Cruzado tries to calm tensions at Northern

In an effort to quell rumors, heal rifts and inspire confidence, Montana State University President Waded Cruzado visited with several groups in Havre on Monday, with a message of cooperation and collaboration.

"We are a family of campuses, " Cruzado said, while meeting with community leaders. "Together we can accomplish more, together we can do more for this wonderful state than we could do alone. "

The purpose of the visit was to meet with, and seek input from as many groups invested in Montana State University-Northern's success as she could, including the University Advisory Council, faculty and student senates, and leaders of local organizations, about how to move forward, both in the search for a new chancellor and in continuing the progress made during current Chancellor Frank Trocki's time.

The plan, according to Cruzado on Monday, is to get a search committee set up in the next two or three weeks, to have members collaborate and converse while the position is advertised this summer and then begin narrowing candidates at the beginning of the fall semester.

"My responsibility is to ensure the stability and leadership on this campus, " Cruzado said.

Many in the community lunch meeting, including Radio Shack owner Brian Jenkins, said they had felt that stability and leadership was exactly what Trocki had brought to Montana State University-Northern in the past 18 months.

Jenkins said he felt "we were cheated and had the rug pulled out from underneath us, " he said, alluding to the recent announcement that Trocki will be leaving the campus.

Cruzado responded "My commitment is to look toward the future. We will not discuss personnel matters. I need your help in building a better stronger campus. "

She said that many people in Havre viewed the situation through a lense of competition, which hurt everyone.

"We need to forget the perception that we are here to compete, " Cruzado said. "Sometimes we are more concerned with the competition than the future.

"We are in the position we are in now because of competition. I imagine a better future through collaboration.

"All four campuses need to come together and ask, 'Are we doing everything we can to help the state of Montana? '"

Cruzado also said she felt she needed to combat rumors that had begun circulating, that Bozeman didn't want Northern to have a chancellor at all, or that she already had a pre-selected candidate for the position.

Lynn Morrison-Hamilton, a Havre resident and member of the state Board of Regents, told the community leaders that this sort of rumor-mongering is one of the main problems with the Northern campus.

"I feel for Waded and her predecessors, " Hamilton said. "The only time they hear from this campus is when there's a problem.

"There needs to be a clear means to deal with those problems on our campus, instead of going straight to the top. "

Cruzado told the community's listeners that this is a time to leave that, and other unproductive habits, behind.

"We are not going to live in the past. We are moving forward, " Cruzado said. "You have so much to give, but you always end up talking about the past. "

But some skepticism remained.

"We do, but we get deflated by Bozeman, time and time again, " Jenkins said.