UM earns
reaccreditation
The University of Montana earned reaccreditation for another 10 years
during its recent full-scale evaluation by a site team from the Northwest Association of
Schools and Colleges. In both its initial 67-page report and its final letter of
approval, the accreditation team gave UM more commendations for excellence than
recommendations for improvement, even though it cited repeatedly UM's obvious struggle
with insufficient state funding.
The documents praised the intellectually sound general education program and the strong
interactions among the students, faculty and staff that reflect the interest in and
concern for students at all levels.
Also commended were UM's unique Native American studies department and its outreach
activities in Indian communities; UM's hard-working and dedicated support staff; the new
and enhanced teaching and research facilities that foster innovative teaching; rapid
growth in extramural funding for research; and the emphasis on the importance of artistic
activities on campus and the quality of those activities.
"The seven commendations are about as good as it gets," UM President George
Dennison said. "(They) provide confirmation of our own opinion that The University of
Montana offers a wonderful experience to students who choose to come. The most serious
problems, as the report makes quite clear, derive from the unwillingness or inability of
the state to provide a more appropriate funding base."
The team recommended that the University, higher education commissioner and state Board
of Regents work with the governor and Legislature to increase support.
The report specifically cited the library's operational budget as inadequately funded
to maintain facilities, buy needed equipment and provide services required to meet the
instructional and technological needs of students and faculty.
In other recommendations, the report advised the University to develop fully its
program for assessing education outcomes, update its comprehensive facilities master plan
with attention to information technology, and continue to increase diversity in
backgrounds and cultures of the students, faculty and staff.
The evaluation covered the entire University, not just individual departments and
schools, and was the culmination of a two-year self-evaluation process led by Davidson
Honors College Dean Jerry Fetz, who chaired the Accreditation Steering Committee.
Fetz said the results were gratifying, both in what UM learned about itself in the
process and the final thumbs up by the team.
"We did better than we expected," he said. "I think the major concern is
the overall state funding of the University," he said. "But that is no different
from (accreditation results in) 1989 and 1979. It's a chronic Montana problem."
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