It is with both a great sense of pleasure and responsibility that I introduce myself to all of you, alumni and friends of Montana State University Northern, on these pages of the Aurora Borealis.

I was appointed as interim Chancellor of MSU-Northern in December and began my duties on campus Jan. 1. Already I have come to value so much all of you whom I have met as well as this institution. You have made me feel welcome and immediately part of your community.

First of all, I wish to honor my predecessor, Alex Capdeville, who retired in December after seven years as chancellor at this campus. I have the highest respect for Chancellor Capdeville and his administrative team, as well as the depth and breadth of experience and commitment that exists among the faculty, staff and students.

As many of you know, I am not a stranger to this institution or this community. For more than a decade, most recently as the vice president for inter campus affairs for the Montana State University campuses, I have worked closely with MSU-Northern's students, faculty, staff and administration as well as members of the Hi-Line community. I am already aware of the issues that confront this institution.

That background will allow me to "hit the ground running" and focus on some major issues that confront this campus, including declining enrollments and resulting revenue loss as well as a need to fortify student life on campus. As MSU President Geoff Gamble said in appointing me to this position, in many ways the MSU-Northern campus can be compared to a canary in the coal mine. The campus was the first in the Montana University System that felt the brunt of decline in Montana high school graduates. That number of graduates is expected to continue to fall by 2,000 students in the next eight years, affecting all Montana's campuses.

But I'm confident in this institution's ability to not only ride out that trend, but to continue to grow. My plans for MSU-Northern call for the creation of a model for other MSU campuses that will demonstrate how to aggressively and creatively reposition a college to take best advantage of changing conditions.

Many of you have asked me about my background. A native of the Chicago area, I graduated with a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, where I was an All American in swimming. I earned a master's degree from Iowa State University and a doctorate from the University of Florida. I also served two years in the U.S. Army, including a 12 month tour of duty in Vietnam.

I came to MSU in 1977. During the past three decades, I've been the dean of students, vice provost for students affairs, executive assistant to the president. My wife, Jaynee Drange Groseth, is executive director of the MSU Alumni Association. We have two grown sons.

I am enthusiastic about the future of MSU-Northern and look forward to working with you. If you have questions, I welcome your feedback at (e mail, phone, etc. to come).

Sincerely,

Rolf Groseth