Whether your student is 10 miles away or a 1,000 miles away, you most likely have questions about college life at Montana State University.

We have compiled a list of our most popular questions for you to browse through. If you still find your questions unanswered, please call or e-mail us. We are more than happy to assist you in navigating your way through the University system.

retent@montana.edu

406-994-7359

Campus Safety

Academics

How can my student change his major? Is that an okay thing to do?
How can my student find information out about registration?
My student has a couple of courses they may not be doing well in. They don't know if they are passing the classes. It is nearing the last day to drop classes and they need to decide if they should drop them.
How can I access my student's records, such as Financial Aid records or disciplinary files?
School has always been difficult for my student. What can be done to help my student achieve academic success?
How can I access my students grades?
Can my student graduate in four years?
What about summer school?

Campus Life

What banks/ATMs are available on campus?
My student wants to get involved in a club or organization, where does he start?
My student's roommate often has his/her girlfriend/boyfriend over to their room all hours of the night, and sometimes all night. My student can't study or sleep and is not doing well in their courses.
What about vehicles on campus?
What is the greek system like on MSU's campus? Can my son/daughter join a fraternity or a sorority?
Should my student live on campus or off campus?

Travel

Student Life

Should my student work while going to school?
My student has had a personal, family, or medical issue arise near the end of the semester and needs to go home.
My student is really homesick and wants to come home every weekend. What should I do?
My student has had some psychological counseling in the past, and has also had some medical problems. I don't know where to find this kind of help here because he is not on the MSU student health insurance plan.
When should we buy books for classes?
What cell phone service providers are available in Bozeman, Montana?

Is alcohol abuse a problem at MSU and what should I do if I think my student is abusing alcohol?
Alcohol is an issue on every college campus and this isn't any different at MSU. MSU has set up numerous programs to help assist students with drug and alcohol abuse. The Insight program may be the primary resource for parents who are concerned about their student. The Insight program is MSU's drug and alcohol assistance center, to get a hold of the Insight office call 406-994-2826. There is also an Alcohol/Drug Counselor at Counseling & Psychological Services. Counseling is free and the testing is very inexpensive. In addition to the previously mentioned services, there are also Alcoholic Anonymous meetings for students and are held on campus each week throughout the year; check at the ASK-US Desk for the time and location of the meetings. Other services are available through the Student Health Service and Health promotion.

My daughter has an evening class and has to walk across campus after dark, is it safe?
The University police provides a 24 hour escort service for anyone on campus. Simply call the Police Department (994-2121) and request an escort from any point originating on campus to any other point on campus or a contiguous location to the campus.

How does my student find out about registration?
Registration happens online usually during the second to last month of each semester. Students can find out more information about registration from their academic advisor. Students are required to meet with their advisors each semester to obtain their PDF (Personal Data Form). This form has the student's individual advisor PIN which is required for registration. The Registrar's Office also prints a registration handbook each semester that can be found online and obtained from the Registrar's Office in Montana Hall.

How can my student change his major? Is that an okay thing to do?
Most students change their majors a few times before eventually deciding upon the one they plan to stick with. To change their major, the student needs to obtain a change of curriculum card from the Registrar's office in Montana Hall and have their old department sign it, the new department sign it and then they need to return the card to the Registrar's office. The Registar will make the changes in the system and the student's major will be officially changed. Students may change their major as many times as they wish.

My student has a couple of courses they may not be doing well in. They don't know if they are passing the classes. It is nearing the last day to drop classes and they need to decide if they should drop them.
The student should make an appointment with the course instructor to determine their actual status and whether they can pass the class. If they cannot, the student should drop the class and focus their efforts on their other courses. If your student is living in the residence halls or is receiving financial aid, inform Residence Life and Financial Aid. When a student drops below full-time student status the student can often make arrangements to continue their services if possible. For help in the area, have the student contact their instructors, their academic advisor, International Education, Financial Aid, Residence Life, and ASMSU/ABC tutoring service.

How can I access my student's records, such as Financial Aid records or disciplinary files?
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) states that students are independent of their parents. Parents of students are not allowed access to student records by federal law. Students can feel out an release of information form, which will allow that particular office to release the students information to the parents.

How can I access my students grades?
Once again FERPA states that students are independent of their parents, even if the parents are funding their students education. Every student is given a username and a password to the "My Info" page, which allows them to access personal information such as grades, registration status, and unofficial transcripts. The "My Info" page can be accessed from any computer that has an internet connection. Students can share the login information with their parents, so their parents can access their students academic records.

Can my student graduate in four years?
Depending on a student's major, it is definitely possible to graduate in four years. However, we are now finding that on average at Universities, most students take about six years to graduate. Students at MSU do have the option of attending summer school and many students find this to be helpful in assisting in graduating in a preferred amount of time. If a student is concerned with the amount of time it will take them to graduate, they should see their academic advisor to plan out their four/five/six year plan.

What about summer school?
MSU offers a summer session for students interested in the option. There are two six week sessions and one 12 week intersession in the summer. Students wishing to enroll in summer classes can start doing so in April. The website for summer session is available at http://www.montana.edu/summer Summer session is the perfect time for students to get a jump start on classes, retake a class or focus on a hard classes. Summer classes are usually small and intense, requiring a student to pay close attention and work hard to do well.

What banks/ATMs are available on campus?
First Interstate Bank is located inside the Strand Union Building and is open 9:00am-4:00pm. There is also an ATM available outside the bank. There are also a number of ATMs available in the SUB. These include: Rocky Mountain Credit Union, US Bank, First Security Bank, Sky Federal Credit Union and Stockman Bank. Most of these ATMS are available to anyone with an ATM card for a small fee.

My student wants to get involved in a club or organization, where does he start?
Your student should visit the Office of Student Activities, 282 Strand Union, across from the ASK-US Desk to learn about the various student groups available. Make some phone calls to the leaders of various groups you are interested in, or visit with members of the organization. Also check out Intramurals & Recreation (202 Shroyer Gym) and your academic departments for other activities. Studies show who get involved have perform better academically; not to mention having student activities on a students resume makes them more marketable for internships, scholarships, and job opportunities when they graduate.

My student's roommate often has his/her girlfriend/boyfriend over to their room all hours of the night, and sometimes all night. My student can't study or sleep and is not doing well in their courses.
It is absolutely essential to have your student confront their roommate. If they are living in a residence hall they should ask their Resident Advisor for assistance if they have already tried to confront their roommate. The residence halls have rules against such behavior. It is not right morally or ethically to have to tolerate such behavior from a roommate.

What about vehicles on campus?
All vehicles parked on campus are required to either have a visitor hang tag or a parking permit. Parking permits are available from University Police located in the Huffman Building on the corner of Kagy and 7th Avenue. Vehicles parked on campus without a permit will be ticketed. Visitors can purchase a day pass, a week pass or park in the paid parking lot in front of the Strand Union Building. Along with vehicles, bicycles also need to be registered on campus. This can be done through University Police as well.

What is the greek system like on MSU's campus? Can my son/daughter join a fraternity or a sorority?
MSU has 4 sororities and 7 fraternities. Students and parents who are interested in finding out more information can visit the Greek website at http://www.montana.edu/wwwgreek, see the greek coordinator in the Dean of Students Office in the SUB room 120 or call 994-6192.

Should my student live on campus or off campus?
All single, full-time undergraduate students who have not earned thirty hours of college credit in a residence hall setting must live on campus in university housing and sign up for a minimum 5-Day meal plan. There are exceptions to this rule that can be found at the Residence Life website or by calling Residence Life (994-2661). Often upperclassmen choosing to stay on campus live in the North Hedges Suites which offer apartment-style living. Another option is Johnstone Center which offers housing for students 21 and older. All residence halls are open to students after their freshman year as well. After their freshman year many students choose to move off campus and into apartments or houses to experience living on their own. The Bozeman area has a wide array of different types of housing options for students. The local newspaper, rental agencies and the school paper all have listings of available housing. Students will find the best time to look for rentals is during winter break, in between semesters and in the middle of the summer.

My student doesn't have a car and needs to get to the airport to come home for winter break, is there any kind of transportation offered by the university?
Montana State University does not offer transportation to the airport but there are a few alternatives. With over 12,000 students attending the university, there is bound to be someone going to the airport. We suggest students look for opportunities to carpool with students in their residence halls or classes. There is also a public taxi in Bozeman called All Valley Cab. Their reliable service is offered at nearly every hour of the day so students are sure to get to the airport on time. Their phone number is 406-388-9999. Karst Stage also has a shuttle that goes to the airport. If your student needs a ride home, there is a ride board in the SUB. This board is next to the bookstore and operated by the Ask Us Information Center. Students traveling around the state usually post cards saying they will take passengers. Students can also post cards saying they need rides or are willing to carpool.

When is Parent Family Weekend and how can we sign up?
Parent Family Weekend is usually the last weekend in October during a home football game. The Parent Family Association coordinates the weekend. See their website for more information and to register.

Should my student work while going to school?
Studies show that working between 10 and 20 hours a week actually helps students academically. Working more than 20 hours is often too much and usually has a negative influence on a student's GPA. Work Study jobs are available on the financial aid website. Non work study jobs are posted in the Career Services office, located in the Strand Union room 125.

My student has had a personal, family, or medical issue arise near the end of the semester and needs to go home.
Have your student visit with each instructor to find out the status of their grades -the student may be able to be graded on current standing. If this is not possible, then the student may need to drop the courses or you may be eligible for "incomplete" grades. Contact the Dean of Students Office (406-994-2826) to discuss the options. The student may also contact Counseling & Psychological Services if emotional support is needed.

My student is really homesick and wants to come home every weekend. What should I do?
Feeling lonely is a very normal thing, especially during a students first year of college or the first time they are away from home. Encourage your student to get involved with student activities, there are well over 200 clubs and organizations at MSU. Also encourage them to go around and discover the Bozeman area. Try to persuade your student not to come home too often. Keep an open line of communication and be supportive.

My student has had some psychological counseling in the past, and has also had some medical problems. I don't know where to find this kind of help here because he is not on the MSU student health insurance plan.
You DO NOT need MSU student health insurance coverage to use the Student Health Service or Counseling & Psychological Services. You are automatically charged a student health fee which gives you access to nurses, doctors, counselors, and psychologists. Only if you have other health insurance are you required to purchase the MSU student plan to cover catastrophic events. Inquire at the Student Health Service about service available to you.

When should we buy books?
The bookstore starts stocking new books the week before classes begin. Purchasing them during this week helps to minimize time spent waiting in line. However, some students like to wait until after classes start because they might find out they don't need to buy as many books as they'd thought. They will get a syllabus the first week of classes that should list all the books they need and which books are optional.

What cell phone service providers are available in Bozeman, MT?
Currently Alltel and Verizon Wireless are the main cell phone providers in the Bozeman area. Both companies have quite a few store locations around Bozeman and near campus.

Return to regular view	Text-only	Updated: 2/02/07