STANDARD SIX:

  GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

 INTRODUCTION

Montana State University - Bozeman (MSU) is the lead institution comprised of four (4) campuses: Bozeman  (MSU - Bozeman), Billings (MSU - Billings), Havre (MSU - Northern), and Great Falls College of Technology (Great Falls COT).  The four (4) units were joined as the MSU organization in July, 1994.  This incorporation was part of a Montana University System (MUS)-wide restructuring which created a dual university structure with multiple campuses affiliated with MSU and with the University of Montana (UM).  As part of a new higher education system, the five (5) vocational-technical centers were merged with baccalaureate/graduate-level institutions.

Throughout the five (5) years since the restructuring took place, the President has encouraged each of the campuses to retain its essential mission and character. Some notable accomplishments have taken place in the areas of curriculum, administration, and both academic and student services. These accomplishments have come about primarily at a colleague-to-colleague level based on mutual dialog and benefit.

 RESTRUCTURING

The primary documents relating to the MUS restructuring are:

·         Appendix 1-A, MUS Restructuring Phase I

·         Appendix 1-B, MUS Restructuring Phase II

·         Appendix 6-A, NASC 1995 Focused Interim Report, "The Impact of the Restructuring of Montana State University"

·         Appendix 6-B, "A Report Card on University Restructuring"

·         Appendix 6-C, "Priorities on the Advent of the 21st Century"

The restructuring of the MUS moved very quickly from the introduction in September of 1993, through a series of public hearings around the state during the fall of 1993, and finally approval by the Board of Regents (BOR) on March 25, 1994.  Administrative responsibility now flows from the BOR to the Commissioner of Higher Education (CHE) to the President of MSU, and from the President of MSU to the CEOs at Billings, Great Falls, and Northern.

The Regents developed a series of policy papers that led to and helped define the MUS restructuring [Exhibit 6.01, Montana University System Restructuring].

Some faculty and staff in Bozeman have worried that the larger Bozeman campus would be required to divert both fiscal and human resources to the other campuses, further diminishing the pool of operations dollars and administrative support.  No positions were added to any of the MSU campuses to facilitate the new administrative structure. One (1) existing staff member at MSU was moved to the President's Office to serve in a coordinating role. Some of the administrative offices on the MSU campus have taken on an additional work load as a result of restructuring. Each of the Vice Presidents have been asked by the President to coordinate their activities for the four (4) campuses. Other areas of significant intercampus interactions occur among the Directors of Budget, Facilities Services, Information Services, Outreach, Extended Studies, and University Relations. On one (1) occasion, over-enrollment budget dollars at MSU were reallocated to another MSU campus. In another case, the need for an administrative computer analyst on the Bozeman campus was filled by a qualified analyst from MSU. Northern.

There have been many questions regarding the restructuring that created a four (4)-campus MSU. Some alumni from Eastern Montana College (now MSU. Billings) and Northern Montana College (now MSU. Northern) have expressed sadness to see the names of their alma maters disappear, but are pleased to now have "University" in their name. Some alumni from Bozeman, on the other hand, are equivocal about the change. Although they may like having the . MSU. more prominently displayed throughout the state, they bristle at the implication that all of the four (4) campuses are now equal in stature.

Faculty, Classified Staff, and Professional Staff Surveys were administered in December 1998, in which two (2) restructuring questions were asked.  Table 6-01 illustrates the opinions of these groups on restructuring issues. Although there are a substantial number of respondents who didn't know, felt the questions were not applicable, or chose to not answer the questions, a number of those who did respond feel that restructuring has not benefitted MSU - Bozeman, and that the reputation of MSU - Bozeman has been compromised because there are other campuses in the state with similar names.

Table 6-01

CAMPUS SURVEY SUMMARY RESPONSES - RESTRUCTURING

Question

Group

Percent of those responding

Percent of those responding

Strongly Agree/

Agree

Disagree/

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know, N/A, or Missing

The restructuring of the Montana University System has benefitted the MSU - Bozeman campus.

Faculty

7.89

66.67

25.44

Classified Staff

9.60

42.60

47.80

Professional Staff

7.00

35.60

57.40

The reputation of MSU - Bozeman remains unchanged even though there are other campuses in the state with similar names.

Faculty

29.77

45.04

25.19

Classified Staff

33.70

30.90

35.40

Professional Staff

34.60

31.90

33.50

The Office of New Student Services (NSS) seems to be particularly affected by the change in name from Montana State University to Montana State University - Bozeman.  Prospective students, particularly from out-of-state, who attend college recruiting fairs, are frequently confused because the MSU - Bozeman and MSU - Billings names, in particular, are so similar.

 GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

Under Article X  of the Montana Constitution, the governance and control of the MUS are vested exclusively in the BOR.  The BOR possesses full authority and responsibility to supervise, coordinate, and manage public higher education in Montana.  In addition to the MSU campuses and the UM campuses, the BOR exercises oversight of Montana's three (3) non-tribal community colleges: Miles Community College, Dawson Community College, and Flathead Valley Community College.  Under state constitutional mandate, the BOR appoints a CHE as the chief administrative officer of the MUS. The CHE, in turn, appoints Deputy Commissioners for Academic and Student Affairs and for Administration and Budget.

In 1989, the Legislature amended state statutes to vest general administrative oversight and supervision of public post-secondary vocational-technical education with the BOR.  This includes the sole state agency. status for the administration of funds under the Carl D. Perkins Act of 1984 [Exhibit 6.02, Carl D. Perkins Act]. The CHE serves as the chief administrative officer at this level [Exhibit 6.03, Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education Organizational Chart].

 GOVERNING BOARD

The creation, membership, and operating rules of the BOR are listed in its By-Laws, Section 201.7 of the Board of Regents Policy and Procedures Manual [Exhibit 6.04, BOR Policy and Procedures Manual]. The BOR includes seven (7) members appointed by the Governor subject to confirmation by the Montana Legislature [Exhibit 6.05, BOR Membership].  All geographic regions of Montana are represented on the BOR. No more than four (4) members may be appointed from the same political party. Information on the Regents can be found at Exhibit 6.06, Board Member Information. The BOR vision and mission statements were updated in July 1999 [Appendix 6-D, Mission and Vision Statements].

Non-student BOR members serve seven (7) year terms.  The student member sits for not less than one (1) year, and not more than four (4) years.  In addition, the Governor and Superintendent of Public Instruction serve in an ex-officio capacity.  If a vacancy occurs, the Governor appoints an individual to complete the remainder of the unfilled term.

The Regents's Policy Manual furnishes rules of operation, which are public and are readily available in print medium and over the Internet.  The Manual contains detailed information about Governance, Academic Affairs, Research and Public Service, Student Affairs, Personnel, Compensation, and other such topics.  Meetings are held every two (2) months with advance public notice in Helena and on campuses throughout the system [Exhibit 6.07, Meeting Schedule].

Faculty from throughout MUS, including MSU - Bozeman faculty, attend regularly scheduled meetings with the BOR and the CHE. In these sessions, the full range of issues regarding university governance and operation are discussed. Similarly, the BOR meets separately with student and classified employee representatives from the MUS campuses. These faculty and staff meetings help the BOR to understand the confluence of viewpoints and ideas that shape the environment on the campus.

Section 203.3.3 of the BOR Policy and Procedures Manual outlines in very general terms the circumstances under which items are brought to the BOR for revision or adoption. The BOR operates according to Roberts Rules of Order, except in specific circumstances as noted in Articles XI and XII of the By-Laws [Exhibit 6.08, BOR By-Laws]. Items before the BOR are decided on a majority vote of the members present and a quorum consists of a majority of the appointed members. Agenda, agenda items, minutes, and summaries of BOR meetings can be reviewed on the BOR Web site [Exhibit 6.09, BOR Web Site].

All major academic program changes, including degrees, certificates, and diplomas, are forwarded to the Commissioner, who then formulates a recommendation to the BOR.  BOR approval is also required for substantive changes in institutional mission, policies, and programs [Exhibit 6.10, Mission Statements]. In 1997, at the direction of the Regents, MUS units submitted new succinct mission statements to replace the more detailed Role and Scope statements used previously [Exhibit 1.03, BOR Repeal of Role and Scope Statements; Exhibit 1.04, MSU Repealed Role and Scope]. Given this mission flexibility some MUS schools have expanded the breadth of their programs. The BOR may need to establish programmatic boundaries given the far more permissive mission statements.

Academic degree programs are reviewed by each unit every four (4) years or as needed.  The CHE coordinates such reviews and reports findings to the BOR.  The Board Policy and Procedures Manual provides protection to students whose programs are terminated.  Should a program be terminated, provisions are made to ensure that students who began majors in that program can complete them.  A "Program Moratorium" may be imposed, so that the program remains in the catalog, but the institution suspends admission to the program.  In some cases a program may be withdrawn, so that the program is not mentioned in the catalog, but advisors continue to work with current students to enable them to complete the course of study they began.

The BOR is kept informed of the accreditation process.  The self-study document is submitted to the CHE, along with all evaluation reports.  The CHE is also notified of all site visits by accreditation agencies.  A report to the BOR on the self-study document and subsequent findings is prepared by the CHE.

 INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING

Although the BOR governs the MUS, the MUS is dependent upon the legislature for funding.  Over the past ten (10) years revenue from the General Fund as a percentage of total MUS costs has declined from 77% in FY 1988 to 52% in FY 1998 [Appendix 7-J, Ten-Year Budget Trend Overview].  This decline in state funding has had an impact on the Regents' ability to address financial needs in the system.  As the legislature has withdrawn support, funding has shifted towards tuition.  Tuition contributed 23% of revenue in FY 1988, but by 1998 this percentage had increased to 48% [Exhibit 6.11, Changes in Tuition Since 1988].

In the Fall of 1998, Montana's Governor submitted a unified K-12 and Higher Education budget for consideration by the 1999 Montana Legislature. This is the first time such a unified budget has been proposed.  The impact on education as a whole in Montana remains to be seen, but the unified budget should provide both legislators and taxpayers with a better understanding of the financial needs of both K-12 and higher education.

 LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The chief executive officer of  MSU - Bozeman is the President, who is appointed by the BOR according to procedures outlined in Section 205.1 of the BOR Policy and Procedures Manual. The President also holds this title for the four (4)-campus MSU, and serves full time as such.  The President is assisted in guiding the direction of the University by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Research, the Vice President for Administration and Finance, and the Vice President for Student Affairs. These lead administrative positions are filled through nation-wide search procedures, and are filled based on a combination of scholarly activity and demonstrated ability in the areas of educational leadership and management. During the 1998-99 academic year, an interim Vice President was chosen from within the four (4) campuses of Montana State University.  The curriculum vitae of the lead administrators who are currently serving can be seen in Exhibit 6.12, Resumes of Lead Administrators.


Turnover at the Vice Presidential level has been a cause for concern. The three (3) previous chief academic officers are now presidents at land-grant institutions (one at MSU), and the two (2) previous chief financial officers moved to the same positions at larger land-grant institutions.  Each of those who went to other campuses did so at substantial salary increases. As the campus is engaged in searches for these positions there is some concern that the salaries offered be adequate to attract an acceptable pool of qualified candidates [Exhibit 6.13, Presidential and Lead Administrator Salaries at Peer Institutions].

The President's staff also includes the Executive Assistant to the President, the Assistant to the President, the Director of University Relations, the University Legal Counsel, the Director of Affirmative Action and Human Resources, the Director of University Budgets, the Director of Internal Audit, and the Director of Alumni Relations [Exhibit 6.14, Central Administration Organizational Chart]. The President is advised by a Local Executive Board which is composed of three (3) individuals appointed by the Governor.  The Local Executive Board consists of business and volunteer leaders who are widely known in the community and the state [Exhibit 6.15, Local Executive Board].

Broad policy development for the University, e.g., enrollment management and resource allocation, is shaped by the Presidents Executive Council (PEC) which includes the President, the Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Administration and Finance, and the Vice-President for Student Affairs [Exhibit 1.11, President's Executive Council].  The PEC meets on a weekly basis, and as necessary, to address specific issues. The PEC responds to current issues, coordinates with appropriate committees, and takes an activist role in assessing institutional progress in mission achievement.

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs is the chief academic officer.  The position entails not only responsibility to MSU, but also requires coordination of the academic affairs of the combined MSU campuses.  The Provost's Council is an Academic Council of academic deans and directors serving in an advisory role to the Provost [Exhibit 6.16, Provost's Council]. The Deans Council, chaired by the Provost, advises the Provost on academic issues, and consists of the deans of the academic colleges plus the dean of the Libraries, the dean of the Museum of the Rockies (MOR), the dean for Extension, and the dean of Graduate Studies, and other directors as appropriate [Exhibit 6.17, Dean's Council] and provides counsel on a narrower range of academic and budgetary matters. Both of these groups also provide communication forums to share information among administrators. The Assistant Dean's Council (ADC), chaired by the Vice Provost, consists of all of the assistant/associate deans of the colleges, plus representatives from non-degree academic programs.  The ADC coordinates the undergraduate program and deals with student issues [Exhibit 6.18, Assistant Dean's Council].

These various administrative groups require institutional data that is appropriate, accurate, and available. The Office of Institutional Research (IR)  is charged with gathering these kinds of data and making them available to various constituencies (see Standard One, pp. 15-16).

Several of the chief administrative officers have faculty status and place high value on their academic stature. The President, Provost, Vice President for Research, and Vice President for Student Affairs have rank in academic departments as do the deans and department heads. Many of these individuals have teaching roles and maintain standing in their academic disciplines. The President, in particular, has maintained an active schedule of scholarly activity, having published four (4) books on the history of the American West during his eight (8) year tenure of office.

ADMINISTRATIVE EVALUATION AND ETHICS

Annual evaluation of administrators is provided for in the BOR Policy and Procedures Manual. The President is evaluated by the Commissioner and the Regents every other year.  The President, in turn, evaluates the Chancellors at Billings and Northern, the Provost and Vice Presidents on the MSU campus, and the staff named above who report directly to the President.  Currently, directors in Student Services are evaluated by the Vice President for Student Affairs;  academic deans and directors are evaluated by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and directors in the Administrative and Finance division are evaluated by the Vice President for Administration and Finance. Additionally, Faculty Council provides the opportunity for members of the faculty to evaluate key administrators once a year.  The instrument used for these evaluations can be viewed at Exhibit 6.19, Administrative Review Form Instrument.

No single ethics code exists for administrators.  Rather, the Department of Administration, State Personnel Division, publishes "Ethics and Standards of Conduct for State Employees" which apply to all Montana public workers.  The document governs the use of state property, the management of state funds, conflicts of interest, the acceptance of gifts, and the use of public property for private business. The last review of this document occurred June 30, 1996 [Exhibit 6.20, Ethics and Standards of Conduct for State Employees].  The BOR Policy and Procedures Manual, in section 700, references many of these same issues as they apply to administrative and professional employees.

Institutional public relations and communications are conducted by the Office of University Relations, the Office of Alumni Relations, and the Montana State University - Bozeman Foundation.  The Office of University Relations works to ensure that all advertising, publications, and communications of the University are consistent, accurate, and supportive of the Mission and goals of the institution. To that end, the office has coordinated publicity for the University, and developed a Graphics Standards Manual [Exhibit 6.21, Graphics Standards Manual]. University Relations has worked with all colleges and offices on campus to ensure that communication with all constituencies reflects institutional priorities and supports the Mission. The office also acts as a coordinator of special campus events and as the liaison with the families of current students. In addition, the office is the institution's chief link to the state legislature and to community and state agencies.

 THE MSU FOUNDATION

The Montana State University Foundation, Inc. is an independent not-for-profit corporation chartered under the laws of Montana [Exhibit 6.22, MSU Foundation].  Its sole purpose is the financial support of the institution and the goals and objectives stated in the University's Mission. The Foundation raises and receives gifts from the private sector, administers funds, and manages assets to enhance the quality of education.  The Foundation offers flexibility not possible with state-appropriated funds, providing discretionary funding for scholarship and equipment acquisition, and supports scholarly advancement for faculty members and other similar activities. Financial statements for the Foundation can be viewed in Exhibit 6.23, MSU Foundation Financial Statements.

Approximately 85% of gifts are designated by donors for a particular college, department, program, or scholarship.  The Foundation deposits those gifts directly into accounts established at the Foundation.  Expenditures of these gift funds are made on behalf of campus programs in accordance with the guidelines established for that account and for restricted funds in general. Unrestricted contributions provide support for student development, acquisition of needed academic equipment, recognition of outstanding teaching and academic performance, and University promotion.  The balance of unrestricted funds is used by the Foundation for donor communications and fund raising or, at the University's request, to support other special projects.

A twenty-six (26) member Board of Directors governs the Foundation. Elected by their peers, many are national and state-wide leaders in business, the professions, and civic affairs.  All serve without compensation and contribute expertise.  The Board meets five (5) times a year, with committee meetings scheduled between full sessions.  The Directors furnish external oversight of the Foundation's operations.  By charter, the University President, the Provost, and the Vice President for Administration and Finance serve on the Board in an ex officio non-voting basis, establishing a formal channel of communication between the two (2) organizations.

Because of decreases in general fund support for the University, and to help supplement college budgets and projects, the Foundation has hired development officers for each college.  This positive effort has been successful to date in supporting educational opportunities on campus. More detailed information regarding the Foundation can be found in Standard Seven, pp. 256-258.

 FACULTY ROLE IN GOVERNANCE

Shared governance by faculty, students, and staff, and faculty rights and responsibilities are detailed in the Faculty Handbook [Exhibit 4.01, Faculty Handbook]. The Handbook also describes the rights and responsibilities of faculty and the faculty positions on university and search committees.  Similarly, the contract between the Montana Public Employees Association (MPEA) and the MUS affords staff representation "when in the best interest of the institution or when the function of the committee is affected with non-academic staff interests." (Article XIII, Section 3).

Opportunities for faculty involvement in shared governance at MSU are centered in the MSU Faculty Council and its committees [Exhibit 1.13, Faculty Council]. The charge to the Faculty Council is to:

·         "Provide a means for faculty and administration to interact and to discuss, formulate, and recommend university policy to the appropriate university authority. The Faculty Council Constitution describes the powers  of the Council to recommend such policy, always within the constraints of the Montana University System's powers as described in the Constitution of the State of Montana."

Committees dealing with the full spectrum of university tasks including policy, planning, governance, curriculum, research, student life, and appeals all have faculty representation.  The faculty also play a major role in university-wide decision making through membership on the University Governance Council Steering Committee, which consists of members of the Faculty Council, the Professional Council, the Classified Employees Personnel Advisory Committee (CEPAC) [Exhibit 1.15, Classified Employees personnel Advisory Committee], and the Associated Students of Montana State University (ASMSU) [Exhibit 3.26, ASMSU].

The importance of the faculty role in institutional decision making has been acknowledged and strengthened through faculty membership on the major planning committees that have evolved since 1990:

·         Long-Range Planning Committee.  See Standard One, pp. 16-17.

·         Exhibit 1.16, Long Range Planning Committee

·         Appendix 1-C,  Long Range Plan, 1994

·         Appendix 1-D, Long Range Plan (Revised 1998)

·         Appendix 1-E, Long Range Plan Goals and Strategies (Revised 1998)

·         Special Review Committee.  See Standard One, pp. 17.

·         Exhibit 1.17, Special Review Committee

·         Appendix 1-I, Special Review Committee Report

·         Strategic Planning and Budget Committee.  See Standard One, pp. 17.

·         Exhibit 1.18, Strategic Planning and Budget Committee

·         Appendix 1-J, Strategic Planning and budget Committee Strategic Objectives for MSU - Bozeman - Draft

Regular weekly meetings between the Faculty Council leadership and the PEC serve to maintain excellent communication and coordination between the faculty and the administration.  The Chair of Faculty Council is supported by the institution through a .50 FTE buyout of her/his salary during the academic year in which she/he serves, while the Chair-elect is supported by a .25 FTE buyout.    

In spite of all of the above opportunities for faculty involvement in administration and planning, 58% of the faculty responding to the Faculty Survey did not agree that they have the opportunity to participate in setting university goals.

 STUDENT ROLE IN GOVERNANCE

MSU has a long tradition of effective student input into the operations of the institution. ASMSU's primary goal is to enable students to use their own skills and abilities and have a beneficial impact on MSU. ASMSU's committees and programs are designed to provide students with the skills necessary to learn and grow, and to ensure that all students receive the full benefit of the student activity fee.  See Standard Three, pp. 162, for full information on ASMSU.

The ASMSU administrative officers and Senate leadership meet regularly with the University President and other administrators to discuss campus, MUS, and legislative issues. ASMSU appoints students to serve on all major University governance, planning and budget committees, and to the search committees for major academic and administrative positions.

ASMSU represents its students. concerns at the state level as well, through participation in the Montana Associated Students (MAS).  This organization, which represents all public higher education students in Montana, gathers information, establishes positions on issues, and communicates the needs of students to legislators, the governor, and the BOR.  MAS representatives meet with the Governor and BOR for a luncheon to exchange information at each BOR meeting.  The MAS have input regarding proposed student charges such as fees or tuition increases prior to BOR action.

 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

MSU is an equal opportunity institution in providing full access to employment, facilities, and academic programs. The President has delegated the responsibility for development and implementation of the Affirmative Action Program to the director of the Office of Human Resources and Affirmative Action (HR/AA). As a representative of the President, the director has the responsibility to ensure compliance with the University's affirmative action program, including development of the written plan and dissemination of Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity (AA/EO) policy.

The HR/AA office works closely with faculty and professional employee search committees to ensure the implementation of Affirmative Action policies, to provide the President and administrative officers with regular progress reports, to maintain up-to-date work force and utilization analyses, and to design and implement auditing and reporting systems which evaluate progress towards goals. The policies and procedures for administrative hiring are outlined in the Recruitment and Hiring Manual [Exhibit 4.26, Recruitment and Hiring Manual]. For classified employees, these policies and procedures are managed by the Office of Employee Relations. These policies, as well as those for performance appraisal, benefits, and termination for all employees are located in the Personnel Policies Procedures Manual [Exhibit 6.24, Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual].

The HR/AA director serves as liaison between MSU and federal government regulatory agencies, organizations for women and minorities, and community groups. The HR/AA office informally mediates and resolves equal opportunity complaints whenever possible, and when necessary conducts formal investigations, and provides diversity and sexual harassment policy training. The director of HR/AA meets regularly with the President and Provost and when necessary with other administrative leaders. The director is a member of the Salary Review Committee, the University Promotion and Tenure Committee (ex officio), and chairs the Affirmative Action Advisory Committee [Exhibit 6.25, Affirmative Action Advisory Committee].

The University's affirmative action goals are stated in the Campus Action Plan to Promote Diversity and Increase Minority Participation at MSU [Exhibit 6.26, Campus Action Plan to Promote Multicultural Diversity, 1992-2002]. This mid-decade progress report for all the MSU campuses was published in 1997.

 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

At MSU, there are eleven (11) collective bargaining units representing approximately 850 of 1,000 classified and skilled craft employees.  The OCHE selects a chief negotiator who acts on behalf of, and coordinates, collective bargaining for the MUS.  Collective bargaining agreements are negotiated every two (2) years. Contracts run concurrently with the legislative biennium. Some of these contracts include employees in other units of the MUS.

All classified employees are paid in accordance with the State Pay Plan established by the state legislature. Because of the constitutional autonomy granted to the university system, the BOR does have some latitude to deviate from the State Pay Plan, but has been reluctant to exercise this option in the past. Wages for skilled craft employees are negotiated. MSU's bargaining units and the number of employees represented are as follows:  

·         MPEA is the largest union and represents the greatest cross section of employees (612), including administrative support, accounting, laboratory and research technicians and specialists, and police officer positions [Exhibit 6.27, MPEA Collective Bargaining Agreement]

·         Laborers (80) represent primarily custodians, as well as grounds keepers, maintenance workers, and equipment mechanics

·         Teamsters (88) represent custodial and food service worker positions

·         Skilled craft employees include Carpenters (13), Electricians (7), Machinists (4), Operating Engineers (11), Painters (5), and Plumbers (8)

·         American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) represent employees (15) at the Agricultural Research Center in Miles City including farm ranch hands, equipment mechanics, equipment operators, maintenance worker, and administrative support

·         Nurses in the Student Health Service (8) are represented by the Montana Nurses Association (MNA)

Over the past decade negotiations have become increasingly adversarial, but have not disrupted the educational process of the institution.  The major focus has been the dissatisfaction of wages.  Very recent changes are noted in Standard Four, pp. 196.

On the MSU campus, faculty are not represented by a collective bargaining unit. During FY1988-89, there was a movement to unionize faculty; however, it was rejected by a vote of almost two (2)-to-one (1).  Since that time there have been no concerted efforts to organize a faculty bargaining unit.  Faculty at MSU - Billings, MSU - Northern, Western Montana College of UM, UM-Missoula, and the five (5) colleges of technology are represented by collective bargaining agreements.

 CONCLUSIONS

·         The restructuring of the MUS has had a strong and not always positive impact on MSU.  The additional responsibilities placed on administrators have been significant.  Some confusion and concern has resulted from the changes in names in the institutions in the four (4)-unit MSU organization.

·         The BOR maintains full authority over the University.

·         General funding has declined significantly over the past ten  (10) years.  The majority of shortages have been made up through tuition increases.

·         The organizational structure of MSU is functioning well.  Opportunities for communication are readily available.  An appropriate evaluation system is in place for all administrators.

·         The MSU Foundation continues to supplement state support.  Efforts to increase foundation income through college development officers have been successful.

·         Faculty, professional staff, and classified staff are given the opportunity, particularly through their representative organizations, to participate in university planning and governance.

·         The HR/AA office ensures compliance with the university's Affirmative Action Plan.  The director serves as the liaison between administrative leaders and other interest groups, both on and off campus.

·         Over three-quarters of classified and skilled craft employees are represented by collective bargaining units.  The issue of low classified staff salaries has grown to a major contention item over the past ten (10) years.  Recent developments are beginning to remedy this situation.


STANDARD SIX - LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix 6-A

NASC Focused Interim Report, "The Impact of the Restructuring of Montana State University"

 

Appendix 6-B

"A Report Card on University Restructuring"

 

Appendix 6-C

"Priorities on the Advent of the 21st Century"

 

Appendix 6-D

BOR Mission and Vision Statements

http://www.montana.edu/~wwwbor/docs/MissionStatement. html

STANDARD SIX - LIST OF EXHIBITS

Exhibit 6.01

Montana University System Restructuring

http://www.montana.edu/wwwbor/docs/musrest.html

Exhibit 6.02

Carl D. Perkins Act

 

Exhibit 6.03

Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education Organizational Chart

 

Exhibit 6.04

BOR Policy and Procedures Manual

http://www.montana.edu/~wochelp/borpol/  

Exhibit 6.05

BOR Membership

http://www.montana.edu/wwwbor/docs/borlist.html

Exhibit 6.06

Board Member Information

http://www.montana.edu/wwwbor/docs/borinfo.html  

Exhibit 6.07

Meeting Schedule

http://www.montana.edu/wwwbor/docs/dateinfo.html

Exhibit 6.08

BOR By-Laws

http://www.montana.edu/wochelp/borpol/bor200/2017.html l

Exhibit 6.09

BOR Web Site

http://www.montana.edu/wwwbor/docs/borpage.html   

Exhibit 6.10

Mission Statements

http://www.montana.edu/wochelp/borpol/bor200/219.htm

Exhibit 6.11

Changes in Tuition Since 1988

http://www.montana.edu/aircj/facts/tuition.html

Exhibit 6.12

Resumes of Lead Administrators

 

Exhibit 6.13

Presidential and Lead Administrator Salaries at Peer Institutions

 

Exhibit 6.14

Central Administration Organizational Chart

 

Exhibit 6.15

Local Executive Board

 

Exhibit 6.16

Provost's Council

http://www.montana.edu/aircj/coms/provost.html

Exhibit 6.17

Dean's Council

http://www.montana.edu/aircj/coms/dean.html

Exhibit 6.18

Assistant Dean's Council

http://www.montana.edu/aircj/coms/asstdean.html

Exhibit 6.19

Administrative Review Form Instrument

 

Exhibit 6.20

Ethics and Standards of Conduct for State Employees

 

Exhibit 6.21

Graphics Standards Manual

 

Exhibit 6.22

MSU Foundation, Inc.

http://www.montana.edu/wwwulf/

Exhibit 6.23

MSU Foundation Financial Statements

 

Exhibit 6.24

Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual

http://www.montana.edu/aircj/manual/pers/

Exhibit 6.25

Affirmative Action Advisory Committee

http://www.montana.edu/aircj/coms/aaac.html

Exhibit 6.26

Campus Action Plan to Promote Multicultural Diversity, 1992-2002

http://www.montana.edu/wwwaffrm/policy/diversity.html

Exhibit 6.27

MPEA collective Bargaining Agreement

http://www.montana.edu:80/aircj/contract/mpea/

Return to Self Study Table of Contents.