Update on activities at Northern

To the citizens of Havre and the Hi-Line:

I am Carol Reifschneider, interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academics at Montana State University-Northern (MSUN). For the past 27 years, I have proudly served as a faculty member and administrator at MSUN. I am honored to have been asked to fill this position until a new provost can be hired. The search is an ongoing national search which should be completed no later than the beginning of Fall Semester 2023.

First, here is the status of the academic programs at MSUN. While the upcoming Spring Semester is taken up with registration and faculty preparation for their ongoing courses, there are some new programs that are going through the academic review process in preparation for fall Semester 2023. These include programs in equine studies, industrial technology, and auto service management. Other programs that are in the pre-planning stages include a math teaching endorsement and a five-year education master’s degree. MSUN will continue to offer certificates and two-year degrees, but emphasis remains on continuing and developing four-year majors.

One of the university’s four-year programs, Education, in order to address a critical shortage in K-12 teachers and a drop in enrollment in teacher education programs throughout Montana, has become a recent participant in the Teachers of Promise Pathways (TOPPs) program through the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education. The TOPPs program offers dual enrollment courses for high school students as an incentive to pursue a teacher education degree.

We continue to search for faculty to fill vacant positions to support the current programs and those being planned.

Another academic activity of interest at MSUN I would like to invite you to is faculty presentations of the subjects they are working on via the Brown Bag Lunch series. The dates vary but are usually published in the Northern Network News at http://www.msun.edu. The next presentation is at noon Tuesday, January 24, 2023 in 101 Hagener Science Center at noon. Dr. Chad Spangler, associate professor of Integrated Health Science, will present his results from his work that focuses on high intensity, pre-season training of the MSUN men’s basketball team.

Also upcoming in Fall Semester 2023, MSUN will be reviewed by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). This is the university’s seven-year review where MSUN must provide evidence to a peer review group that MSUN is actively pursuing its primary mission. The university is evaluated on its strategic planning, fulfillment of its academic mission, and anticipating the needs of current and future students. As part of the process, there is an internal review where MSUN faculty and staff self-reflect, evaluate and plan for the future. In the strategic planning for the university, we look at a variety of educational options that would attract students and those currently enrolled. As part of the review, there is also a public forum open to any citizens who wish to participate.

Finally, MSUN looks forward to the continuing commitment and energy the people of Havre and the Hi-Line have provided to the university throughout these many decades. We appreciate you and look forward to our continued collaboration as the only four-year university located in northern Montana thrives.

Sincerely,

Carol Reifschneider, Ph.D., is interim provost at Montana State University-Northern