It’s great to be back in Montana after three weeks in DC and the Southeast. Working on joint FREE/MSU programs for federal judges, I met with distinguished foundation officers, wildlife and health scientists, judges, and professors. They all appreciated offers to join us in Montana. It’s far more comfortable and constructive to deal with optimists […]

Members of Montana State University’s President’s Advisory Council have been assigned a challenging problem. Here it is: In 1984, state appropriations covered 76 percent of MSU’s revenue while tuition and fees accounted for 18 percent. In 2001, those numbers were nearly equal. Clearly, this creates a hardship for some. How can we maintain student access […]

Montana’s state seal proclaims “oro y plata,” gold and silver. This reflects our past. The Treasure State historically exported these commodities. Sadly, in the new economy our most valuable exports are well-educated people with strong character and high IQs. While it made sense to export precious metals and minerals, wood and wool, it’s definitely a […]

MSU’s President’s Advisory Council met last week. Here’s some good news. We can be prudently optimistic about Montana’s universities. We’ll never be Berkeley, Cal Tech, or Chicago, but we can find highly productive niches that make sense for our region. The suggestion I offered at the meeting follows, but first I’ll provide some context. I […]

Several of the Rocky Mountain states have a serious problem finding enough good K through 12 teachers. Many of those graduating from our colleges and universities leave the region. The most promising and highly qualified seem most likely to exit. This sorry dispersion has huge, long term, and adverse consequences for our kids and our […]

Dr. Geoffrey Gamble President Montana State University Dear Dr. Gamble, Welcome to Bozeman. I wish you a long and successful tenure as president of MSU. I’m especially pleased by the Montana Board of Regents decision to select a candidate who earned his Ph. D. from a world-class institution. You’ve experienced excellence. Last September, MSU’s interim […]

“Much mischief comes from mixing politics with higher education.” Great Falls Tribune, 14 February 1919 Jim Twiford, President of the Wyoming State Senate, recently asked the state’s Legislative Service Office to draft a bill eliminating the University of Wyoming’s College of Law. There may well be reasonable arguments supporting such a bill but Mr. Twiford […]