BeFriend Us

Above:  Students visit with TC Knutson, Americorps Representative and a Student Government representative at the BeFriend Us event last week. They also met with faculty and staff and had an opportunity for a 'sneak preview' of the new Simulated Hospital. The purpose of the event was to connect students to faculty, staff and fellow students at the start of their first semester of college. Research shows that this connection is very important in keeping students engaged.

Come see the newly constructed Advising & Career Center in R220 across from the Learning Center. New advisors, Jamie Hauer and Eleazar Ortega have joined Director Courtney Johnsrud and Greg Stivers. Sandra Bauman will be arriving on campus later this month to complete the 5 advisor team. Student support services and programs will be refined and implemented to develop an intrusive, streamlined and personalized advising process.

Senator Jon Tester's field staff has scheduled outreach in at MSU - Great Falls to discuss education, financial aid and the GI Bill with all college students, faculty and staff on Wednesday, September 14 in South Court from 11 am to 12 noon.  

The Weaver Library will display selected books commemorating our American Indian Heritage during the week of September 23. You may literally 'check it out' if you see a book of interest displayed.

In the photo above, Don prepares a Smudging Ceremony in the College's Courtyard for his Native Beliefs class.

Our Unsung Hero:  Pat Volkmar

  We know Pat as an adjunct teacher for Continuing Education courses, the Montana Institute for Educational Technology, Missouri River Breaks and Kids College. His students at North Middle School know him as their shop teacher, their mentor and the director of 'Hooked on Fishing, Not Drugs.' Pat was recently honored as KFBB's August 2011 Unsung Hero. The following is an excerpt of the KFBB newscast:   "Pat Volkmar has been a dedicated teacher at North Middle School for 14 years. He founded the Grizz Bizz, a program that teaches entrepreneurial skills to students, as well as Camp Walleye. He has the deepest respect for his students and they return the favor. Max Media of Montana and News Channel 5 is proud to recognize Pat as the August 2011 Unsung Hero." For the complete interview, go to:   KFBB Unsung Hero.

MSUGF Officially a Microsoft IT Academy Partner

Ken Wardinsky, Chief Technology Officer, recently completed his Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification an Enterprise Administrator on Windows Server 2008; and has also earned his certification as a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) and will be teaching this course this Fall Semester. This will give networking students at MSU Great Falls the experience of learning from not only Microsoft Official Curriculum; a certified instructor for the course content; but also from an instructor with fifteen years of real world experience in the networking field.

The Microsoft IT Academy consists of web-based modules and instruction, which enable students to learn Microsoft computer programs. Because the Academy is computer-based, students can complete the programs both in the classroom and at home through hybrid coursework. Students may earn certification as Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) by completing the Microsoft IT Academy coursework and passing certification exams. Faculty and staff members are also are able to obtain professional development and earn industry credentials through the program.

As a Microsoft IT Academy program member, the College is able to offer students a world-class technology curriculum and courseware provided by Microsoft. These rich online learning resources, including virtual labs, provide hands-on experience with Microsoft software.