UM Strategy for Distinction: Feedback What are your general comments about the President's recommendations? Contents Student ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 Staff ......................................................................................................................................................... 29 Faculty ..................................................................................................................................................... 32 Alumnus .................................................................................................................................................. 82 Donor .................................................................................................................................................... 133 Other ..................................................................................................................................................... 133 Student Reference 1 - 0.04% Coverage Thank you for all your hard work and dedication through this difficult, but exciting time. I am overjoyed to have a President at this school who is willing to provide open communication to the campus while remaining open to taking risks and soliciting feedback from the campus community. In the last four months, I've received more communication and I am more aware of the state of the University than the four years I spent in undergraduate work. (2012, BA Business Administration). Please know that, while we may not always be vocal, your supporters are numerous. It is never easy to cut positions or deal with budget shortfalls, but I'm confident that the President's leadership at this time will help propel UM forward to growth and prosperity. Reference 2 - 0.04% Coverage I just read through the President's recommendations and am very pleased with what they have come up with in a timely manner. I think these recommendations align with current trends at the university and at other competitive universities across the country, promote more collaboration between departments, and streamline student success. As a student who is multiple departments, the lack of consistency between them has been my biggest headache. I can only imagine that other students feel this way. Thank you for being realistic in these recommendations and making sure UM will continue to thrive through smart decision making and leadership. I know there will be students who are upset with program cuts, because it's never easy, but doing what's best for the UM community as a whole needs to be a priority to keeping this university alive. If a business heard that only one customer liked a brand of cereal, but it kept two rows of shelve space to cater to them, they are wasting valuable resources to keep that one person happy when they could provide a product that more people would buy. I think that's important to keep in mind as a flood of comments come in about cuts to programs where the numbers just aren't there to support the resources we have. Thanks again for the great recommendations and I look forward to seeing these be put into place. Reference 3 - 0.04% Coverage 1 UM Strategy for Distinction: Feedback What are your general comments about the President's recommendations? I am sick of departments being targeted in cuts. Where are the cuts to the business programs, law program and athlete programs? Why are you targetting programs like music, humanities and arts? (A reminder than music was meant to be a priority according to last semester) Did you know that the music building is a fire hazard? Please cut funding from the business school and other succesful groups instead og hurting departments that are already suffering. You are continuing to ruin our university, and the students are angry. Don't be another Engstrom or Sheila. Reference 4 - 0.04% Coverage I understand that the university has a lot of financial struggles but some of the programs should not be cut. A friend of mine decided to attend UM next fall to major in a language but now that program is being cut. Languages are an amazing part to a college. They introduce culture into the campus and into students lives. Also, you may start losing students to attend UM next fall since you are cutting these programs, and therefore are losing even more money. Reference 5 - 0.04% Coverage As a born and raised member of the Missoula community as well as an active student who values education, I was extremely disappointed to hear the long list of programs that will be cut. The University of Montana is a liberal arts school, and we must value the programs that keep academic enrichment alive. I understand that this university is going through a budget crisis and the decisions from this point forward will not be easy, but I think we are losing sight of what makes Missoula such a great learning community. For example, how can we decide to cut the PTRM program when Montana is one of the nations largest hotspots for Parks and Rec tourism and outdoor opportunities? How can we decide to cut ALL foreign language majors and minor programs when this is a liberal arts school? When it comes down to the line, I really think the budget cuts are drastically overlooking the logical priorities in a community like Missoula. Reference 6 - 0.04% Coverage I am very disappointed to see the lack of support for foreign languages at this university. It is incredibly ignorant to think that we are well off only knowing English. Spanish for example is becoming increasingly prevalent in the US. Restricting student access to foreign languages will only hinder our ability to grow as individuals and be competitive in the workforce. Of course enrollment is lower. What can you expect when you continue to cut department funding, thus leading to firings and less classes? Reference 7 - 0.04% Coverage As a Montana resident and anthropology enthusiast I was enthralled the day I was accepted as an Anthropology undergraduate at the University of Montana. In the four years since I have grown close to amazing faculty within the department and furthered my passion for the study of Physical Anthropology. I decided to apply for the graduate program so that I could work towards a masters degree with the same great professors who aided me in my undergraduate studies. Unfortunately when I received my acceptance letter into the graduate school I found myself less enthralled and more nervous. With the proposed change to a MA/MS in Social Sciences I would be greatly hindered in perusing a lifetime career in anthropology, a dream I’ve been working towards since I was 11 years old. Furthermore I can assure 2 UM Strategy for Distinction: Feedback What are your general comments about the President's recommendations? you as a student that this change would cause a great drop in student enrollment. It is the diversity of anthropology that draws students in and all of the anthropology focuses and option, whether that be a Forensics Studies certificate or a Medical Anthropology option, that retains the students. The proposal of a “Social Sciences” degree would lead to an immediate drop in student enrollment since the majority of students know that such a degree would mean nothing outside of this campus and would not be recognized by any other universities that the student may wish to persue for Graduate School. Please hear the outcry from the student body and realize that these proposed changes are not in the best interest of the University of Montana and the students it serves. Reference 8 - 0.04% Coverage My experience in the English MA program has been immensely valuable to me, both personally and professionally. For the past two years I have been teaching high school English, and in my experience, the Masters with the teaching option has directly prepared me for my job and made me a competitive candidate now that I am looking for new employment. High schools around the state are increasingly moving toward dual enrollment (if they don't already have the program in place). To be qualified to teach these courses, teachers must have Masters degrees in their subject area. An MA without the teaching option is less compelling to prospective teachers. Given that the English department has only one ENT faculty member, the plan to cut 6 English positions- -if there is no replacement hire for Beverly Chin when she retires--will mean the end of that program. UM is esteemed for its teacher education programs, but English teachers and prospective teachers at both the undergraduate and graduate levels WILL go elsewhere without this program. I certainly would have. Billings is much more affordable. Please consider the harm your plan is doing to the English Department. Additionally, this will have negative impacts on the School of Education and its reputation for turning out competitive and well- prepared teachers, a significant percentage of which are English majors. Reference 9 - 0.04% Coverage In this recommendation it proposes reducing the faculty by 2 within the anthropology department. However, the number of faculty within this department is already relatively small. Within the physical anthropology portion of the department there are only 3 professors; only one of which has the official tittle of professors, the other two are either assistant professor or assistant adjunct professor. They care deeply for their students and want both their students and the department to succeed. Reference