Can a football team not have a school?

[MrTitleist]

Is it normal for a state with a population of about a million to have this many four year schools? It would make way more sense for them to be 2-year schools that feed into UM/MSU/Tech/MSU-B.

this....Wyoming has this model, more or less.....the old days of being within close travel distance is long gone....we cannot afford this.....and in my mind it is silly,,,,,,,,the towns who rely on the revenue these schools provide for the local economy will not feel this way....so, it is political and all politics are local....

That's kind of where I was heading with this. All of Wyoming's schools feed into the bigger university. Makes no sense to have so many four year schools. Montana's not exactly rolling in the cash, this seems like a no-brainer on the surface. Sometimes feelings get hurt and decisions have to be made.

 

[VictorG]

Is it normal for a state with a population of about a million to have this many four year schools? It would make way more sense for them to be 2-year schools that feed into UM/MSU/Tech/MSU-B.

this....Wyoming has this model, more or less.....the old days of being within close travel distance is long gone....we cannot afford this.....and in my mind it is silly,,,,,,,,the towns who rely on the revenue these schools provide for the local economy will not feel this way....so, it is political and all politics are local....

That's kind of where I was heading with this. All of Wyoming's schools feed into the bigger university. Makes no sense to have so many four year schools. Montana's not exactly rolling in the cash, this seems like a no-brainer on the surface. Sometimes feelings get hurt and decisions have to be made.

Should have been this way all along....As far as sports, varsity = Griz, intramural = bob cats, no one should have a problem with that either!

 

[GottaluvGriz]

Montana is geographically set up to have 3 four year public colleges and the remainder would then become 2 year feeder schools.
Missoula, Bozeman, Billings make geographic sense for University status with the remaining public colleges becoming 2 year schools.
For all the arguments, we just can't afford anything else.
Go Griz!

 

[signedbewildered]

Is it normal for a state with a population of about a million to have this many four year schools? It would make way more sense for them to be 2-year schools that feed into UM/MSU/Tech/MSU-B.

this....Wyoming has this model, more or less.....the old days of being within close travel distance is long gone....we cannot afford this.....and in my mind it is silly,,,,,,,,the towns who rely on the revenue these schools provide for the local economy will not feel this way....so, it is political and all politics are local....

That's kind of where I was heading with this. All of Wyoming's schools feed into the bigger university. Makes no sense to have so many four year schools. Montana's not exactly rolling in the cash, this seems like a no-brainer on the surface. Sometimes feelings get hurt and decisions have to be made.

Which is totally fine as long as you say nice things about the four year college and publically wish it well.

 

[ordigger]

Montana is geographically set up to have 3 four year public colleges and the remainder would then become 2 year feeder schools.
Missoula, Bozeman, Billings make geographic sense for University status with the remaining public colleges becoming 2 year schools.
For all the arguments, we just can't afford anything else.
Go Griz!

Tech would never become a 2-year school. To much National prestige, and major donors. Their Petroleum & Mining Engineering programs are ranked near the top nationally.

 

[66volvo]

Back in the 1980's, the legislature commissioned a study panel to address the bloated system we had, and still have, with the aim of consolidation. It became known as the Mudd Report, named after the committee chairman. Their recommendation: turn Northern, Western and Eastern into two year community colleges funded, in part, by a local levy to take the burden off the state general fund. I think we know how well the state viewed their recommendation. Everything was shelved. Now here we are again. We have far too many mediocre four year schools that could become premier two year community colleges.

 

[Sam A. Blitz]

Tech isn't going anywhere.

I would actually be very surprised to see any of the campuses shut down. Would be shocked to see 2 shut down.

Western and Northern are probably the easiest targets.

Tech and Western are both part of the UofM system and are in the same area of the state, less than 60 miles apart. I could see Tech absorbing some of Westerns programs and then shutting down. Even that though would be a major challenge as those 2 schools operate so differently. It would also be a shame, because Western has done some great and very innovative things and provides a very attractive option for kids who grew up in rural settings.

Northern is the smallest 4-year by enrollment, but is very important for the Hi-Line and NE Montana. Closing Northern would leave those areas of our state grossly under-served and without an Academic base. The population of graduating seniors in those areas are dwindling though. Many of the programs seem to be technical in nature, so you could see them go to a 2-year more easily than many of the other schools. The online programs could be absorbed by MSU Billings.

 

[mondayamqb]

Eliminate the bloat from the increase to State government during the past four years and you could ADD another four year college. Not knowing where a three hundred million surplus went could be a part of the problem that needs attention.

 

[DoubleNicks]

Interesting, I have heard that Flathead Valley Community College has wanted to become an actual four year college, as well. The Kalispell campus has been growing steadily since I moved back. They should be finishing up the new student housing/dorms this year it looks like and they are moving dirt again on the back northeastern part of the property. I think the president won a national small college award last year. I wonder if this would affect/hinder FVCC in their aspirations.

 

[GottaluvGriz]

Montana is geographically set up to have 3 four year public colleges and the remainder would then become 2 year feeder schools.
Missoula, Bozeman, Billings make geographic sense for University status with the remaining public colleges becoming 2 year schools.
For all the arguments, we just can't afford anything else.
Go Griz!

Tech would never become a 2-year school. To much National prestige, and major donors. Their Petroleum & Mining Engineering programs are ranked near the top nationally.

Probably so, but unless something changes dramatically in the coming years, the State budget won't fund all the 4 year schools we currently have.
Go Griz!

 

[kemajic]

Drain the Swamp!

 

[Grizzoola]

How about this: 1. UM & MSU as the only two 4-year schools. 2. a) Havre & Dillon become community colleges (2-yr.). b) MSU-Billings & MT Tech become upper-division 2-yr. institutes with graduate-level programs. 3. Remove all state-supported 2-year colleges from university control. Let them have their own division under the Regents. This division, Community Colleges and Occupational Education, will have its own commissioner. Exception is the 2-yr upper division institutes, noted above; they'd still be under respective university control.

All 2-yr schools, except for the institutes at MSU-Billings & MT Tech, would have feeder programs to the universities and locally-focused occupational programs for trade & industry students. IOW, they'd be comprehensive community colleges like those at Flathead Valley, Glendive, and Miles City. This was one of the options considered by the legislature and regents in the 1995 reorganization of the MT univ. system. It's the road that should have been taken.

As to the suggestion of one 4-yr. school, good point. Paris Gibson, a founder of Great Falls, proposed this idea during debate re: setting up a univ. system. Of course, at Great Falls. Another road not taken. But, MT is stuck with two 4-yr. schools, altho reduction of duplicative programs should be evaluated.

I do not believe any school needs to be closed, altho I understand Dawson Community College at Glendive is having some enrollment problems. Of course, the decision to close it is not up to the MT University System, but to its local taxpayers.

It's time to recognize that the MT of 2017 is not the MT of 1917. MT's higher ed. system has been too top-heavy, academically and administratively, for far too long.

 

[IntuitiveGriz]

Regents explain how the budget cut could cost students:

VIDEO

http://bit.ly/2lJcKd9

 

[Buttegrizzle]

Ah the loss of coal and mining revenue. Missoula (community-wise) has been cheerleading against coal and mining for years but now that it's gone it's time to face reality. At least we are not Wyoming with the $63m lost revenue they are facing.

Closing Dawson CC won't make up the $23m deficit. I think the governor is just making a point and forcing the legislature to dig deeper.