valley Mall, Four Corners and in Belgrade. The Yellowline/ Orangeline University also goes to MSU, Gallatin Valley Mall and Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital. Blueline Retail leaves campus and heads downtown before hitting shopping centers like Walmart and Target. The Redline Downtown also starts on campus and loops around much of west Bozeman, but not before hitting Main Street and Bozeman High School.
available online at streamlinebus.com. The app RouteShout, available on Apple and Android phones, gives up-to-the-minute information on when buses will arrive or if they’re delayed. Streamline is in the process of redesigning its routes to accommodate Bozeman’s growth and increased demand. Routes haven’t changed in years, and a redesign could mean additional stops and buses running more often.
Connecting To The Mountains There are also buses that offer easy access to area ski hills in the winter.
Streamline offers rides to and from picturesque Livingston, a town of 7,500 and gateway to the Paradise Valley. The service runs Monday through Friday from 5:50 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Bridger Bowl Ski Area, 16 miles east of town, is an easy drive. But the parking lot at the base can fill up fast. Even on a weekday, arriving at Bridger later than 10 a.m. can equate to parking in the furthest row away from the base area.
A full schedule of Streamline’s daytime and late night stops are
Bridger contracts with Streamline, First Student and Windriver to offer
Main Street
free rides from MSU and the Gallatin County Fairgrounds to the ski hill and back about every 15 minutes on the weekends. The buses run a limited service during weekdays, as well, and it may be expanded in the coming season. Livingston residents can catch one morning bus (7:45 a.m.) to the hill and one bus back in the afternoon (4:00 p.m.) to and from the Park County Fairgrounds. More information can be found at bridgerbowl.com. Skyline is a year-round bus service that connects Gallatin Valley to Big Sky Ski Resort. It stops in town at the Super 8 motel, Walmart, MSU, Four Corners and Gallatin Gateway Inn before heading up Gallatin Canyon. The route is called The Link Express. Skyline also offers routes that make stops in Mountain Village in Big Sky, at area hotels and at Moonlight Basin. More information and pass prices can be found at skylinebus.com
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12 / August 2020
MSU Student Guide
Short Of Cash? Here’s Some Financial Tips For Students Take More Classes In A Semester
At MSU, taking additional classes after 12 credits is totally free. That means that you can take up to three additional classes per semester at no additional cost, which can get you closer to graduating on time or help you get a minor for free.
Take Advantage Of Your Meal Plan
On-campus meal plans are already paid for at the beginning of the semester, so not using up all of your meal plan is akin to throwing money away. MSU has several kinds of meal plans available that can get you into the Miller Dining Commons and the Rendezvous Dining Pavillion, both of which have a wide variety
of meals available. Some meal plans also come with CatCash, which can be used at various on-campus vendors like the Bobcat Stadium concessions stand and SRO Coffee.
Get A Job On Campus
The Office of Career Services in the SUB basement posts on-campus jobs on the bulletin board and hosts a hire-a-bobcat dashboard on the MSU website.
Use The Bus System
Streamline busses are a program of the Human Resource Development Council in Bozeman. The busses run all over town and are free to ride. There’s even have a late-night, meaning that if you’ve had a couple drinks, you might be able to skip
the Uber or Lyft payment and hop on a bus to take you home safely.
Create A Budget
The first step to creating a budget is to know how much money you have. Many banks have a banking app that can help you keep track of what you’ve got in savings and in your checking account, and some even offer budget services inapp. MSU also has campus finance coaches students can meet with by appointment at the Allen Yarnell Center for Student Success who can help you set a budget and manage money effectively.
Be Wary Of Credit Cards Credit cards can be a great tool to build credit, but they can also put
you in debt a lot faster than some realize. Remember that you’ll need to pay off everything you put on a credit card -- plus interest. If you decide to get one, set a reminder when payments are due on your phone or write them in a planner or calendar to make sure you won’t fall behind on payments.
Find (and use) the free stuff
Colleges hold all kinds of events where you can find free stuff, especially towards the beginning of the semester. Don’t be shy on stocking up on the free swag when it’s available -- free pens might come in handy on long study sessions, and free t-shirts are can be lifesavers on laundry day.
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MSU Student Guide
Voice Center Provides Confidential Support To All Students WHEN STUDENTS CALL THE VOICE CENTER’S 24-HOUR HOTLINE AT MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY, THEY TALK TO HIGHLY TRAINED SURVIVOR ADVOCATES WHO MAKE SPACE AND TIME FOR THEIR CONCERNS.
THE HOTLINE PROVIDES CONFIDENTIAL SUPPORT, ADVOCACY AND RESOURCES FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE OR STALKING. STUDENTS CALLING THE HOTLINE CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS DURING THE CALL.
THE VOICE CENTER’S WEBSITE SAID IT FORMED TO: - Make 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 interpersonal violence at MSU and educate
Ready for Election Day?
To find out if you are registered to vote in Montana and if your info is accurate: Visit - myvoterpagemt.com
Contact - Gallatin County Election Dept. gallatin.elections@gallatin.mt.gov 406-582-3060
and inform all members of MSU on issues of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking harassment and the root causes of violence. - Help MSU create a culture of respect that doesn’t tolerate violence and discrimination of any kind. - Ensure effective communication between the VOICE Center and other people who are concerned about interpersonal violence, oppression and discrimination. - Giving power back – Voice Center’s empowerment-based approach. Students are never required to share details of any traumatic incident at the VOICE Center. The
CAPTION: Montana State University students sign a banner and place a flag on the lawn in front of Montana Hall in the Chronicle file photo as their pledge to raise awareness about on-campus sexual assault.
center aims to create a comfortable experience for students and recognizes that sharing details of an incident can be distressing. Advocates can discuss options and help develop a plan for healing that feels right for students. Advocates, counselors and staff members are available to accompany someone to file a report or complaint about an incident, obtaining medical services, or meeting with a professor or employer. Students could call or text the VOICE Center’s phone line at 406994-7069 for free, confidential service. The center’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in room 370 in the Strand Union Building.
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14 / August 2020
MSU Student Guide
Augus t 2020 / 15
MSU Convocation to Feature Author, Actress From ‘The Incredibles’ An esteemed author and actress in “The Incredibles” will speak at Montana State University’s socially distanced 2020 Convocation on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 7:30 p.m., in the Bobcat Stadium.
Convocation is usually held at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, but organizers changed the venue this year to accommodate social distancing.
“The university is taking all possible precautions to protect Sarah Vowell, the voice of Violet the students while conserving in Pixar’s “The Incredibles” the important experience of movies, will speak about the university’s annual formal her book “Lafayette in the academic welcome of the Somewhat United States” at incoming class,” said David MSU’s 15th convocation. Singel, senior vice provost and chair of the MSU convocation Incoming freshmen can attend committee, according to a news the lecture, but it will be release. closed to the general public, the university said. The public Vowell’s book documents the can see Vowell’s free lecture Revolutionary War from the via a livestream on the MSU perspective of Marquis de Convocation website. Lafayette, a French military officer and aristocrat who
supported the Americans during their fight against the British. The book is MSU’s 2020 summer read.
program “This American Life,” and has written for several publications, including Time, Salon and The New York Times.
“In a time of challenges and contention, Sarah recounts stories from America’s early history with wit and reminds us of how great leaders accomplish extraordinary things by encouraging others to act,” said Waded Cruzado, MSU’s president, said in a news release.
“Sara Vowell’s story gives voice to what happens when talent and curiosity meet access to a land-grant education,” Cruzado said. “Montana State is hugely proud of her many accomplishments, and we are overjoyed to have her return to speak to our freshmen students.”
Vowell, who graduated from MSU in 1993 with a degree in modern languages and literature, has written seven nonfiction books about American history. She’s been a contributing editor on the radio
Convocation is the university’s official welcome for incoming freshmen. People who are interested in submitting questions to Vowell can fill out a questionnaire on MSU’s Convocation website.
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