University of Montana 2015-2016 President’s Report – Greater Heights

Welcome to the 2015-2016 edition of the UM President’s Report. We have
chosen the title "Greater Heights" to reflect the talent, the fresh energy,
the ambition and the optimism that abound at the University of Montana.
We are all here because we believe that education is among the most important
functions of our society, and we are all rewarded by giving the next generation
opportunities that allow them to be more and to become more. Truly, this is a place
that launches lives.

UM began the 2015-2016 academic year with news of several record-breaking
achievements. Our outstanding faculty brought in nearly $83 million in research awards
last year – an all-time record for us. The University of Montana Foundation received
private support from 14,272 individual gifts in fiscal year 2015, with contributions
totaling $52.6 million. That level of philanthropy was just shy of our all-time high from
the previous year. And in August, our campus had a national platform of 1 million
households to start the academic year, with an ESPN-televised football game where
the Grizzlies defeated the four-time national champion North Dakota State Bison in the
final seconds.

Surely future successes await as we look to our strategic plan, "UM 2020: Building a
University for the Global Century," to guide our decision-making. This plan, paired with
our annual institutional assessment reports, helps gauge our success as we strive toward
the ambitious goals we set for ourselves. The following pages illustrate some of our
metrics using the heart of UM – our students – with all their studies, their career goals
and their dreams.

I believe the next five years present a tremendous opportunity for UM. We have
embarked upon a bold journey to be among the nation’s most distinctive and effective
public universities. We will build from our unique combination of this magical place,
the Montana work ethic, our expansive thinking and our inclusive worldview. We will
continue to focus on leadership at every turn – among our students, our faculty and our
programs. The UM experience transforms our students, UM research changes our lives,
and UM graduates are changing the world.

President Royce Engstrom

Full Report: http://www.umt.edu/president/2015-2016%20Presidents%20Report%20online.pdf