Montana Board of Regents OK Strategic Plan for 2006-10 aimed at retaining students and assisting in the expansion and improvement of the state’s economy through the development of high-value jobs and diversification of the economic base.

A year in the making, a statewide strategic plan aimed at plugging the “leaking pipeline” of young Montanans who fail to graduate from high school or college won approval Wednesday from the Montana Board of Regents.

Regent Mark Semmens called the four-year plan a “well-articulated,” “well-stated comprehensive document on the state of affairs of higher education in Montana.”

Its goals: “To increase the overall educational attainment of Montanans through increased participation, retention, and completion rates in the Montana University System; assist in the expansion and improvement of the state’s economy through the development of high-value jobs and diversification of the economic base; improve institutional and system efficiency and effectiveness.”
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At the heart of the 40-page plan is a concept called the “leaking pipeline,” which explains how higher education is increasingly a critical component in the success of individuals and states – and how Montana is facing alarming enrollment trends.

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To get a copy of the Montana University System’s strategic plan for 2006-10, visit http://www.montana.edu/wwwbor/7-2006AgendaBoRFNL.pdf or call the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education at 406-444-6570.

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By BETSY COHEN of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/07/13/news/mtregional/news07.txt