MSU-Northern Plans for the Future

Montana State University-Northern has begun implementing plans that will improve Northern's ability to serve students and allow the institution to address the 6% budget shortfall reported for this year. "We are continuing to take measures that will adjust expense levels to reflect our current size and we are making progress in that direction," explains Chancellor Mike Rao. "We want everything we are doing to focus on where we are going and not to be a reaction to a current shortage of funds." He is also careful to point out that the shortfall is being handled internally and that students will not be asked to shoulder the burden of resolving the shortfall.

The first step in MSU-Northern's plan has been to develop a new budget book and funding formula which has helped to better identify problem areas and solutions. Rao comments, "It will help us bring our spending in line because it has allowed us to analyze our expenditures and make more informed decisions concerning the best use of our available resources."

Rao says this process has been especially effective in terms of making better use of University employees and has resulted in twenty-five personnel adjustments that will be effective as of March 1.

These have included the elimination of thirteen classified staff positions and the reduction of two classified staff positions to 11 month contracts. Five professional staff contracts have also been eliminated and another was reduced to a 10 month contract. One vacant faculty position has been dropped and three faculty positions have been reassigned to other areas. Rao explains, "The people affected by these cutbacks are all top-quality people who have made significant contributions to this institution and we are doing everything we can to help these people find new employment."

The next stage in MSU-Northern's plan involves reorganizing the campus into four colleges based on the standard university model. This shift from seven
departments to four colleges will help to decrease costs by combining administrative and other functions that each department now handles on its own. The move will also lessen bureaucracy and improve efficiency on the campus by flattening the University's organizational structure. "Our restructuring process is enabling us to focus all of our efforts on improving the services we provide our students," says Rao. "As we work on these new projects we are constantly evaluating how we can maximize the benefits available on our campus." These changes will also include improved student advising services and the expansion of distance learning options.

The past year has already seen MSU-Northern aggressively pursuing some of their new goals. A full-time grant director has been actively coordinating the procurement of resources from external private and public sources. Other efforts are continually being made to improve the strength of MSU-Northern's academic programs. These include the recent accreditation of the associate degree in Electronics Engineering Technology and the bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering Technology by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

MSU-Northern is striving to create stronger partnerships with the businesses and communities in the region in a cooperative effort to enhance the educational opportunities available at the University and improve the quality of life in those communities. Some partnerships like the one between Caterpillar and MSU-Northern's Agricultural & Mechanical Technology Department are already established, with many more currently in the works.

Rao states, "I am optimistic about the future of MSU-Northern and the role we will play in the north central region of Montana as we move into the next century."
 

Return to Aurora Borealis Spring 1999 Index page
Return to Aurora Borealis Main page
Return to Alumni Main Page