Bragging rights: Gamble says MSU has right stuff

Montana State University http://www.montana.edu/ has become more innovative, more democratic and more successful in serving students and the state’s economy, President Geoff Gamble said Wednesday.

"I find this university so incredibly easy to brag about," Gamble told about 100 people gathered in the Strand Union Building for his annual speech on the state of the university.

By GAIL SCHONTZLER, Chronicle Staff Writer

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2004/04/08/news/gamblebzbigs.txt

"We have a huge powerhouse of talent and energy. I’m pretty proud."

The ever optimistic Gamble, 61, who became president three and a half years ago, bragged that the student body is getting both bigger and smarter, that the new core curriculum will "revolutionize" undergraduates’ education, that MSU faculty have attracted a record $82 million in research grants, and that the university has assisted hundreds of Montana businesses.

He acknowledged MSU’s problems, but found ways to be positive even about lagging employee salaries, tight state funds, the campus space crunch, athletics’ deficit, dilapidated science labs and big tuition hikes.

On salaries, he said the university is collecting data for the Board of Regents to prove the need for more competitive salaries.

"So many employees find they have to work two jobs," he told a reporter. "I lose employees to Home Depot."

"Shared governance," a more open, democratic way of running the university, "isn’t perfect here, but boy, it’s getting good," Gamble said.

He meets regularly with leaders of the faculty, classified employees and students, including them in decisions.

After the speech, two Faculty Council leaders agreed.

"Shared governance, for all intents and purposes, didn’t exist before Geoff got here," said Rich Howard, education professor and past Faculty Council chair.

"He has really reached out to faculty," said Shannon Taylor, associate business professor and Faculty Council chair-elect.

For students, Gamble said he has been raising money for scholarships so that any qualified student can afford MSU, and so far $16.7 million has been raised.

Such fund-raising is crucial in an era when universities nationwide find state support falling behind. Some haven’t figured out how to deal with that new reality, he said, but MSU has.

To find more classroom space, MSU has bought a computer program to find more efficient ways to use existing rooms, he said.

Gamble said he met Wednesday with the governor’s and legislative representatives to seek their support for a $24 million chemistry research building, to be built with overhead money from federal research grants, not state dollars.

MSU’s budget decisions are now being made in an open, public way by the University Planning, Budget & Analysis Committee, he said. MSU has been open about athletics’ $440,000 deficit and is working to solve the problem, he added.

"When people ask me how I can be so positive and optimistic," Gamble concluded, he answers, "it’s you folks who inspire me. … Thank your for your efforts to make MSU what it is and will be.""

Gail Schontzler is at [email protected]