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News Archive June 2008 This fiscal year is rapidly coming to an end, and it has been another excellent year. Our recent outdoor graduation ceremony was exciting, despite a little bite in the air offered by Mother Nature. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have held five outdoor ceremonies in Butte during the first ten days of May. At this year’s commencement, the Foundation presented 2008 Alumni License Plate Holders to all of the graduates. From all comments, this gift was a huge hit! Irrespective of the commencement activities, May was an extremely busy month for the staff and students. Summer School started last week with student numbers slightly better than last year. The final MNEWS for the academic year was compiled this last week and is currently at the printer. We should see the first editions in mailboxes within the next couple weeks. Again, I appreciate any comments, thoughts, or ideas for this publication. Fundraising for May 2008 was outstanding, led by the gift from Goldcorp, Inc. During May we received a total of $696,932 from 163 donors. This compares to the same period last year when we received $115,664 from 279 givers. The largest of the May 2008 gifts was the first pledge payment from Goldcorp of $550,000. Other major gifts for the month include a gift from ConocoPhillips presented by Ryan Lance prior to the commencement ceremony (remember, Ryan was our commencement speaker), a payment to the Marcus Daly Society from Tom Dyk, and a receipt from the Kiewit Foundation in support of the School of Mines recruiting effort. In addition to the cash received in May, we also received two significant pledges of support. The first is a $100,000 matching challenge from a generous alumni to all other Petroleum alumni. An announcement of this challenge grant was mailed to all petroleum alumni and friends last week. The second major pledge processed last month was a $160,000 commitment from Barnard Construction to supplement the salary of a new position within the General Engineering Department. The Montana Tech Foundation, working with our 2008 Class Agent, Levi Briese, has developed a senior giving program centered on the theme of ‘Staying Connected’. Members of the Class of 2008 have adopted the ‘M’ restoration as their class project, and have challenged each other to participate by donating $20.08 to the project. The 'M' restoration project received a nice piece of notoriety from the Montana Standard yesterday. The newspaper offered a full-page story on the "M" and the restoration effort. See: http://www.mtstandard.com/bigskylife/ for a look at the coverage. As soon as Mother Nature opens a window of opportunity, Jordan Contracting will begin the structural phase of this project. During May 2008, the following new funds were created:
Our students continue to be successful in attracting national attention. Montana Tech mining engineering student Jack Stratton recently received notice that he is a 2008-2009 recipient of a $10,000 grant from The Copper Club, Inc. Jack will receive the $10,000 in two installments, $5,000 his junior year and $5,000 his senior year. Jack is the son of Bob & Peggy Stratton and the 2006 Valedictorian of Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, Washington. The Copper Club, Inc. grant is for undergraduate students majoring in mining, geology, & metallurgical engineering and other fields related to the maintenance and expansion of the copper industry. Jack joins ten other Montana Tech Students who have won this prestigious award offered by the mining industry. Julie Crnich and I will be heading to Calgary next week to host an alumni event and participate in the Global Petroleum Expo. During our trip we plan to meet with corporate partners and alumni, so if you have some thoughts on individuals or corporations that need to hear from us, please let us know. The inaugural year of DIGGERecruiting was also very successful. Career Services has seen an increase in student registrations of more than 50%, and over 120% more jobs postings when compared to last year. The 9th annual Montana Tech Career Fair registration has started. The opening celebration will take place on Wednesday, September 10th with the career fair happening the following day in the HPER Complex. We already have 34 employers who have completed their registration. Get your organization on the list soon! The Athletics Department continues to seek support for the new JumboTron scoreboard for Alumni Coliseum. To date, we have raised $11,000 against a target of $50,000. The M-Club Alumni Group (former football players) have committed to assisting with this fundraising challenge. Please take a look at the Montana Tech homepage. Make a special note of the links on the bottom left of the page. We have a live WEBCAM overlooking the construction site of the NRB and an interactive map of the campus. Enjoy! Thanks again for all of your support. Mike Johnson May 2008 It is finally beginning to look like spring in Butte. The sun is shining and a few nice days are forecasted before the next snow storm. Ann Gilmore has the assignment to make sure that the sun is shining for commencement on May 10th! A historic day in Montana Tech’s illustrious history occurred late last week. Goldcorp, Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia, presented Montana Tech a pledge of $1,050,000 for faculty salary supplements in the areas of Mining, Metallurgical, and Geological Engineering. This gift is in addition to the $200,000 given to Tech in late 2006. Obviously, we are thrilled by this investment in our present and future faculty members. Dan Rovig and Kevin McArthur, Goldcorp CEO, are to be commended for their collective vision. Both of these leaders believe that investing in our faculty will provide tangible returns for the extractive minerals industry. Continuing with the fundraising conversation, the month of April was a strong month. This April the Montana Tech Foundation received 335 gifts for a total of $174,402. This compares to 430 gifts totaling $160,530 the same month last year. Major gifts in April of 2008 include a significant contribution by the local Soroptimist Group to the M Restoration Project, a gift from the Ewing Trust for scholarships, a gift from Nordic Mining to support the Brian Ballou Endowed Scholarship, and a scholarship investment by Anadarko Corporation. In addition to these gifts, the Digger Athletic Association (DAA) hosted an extraordinary gala auction last weekend in an effort to raise money for student-athlete scholarships. The gross proceeds from the event totaled more than $100,000. This was a tremendous effort by many, and the students will benefit in countless ways from the generosity of our community and friends! The DAA continues their fundraising efforts tomorrow with “UDDER INSANITY”. As of this morning, 1,760 squares have been sold at $20 apiece, with each square representing one chance at winning $10,000. If you are lucky enough to have the cow drop a pie on your square, you are the winner. This event will raise more than $20,000 for Digger Athletics. As you know, the construction for the Natural Resources Building is well underway. However, our $2.0 million private-fundraising commitment has not been reached. At this point we are approximately $245,000 short of the target. Very recently, each donor to the Council of 600 was sent an update on the project and a request for an additional donation to the NRB. We also sent letters to those petroleum alumni that did not give last time in hopes they will be inspired by the earth moving on the building site. We hope this effort will bring us past the finish line on this project and allow us to concentrate on other fundraising priorities. To monitor the construction activities on the NRB, visit: http://www.mtech.edu/gallery/nat_res_constr/index.htm Our students continue to impress the world with their skills. For the first time in fifteen years, Montana Tech's mining & geological engineering students scooped up the top prize in the mining contest held in Missouri. Ten Tech students took part in the contest held at Missouri University of Science and Technology. They competed against 14 teams in seven different events. The men’s team came home with first place overall. The trophy is dedicated to Idaho's 1972 Sunshine Mine Disaster. The co-ed team took second in their division after taking first place in Mucking & Track Stand. Next year’s international contest will be held in Butte on our campus. The upcoming events currently on the schedule are as follows:
The Montana Tech Alumni Association Banquet is Friday, May 9, 2008, at the War Bonnet Hotel. No-host cocktails begin at 6:00 pm and dinner begins at 7:00 pm. Cost is $25.00/person. The annual Association Raffle will be drawn at the dinner. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the door. If you are planning to be in the area, please plan to attend. The 108th Commencement ceremony will be held next Saturday. This year we will confer 435 diplomas to our proud graduates. Please remember, Dan Rovig, Greg LeClaire, and Ryan Lance will be among the honored guests. Another academic year has passed, and I cannot believe how the time flies. Mike Johnson April 1, 2008 I would like to start this month’s message with the best news of all. It is my pleasure to inform the Board of Directors that Dan Rovig has been chosen to receive an honorary doctorate at our upcoming commencement. Dan was chosen by our faculty to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Science. This is a tremendous honor and in my opinion could not be bestowed on a more worthy candidate than Dan. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Rovig! Staying on the commencement subject, we are actively preparing for the 108th graduation ceremony. The reunion planning is also underway and we have a great group of fellow alumni planning to return. The following represents the individuals and their respective classes who have confirmed attendance: 1948 – Frank Culbterson (wife Pearl), Dawson Harmel (son and Daughter in law John and Susan), Ralph Mitchell, Jeremiah Murphy (wife Etta). Out of a surviving class of 23, we have received 6 responses with 4 attending. 1958 - Milton Barnett, Duane Diekman (wife Elizabeth), Donald Hendricks (wife Natalie), Aurelio Madrazo (wife Mary), Tom Martin (wife Lois), Gordon Parker, Don Schweitzer (son William). Out of 29 surviving members, we have received 9 responses with 7 attending. 1968 – Gary Carlson (wife Kathy), Will Goldberg (wife June), Ed Johnson (wife LuWaana), Gary Johnson (wife Linda), James Leifer (wife Janet), Charles Ljungberg (wife Joanne), Ed Nordquist. Out of 40 surviving members, we have received 11 responses with 7 attending. The distinguished alumni that will be honored at this year’s event also include some recognizable names. The four 2008 distinguished alumni are: Ryan Lance ’84 Petroleum with ConocoPhillips (incoming Board Member), F. David Searle ’80 Environmental and Masters Engineering Science ’81 with Marathon Oil, Greg LeClaire ’81 Mining with Dyno Nobel (current Board Member), and Ted Williams ’86 Engineering Science with Northwestern Energy. Ryan Lance was chosen by our students to offer this year’s commencement address. If you are planning to attend this year’s event, we will begin at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 10th. We are planning for an outdoor ceremony if Mother Nature cooperates. If you are in the area, please plan to attend. While you have your calendars out, please mark the date for the Digger Auction. This is an important fundraising event for our campus and we would greatly appreciate your support. The Digger auction will be held in the HPER on Saturday, April 26th. This year’s theme is Margaritaville and the most exciting item is an incredible oil painting by Mike Hamblin of Coach Bob Green titled The Green Machine. All of the proceeds raised by the auction will benefit student athletes. This year’s fundraising target is $80,000. Items include many trips to fun places like Fenway Park, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Joe McClafferty and the Athletics Department have another interesting fundraiser underway where a fortunate winner could walk away with $10,000. Udder Insanity will be held on May 3rd. It is a cow-pie raffle. The concept is simple, you buy a raffle ticket for $20. Your ticket gives you a 3x3 square on south HPER field. If Charlene, our chosen cow, drops a cow pie on your square - you win $10,000. This is a new event for Digger Athletics and we hope to grow it into the best cow-pie party in the west. Again, all of the proceeds raised will aid student athletes. Continuing the fundraising discussion, the month of March was a challenge for the Foundation. This month the cash generated was $61,846. This compares to $536,564 the same month last year. Peggy McCoy and I recently traveled to Jackpot, Nevada with Bob Green and a bus load of Tech Football faithfuls. This group of former football players were responsible for the fundraising activities last year that made the new reserved seating in Alumni Coliseum possible. This year they are taking on the fundraising challenge of a JumboTron Scoreboard for the stadium. This dedicated group of Montana Tech alumni will assist us in raising the necessary funds to install a world-class scoreboard and message center. Please stay tuned to this effort, much more to come. Our Faculty-Staff Drive, Rally for Education 2008, is winding down and the results are as follows: Our new student applications for the fall remain on a record setting pace. This year we are seeing some of the highest ACT, SAT, and GPA’s ever. For example: last year 12 students applied for the presidential scholarship which requires a 28 ACT, 3.75 GPA and to be ranked in the top 10% of the high school class. This year we have 36 applicants who met these standards. We are very excited about the incoming group of freshman. On Friday, March 28th the campus hosted a “Scholar’s Recognition Day” and invited all new students who were offered merit scholarships. The day included a design competition where the new scholars competed in designing cardboard chairs. You can see pictures of this at http://www.mtech.edu/gallery/scholarday/index.htm. The visitors also met with current students, toured the campus, registered for classes, and were treated to an excellent lunch and awards ceremony. All told, ninety-nine students attended Friday’s event. Progress on NetCommunity, Montana Tech’s new interactive web community, is moving along on schedule. NetCommunity will further enable Montana Tech to reach out to its alumni and friends electronically, and for the first time, enable them to reach back. Highlights of the system include an alumni directory, online event registration, alumni email for life, customized email subscriptions and blogging. We are hoping for a system roll-out in the summer and a “grand opening” to coincide with the start of the next academic year. To learn more about NetCommunity and see some examples of NetCommunity sites, visit: There have been a couple changes within the Foundation office that I want to bring to your attention. First, Dean Markovics will no longer be associated with the Montana Tech Foundation. His last day was yesterday, March 31st. In addition, Terri O’Herron has decided to leave us and pursue other interests. We have been actively recruiting a replacement and yesterday we offered Kristin Chiamulera the position of administrative assistant in the Foundation. Kristin will be a great asset and her career with the Foundation will begin April 14th. Terri will remain until Kristin has been fully trained and is ready to fly solo. Please let me know if you have any questions or need more information. Thanks again for your continued support. March 2008 Monthly fundraising results were ahead of the same month last year. February 2008 brought $192,861 while February 2007 garnered $132,346. There were 295 donors in 2008 versus 340 in 2007. Our Faculty/Staff Drive was further along last year, accounting for the larger number of total donors. So far we have raised $12,500 from our efforts with the Rally for Education 2008. Thus far, 20% of the people on campus have supported the fund drive. A fund to support the Honors Program was established this month. The Honors Program is new to Montana Tech and was started this academic year. The program is profiled in the Chancellor’s edition of MNews. Speaking of MNews, you should have received your copy. Please let us know what you think. The Honor Roll of Donors was the largest ever! Electronic copies of this MNews, and several back issues are available on the Montana Tech Public Relations website: http://www.mtech.edu/pr/MNews.html In addition to the Honors Program Fund, we added an impressive list of new funds this month:
The above mentioned Math Scholarship endowment is new and exciting for the Math Department. We look forward to enhancing this fund and generating a significant scholarship for future Math students. In February, we began to receive many gifts from individuals in support of two long-running efforts; The Butte Scholarship Club and The Mining Team. The Butte Scholarship Club has existed for many years and is an effort driven by Butte community members to raise scholarship support to send students to Tech from Butte and the surrounding communities. The Mining Team fund raising is a student-driven process and the proceeds generated will help fund their competition expenses. The Advancement and Development Team members have been active hosting alumni events in Pittsburgh, Denver, and Atlanta. Atlanta and Pittsburgh have never hosted alumni events prior to these. Team members also traveled to and hosted events in conjunction with SME in Salt Lake City, including a kick-off event for the Salt Lake City chapter. The Montana Tech Utah Chapter hosted a hospitality social during the Oredigger – Westminster game in Salt Lake City on Saturday, February 21st. Approximately 175 alumni and friends attended the social events associated with the SLC functions. Upcoming Events: Commencement Activities: Mike Johnson February 2008 A NEW VOICE OF THE FOUNDATION: FUNDRAISING RESULTS: During January of 2008, the following major gifts (defined as $10,000 or more) were received: Questar started an annual scholarship, an anonymous donor established a scholarship endowment and augmented an existing endowment, Dr. Ray Peterson created a health sciences scholarship endowment, the proceeds from the Walt Lawrence golf tournament were invested for student support, Newmont Mining invested in our Metallurgy program and faculty, and Ash Grove Cement established a scholarship endowment. The Class of ’62 endowed scholarship has nearly reached the $40,000 level. This endowment will pay out $1,600 per year at our current 4% payout rate. Plans are underway to establish a Class of ’82 endowed scholarship patterned after the successful Class of ’62 endowed scholarship. If you know of another group that might be interested in an idea like this, please let me know. The Paul D. O’Leary scholarship fund is up to $7,000. The intention is to endow this scholarship which will support a junior/senior level welding engineering or Metallurgy student. The scholarship is offered in memory of the late Professor Paul O’Leary. KUDOS FROM OUR PEERS: ALUMNI ACTIVITIES: Our Alumni Association in conjunction with the Montana Tech Library are in the process of cataloging and filing alumni association documents and memorabilia accumulated over the past many decades. This information will be stored in the archives of our library moving forward. Thanks to all involved for accomplishing this important task! OTHER HAPPENINGS: Dean Knudsen and Butch Gerbrandt recently led a fundraising delegation in search of private support for a faculty position in General Engineering. This position will be focused on construction engineering and we are working to solicit support from industry for this position. Frank and I (among others) will be traveling to Salt Lake City later this month to participate in the events associated with the SME meeting. The inaugural meeting of our first official alumni chapter will be held in conjunction with the basketball games against Westminster on Saturday, February 23rd. If you are in the neighborhood, please stop in and congratulate this group. The Foundation staff has processed a grant application to Packard Foundation for $2 million for an endowed professorship in Biology. We will keep you posted as we learn of the results. The Montana Tech Foundation recently hosted a Faculty/Staff welcome back lunch after the start of the spring semester. The events held at the north and south campuses were both great successes. EDTECH FCU sponsored the events and we greatly appreciated their support. The 2008 Faculty/Staff fundraising drive officially kicks off in this week. SUMMING IT UP: Mike Johnson January 1, 2008 Starting with fundraising, as you already know, it was a great year. During calendar year 2007, the Montana Tech Foundation processed 5,052 gifts and pledges totaling more than $4.6 million. Within that mix were nearly 600 new donors. This places 2007 among the very best years in the history of the Foundation. Again, your support and assistance are a large part of our success. Focusing specifically on December 2007, the results were quite good. In December, the Foundation staff processed 545 gifts for more than $453,000. This compares to last December when 526 gifts brought $311,000. Major gifts highlighting December 2007’s list were the final payment from Halliburton for the Natural Resources Building, an addition to the Edward F. & Cecilia M. Simonich Endowed Scholarship, a gift from Cleveland-Cliffs Corporation in support of the Mining Recruiter, an enhancement to the Edward J. Francis Endowed Scholarship, a gift from Bill and Cheryl Madison in support of the Natural Resources Building, a donation from Nance Petroleum for scholarships, a grant from the Select Equity Group supporting research on compounds within the Berkeley Pit with cancer fighting properties, a generous donation from the Hess Foundation for petroleum scholarships and faculty salary supplements, a gift from Julia and Bill Thompson, a donation from Floyd & Margaret Bossard enhancing existing endowments, and a payment from the Ewing Trust for scholarships. On December 20th, the staff of the Montana Tech Foundation hosted a Home for the Holidays concert at Butte’s Mother Lode Theatre. Approximately 600 people attended the event and by all accounts it was a raging success. The $7,600 of proceeds will be placed in the Alumni Center Fund getting us that much closer to our new building. Please remember that our next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for Friday, February 22nd at 1:00 p.m. The Finance Investment Committee will meet with consultant James Ross at 8:00 am. You are all invited to the F&I meeting if you would like to attend. James will be addressing the entire board during the Board of Directors meeting. Nominations for Directors and Officers for 2008 – 2009 will be discussed at this meeting. Planning for the June retreat will also be on the agenda. If you need any assistance with travel plans or hotel arrangements, please contact Colleen and she will be more than happy to help you. The following list represents some of the many highlights of 2007:
November 1, 2007 Our fundraising efforts for October were strong. Last month the Montana Tech Foundation handled $337,339 of cash donations. This compares to $167,809 in October of 2006. The standout gifts in October 2007 include an anonymous $30,000 for scholarships, $15,000 from Marathon Oil for petroleum scholarships, a generous endowed gift from a “friend of Tech” for petroleum scholarships, a payment for Project Dreams, and $25,000 from Anadarko directed toward scholarships and petroleum departmental support. The comprehensive campaign timeline has reached the one-third mark of its seven-year schedule. In different words, we have completed 28 months of the 84-month campaign. At this point we have raised $8.8 million of the $20.25 million goal. I am pleased with the progress thus far and excited about reaching the $10 million level in the near future! Next week, Chancellor Gilmore, Leo Heath and I are heading to Houston to continue dialogue with the petroleum industry regarding the remaining support for the Natural Resources Building and to introduce a faculty salary supplement initiative. Julie Crnich and Sarah Raymond have recently visited Houston recruiting students, visiting alumni, and soliciting corporate donors. Later in the week Michael Barth and I will be in the Dallas area visiting potential corporate donors. On Friday, we will be visiting the North Texas Academy of Math and Science. Thus far, our Advancement & Development team members have completed 25 area visits with 7 more scheduled. Many thanks are extended to the staff for their efforts recruiting students, cultivating potential employers, and encouraging philanthropy. Our phonathon has completed eight weeks of communication with our alumni. This year’s effort is going well and Kayla Corrigan reports that she and her 11-person calling crew have raised $81,179 from 715 pledges. Our goal from this effort is $115,000. A few departments have assisted in the calling and we know that when faculty gets involved, donations increase. Thanks to those who helped with the cause! The phonathon will continue for another four weeks. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to be generous when called. It is important to note that this year’s phonathon has been successful at increasing the number of dollars raised within the Council of 600 to more than $172,000. Now that the ground has broken on the building and real progress is occurring, our alumni are more receptive to the request. This opportunity is still available and we encourage anyone still pondering the question to join now. We remain approximately $300,000 short of the stated fundraising goal of $2.0 million. You should have received the latest copy of M News within the last few days. Please take the time to examine the section related to the Foundation’s financials. I remind you that this financial presentation was intentionally separated from the honor roll, which will be published in the February M News. From this point forward, the honor roll will be published on a calendar-year basis. The Montana Tech Scholarship banquet was held this last week and by all accounts it was a great time. This event allows donors to meet the students their investment has directly supported. Approximately 250 people enjoyed the event and we look for an ever larger celebration next year. In this time of reflection, I want to thank you again for your tireless support of our university. May you and yours have a tremendous Thanksgiving holiday. Mike Johnson October 2007 The Montana Tech Foundation's fiscal year ends June 30th. At the end of our fiscal year, the Foundation is audited by Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., P.C.. This audit culminates with the public release of audited financial statements and a statement of financial position. These statements are published in M News, and I am pleased to make an electronic copy available here for download as a pdf file. The complete annual report from Anderson ZurMuehlen is also available for download here. As you will see, we had an extremely strong year on several fronts, and look forward to partnering with our donors as we build upon this success in the coming year to the benefit of Montana Tech and its students. Mike Johnson September 1, 2007 Classes have begun and campus life is off to a roaring start. Our enrollment figures are not yet complete, but at this point we remain slightly ahead of last year’s record numbers with approximately 2,277 students (headcount). Fundraising continued strong for the month of August. In August, 2007, the Montana Tech Foundation processed $462,666 in cash donations. This compares to $129,989 the same month one year ago. Major gifts this month include additional monies from the David & Bette Gleason Estate, an investment into the Robert McDonald Scholarship Fund, funds for Project Dreams from Montana Orthopedics and Newmont USA Limited, a significant gift for the COT’s lineman training program from NorthWestern Energy, and scholarship funding from Micron Technologies, Devon Energy, Newmont USA Limited, the Haynes Foundation, and the Helen S. Davis Trust. This month’s major gifts also included a first-time investment from Trafigura AG into the faculty salary supplement fund for the School of Mines & Engineering. The Career Services Office is busy preparing for the 8th Annual Montana Tech Career Fair which will be held on Thursday, September 13th, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building. More than 100 companies are registered and it will be a great event for our students. We will have companies here recruiting from all disciplines represented by our campus. If you are in the area, please plan to attend the Chancellor’s Reception on Wednesday, September 12th from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. to welcome recruiters to campus. For those that have not heard, Montana Tech has a new Vice Chancellor. Maggie Peterson was promoted to Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance earlier this summer. Maggie is a 20-year veteran of the campus and served most recently as the Director of Budgets and Human Services. We will feature Maggie in the upcoming edition of MNews which will be published in mid October. Montana Tech recently received accolades from U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review. U.S. News ranked Montana Tech as the 8th best baccalaureate school in the west and Princeton slated us as a Best Value school. These rankings are useful in our marketing efforts and we are proud to see that our reputation for excellence is distinguished nationally. The renovation to the athletic facilities is complete. The indoor arena will be ready for the first volleyball game tomorrow night. The new court looks fabulous and the HPER crew should be proud of the colossal effort it took to make it happen. We still remain about $50,000 short of the $650,000 project goal, but I am confident that once people see this facility, the remaining funds will come. Marilyn Tobin and our volleyball team will be the distinguished hosts of the first game on the Kelvin Sampson Court! The first home football game of the season will be this Saturday against MSU-Northern. For the first time ever, Digger supporters will have reserved seats to choose from when they get to the game. The installation of the seats was completed last week and the stadium looks amazing. Please make it a point to visit campus and attend a game. From the beginning to the end - - these events are a blast. The planning for Homecoming is in full swing. I will remind you of the many activities planned for Friday, September 28th and Saturday the 29th. Friday’s activities begin with the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the NRB at 10 a.m. Following the ceremony we will host a reception (lunch) for the Foundation Board. The Annual Bed Races will begin at noon and you can attend if you wish. Our BOD’s meeting will begin promptly at 1 p.m. concluding by 4 p.m. At 4 p.m. we will have an official unveiling of the Kelvin Sampson Court. At 5 p.m. the Alumni recognition dinner will begin in the SUB. Following the Alumni dinner is the Digger Athletic Brew Ha Ha at the War Bonnet Inn beginning at 7 p.m. We hope that you will be able to make all of these events, or at least most of them! Saturday’s game day events begin early Saturday morning (8 a.m.) with an “alumni v. students” touch football game. The homecoming parade begins at 10 a.m. and the tailgating starts at 11 a.m. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. The post game social will immediately follows the game. Sunday is a recovery day! For those in the area, please make note of September 20th. Montana Tech will be hosting a Chamber of Commerce Business Card Social in the HPER facility. This event will bring the community onto the campus and allow for many locals to view our new indoor arena. If you are available, please plan to attend. Mike Johnson August 1, 2007 The summer heat has been grueling in beautiful Butte, Montana. The heat has provided a great backdrop for the Advancement and Development team’s planning for the coming fiscal year. We are preparing for a very busy year and look forward to the opportunities on the horizon. GIVING REPORT: During July of 2007, the Montana Tech Foundation received $460,832 from 295 gifts. This number compares to $99,650 from 96 gifts the same month one year ago. The major gifts during July included the following: a gift to the Ewing Scholarship Fund, an endowment investment by Gerald Metals for the School of Mines and Engineering, a gift from Guy and Madeline Ossello for Project Dreams, and a significant gift from the Gleason Estate for student scholarships. BOARD ACTION: The Foundation’s Board of Directors has authorized an increase of the endowment payout from 3% to 4% effective next year. Scholarships for the coming fall have already been calculated and awarded, so this change will have an impact next fall. At the same meeting the board decreased the fees of the Foundation from 2% to 1.9% effective immediately. NEW STAFF ROLES WITHIN THE FOUNDATION: Effective immediately, two employees within the Foundation will be assuming new assignments. Tammi Lester has accepted the responsibility of Manager of Fiscal and Administrative Services. Tammi will be responsible for all of the gift processing and accounting functions within the Foundation. Michael Barth has accepted the responsibilities of Director of Development. In this new position Michael will direct the fundraising tasks and guide the day-to-day activities of the fundraisers. I am thrilled these two team members were willing to assume these leadership roles. Please join me in congratulating them on their new assignments. ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The travel season has already begun for the Advancement & Development team. Julie Crnich and Peggy McCoy just returned from a trip to Idaho Falls, Winnemucca, and Elko. They held alumni events in each area and participated in the Walt Lawrence Golf Tournament. The tournament raised an impressive $17,000 this year. We are proud of our alumni in that area and very appreciative of their support of our Metallurgy students. Chancellor Gilmore and I are traveling to Vancouver, B.C. next week to meet with Goldcorp. Dan Rovig has arranged a meeting with the CEO of this organization and we are very excited to have this opportunity to listen to this organization and present the needs of our campus. HOMECOMING PLANS: For those of you that like to plan, the following are the homecoming activities slated for Friday, September 28th. On Friday morning at 10 a.m., we will conduct the ground breaking ceremony for the Natural Resources Building. You are all invited to this event and we would love to have you attend. Following the ceremony will be a lunch with all of the dignitaries in attendance and the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Our board meeting will begin at 1 p.m. sharp. At 4 p.m. we will have a public unveiling of the new gym prior to the start of the volleyball match at 5 p.m. The alumni recognition banquet is scheduled for 5:30 and the Digger Athletic Brew Ha Ha starts at 7:00. Of course, the following day is a tailgate and football game! Please invite your friends and family in the area to any or all of these events. CAREER FAIR: The 8th Annual Montana Tech Career Fair will be at the Montana Tech campus in the Student Union Building on Thursday, September 13, 2007. Please visit the website for additional information or to register (http://www.mtech.edu/career/careerfair/). Space is filling up fast! We anticipate 100 employers and more than 1,000 students will attend the Career Fair. FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES: A letter from Tom Bandy has been mailed to prospective donors asking for a gift to the Chancellor’s Roundtable. Please be watching for your letter. The Annual Giving brochures will be hitting the mail later this week. Nearly 13,000 requests for support for the school will arrive about one month prior to the annual phonation. Kayla is planning for the phonation and the calls will begin in September. SAYING GOODBYE: Mary Lou Spath said her goodbye to Montana Tech and the Montana Tech Foundation today. Mary Lou has been a tremendous asset to this campus and she will be sadly missed. BACK TO SCHOOL: Preparations for the fall semester are underway. We are only 20 (is) days away from the start of school. The athletes begin arriving on campus next week, the faculty will be returning to campus in a couple weeks, and the staff is gearing up for another outstanding year. Our enrollment expectations remain strong and we anticipate another great crop of students. Once again, thanks to everyone for their undying support of this school and its students. We as Foundation staff are privileged to be associated with such amazing people. Please call me if you need anything from Montana Tech. Enjoy the remainder of your summer and keep the green and copper close to your hearts.
Mike Johnson July 1, 2007 The end of the fiscal year 2007 has arrived. What an amazing year it was for our campus. I applaud the efforts of the students and the entire faculty and staff. We have truly accomplished a great deal this year! Fundraising levels were at an all-time high for fiscal year 2007. For the year ended June 30th, Montana Tech raised more than $3,769,000. This compares to $2,734,000 and $2,831,000 each of the two previous fiscal years respectively. The significant increase in fundraising can be attributed to the support of corporations and our alumni to the Natural Resources Building and other initiatives within the comprehensive campaign. The month of June 2007 was a good fundraising month. During that period we received major gifts from the Helen S. Davis Trust, the David & Bette Gleason Trust, a contribution to the Natural Resources Building from Tom & Linda Bandy, the gift to Project Dreams from the Town Pump Charitable Foundation, a contribution to the Mining Recruiter from Kiewit Foundation, and a contribution from Chesapeake Energy Corporation to the Petroleum Department. In total, in June 2007, the Foundation received $626,000 in cash contributions. For comparison purposes, June 2006 generated $179,000. Athletics fundraising is continuing its successes. The M Club Alumni’s efforts to raise $75,000 for the purchase and installation of reserved seating in Alumni Coliseum reached its goal of $75,000 late last week. We will be seeing the construction effort taking place very soon. Project Dreams, the renovation of the indoor arena, continues to blast forward. Tomorrow morning a press conference will be held to announce another significant donation to the Project by a group of local doctors. At this point, we are about $170,000 short of our fundraising goal. The total project cost is $650,000. A significant change to the staffing within the Montana Tech Foundation will occur shortly. Mary Lou Spath has announced her retirement effective July 31st. Mary Lou has been a member of the Foundation’s team for more than 20 years. She has been a great asset to our entire campus. Please join me in thanking Mary Lou for her dedication and commitment to our mission and to our students. Sherri Nordgren has accepted the position of Database Administrator in the Foundation Office. We look forward to working with Sherri. The third issue of M NEWS arrived a couple weeks ago. If anyone has comments or receives remarks about the publication, I would love to hear them. We are planning for the fall issue already, and any ideas you have are welcomed! As we look to next year, student recruitment numbers remain strong. There is a 6% increase in applications compared to this time last year and the residence hall bookings are near capacity. The Computer Science and Software Engineering departments at Montana Tech launched a faculty-centered advising and recruiting program in the 2006-2007 school year. To date, applications for these programs are up 140% compared to this time last year. The Biology department, which has also experienced significant faculty involvement in recruiting, has grown their application pool by nearly 40%. We remain cautiously optimistic about fall enrollment. Career Services is excited to announce DIGGERecruiting (DIGGERecruiting), a new online career management system to help connect students and alumni with employers from across the nation. This system will provide students access to job and internship postings, facilitate online applications with the ability to upload career documents and sign-up for upcoming on-campus career events. Employers will be able to post current openings, search for current students and alumni who are seeking positions and monitor their recruiting schedules from the convenience of their office. The greatest benefit for students is the ability to register and view employers, jobs and career events 24 hours-a-day/7 days-a-week. One of the “high-tech” features is that DIGGERecruiting will notify students of positions when they match criteria they have saved in the system. The greatest benefit for employers is the ability to monitor their job postings, on-campus recruiting schedules, and the ability to search for students. Another piece of DIGGERecruiting is a mentoring option which would be a great opportunity for alumni of all ages to connect with current Montana Tech students. Please contact Sarah Raymond, Director of Career Services at 406-496-4384 if you are interested in this option. A new staff member has been hired by the Admissions Office. Michelle Tauscher, originally from Anaconda and currently working in Spokane, will be joining the team on July 16th. I want to again thank Rolin Erickson for introducing me to three organizations that he works with regularly. Rolin and I traveled to Stamford, Connecticut earlier this month and met with Gerald Metals, Trafigura, and Glencore. At these meetings we were able to discuss the needs of our campus and in all three cases we found support for our cause. In fact, Gerald Metals has signed an agreement to provide a $30,000 endowment for the School of Mines & Engineering Laboratories. This gift will provide approximately $1,200 annually to support the laboratories needs of the School of Mines forever. I expect to complete discussions with the other two organizations soon. On behalf of the entire staff, I thank our Board of Directors for their time and energy at the retreat completed this past weekend. We had an excellent meeting, addressed important issues, and made significant commitments for the future. If anyone has any questions or needs additional information regarding the Board’s actions, please call me.
Montana Tech Foundation directors gather in Whitefish, June 2007 June 1, 2007 Our 2007 commencement event was amazing. The weather was great and the 478 gradates were treated to a commencement address by Tom Dyk. Tom’s speech was not only humorous but very practical. In short, Tom’s message was “nobody ever drowned in their own sweat.” In addition, four members of the Class of 1947 and eight members of the Class of 1957 returned to campus. These gentlemen and their families offered many memories and a few confessions to help make our celebration a true joy. Coach Kelvin Sampson returned to Butte to kickoff Project Dreams. Project Dreams is the name for the indoor sporting arena renovation project. Through this project we will replace the floor, purchase new bleachers, install new scoreboards and digital displays, paint the entire space and upgrade the electrical system within the gym. The total cost of this effort is $650,000. During the event on May 19th, we raised $190,000 in cash and pledges to support this dream. This entire effort is a testament to Joe McClafferty, Director of Athletics, his team’s hard work and our community’s commitment to making Montana Tech great. Fundraising for this project will continue over the course of the summer. The reserved seating project within Alumni Coliseum continues to blast forward, with the plan to install the new seats by the first game of the 2007 season. The proceeds from the sale of these reserved seats will fund a third full-time assistant football coach. To date, $66,240 has been raised toward the $75,000 goal. Your spring copy of M NEWS will be arriving in mid-June. In this issue you will find a planned giving advertisement, supporting the current planned giving initiative. This program will increase planned giving awareness, inform prospective donors, and encourage communication with campus representatives. We have started to see the fruits of this effort and we believe that many more relationships will be forged. Summer school’s first session started early this week. Enrollment for this year’s summer school is approximately 300 at the North campus and 112 at the South campus. Last year the North campus saw 327 summer students and the South campus 109. The second session of summer school will begin at the end of June and continue through July. The placement data for last year’s graduates has been compiled and the report will be published very soon. The overall placement rate for the 2006 bachelor degree recipients is 98%. Specifically, Arts & Science students had a 97% placement rate and an average starting salary of $39,958; while Engineering students had a 100% placement rate with an average starting salary of $56,001. The overall placement rate for master’s students is 100% and the overall placement rate for the College of Technology is 96%. Over the past five years, Montana Tech’s placement rate has averaged 98%! Overall, our progress is steady toward the comprehensive fundraising campaign goal. As of this date, we have raised $6,178,238 toward the $20.25 million target. Our greatest success has come in the student support (scholarship) category, generating more than $2.5 million. The area with the weakest performance is faculty support, providing only $228,500. The end of this fiscal year will mark the completion of year two of the seven-year campaign. During the month of May 2007, the Foundation collected $88,743 in donations from 286 donors. This compares to $81,693 in May of 2006, generated from 181 donors. We received only 3 major gifts this month. The first was from Joe Jordon in support of the M Restoration project, the second was from Herb Leuprecht in support of Project Dreams, and the other was from the Shell Oil Foundation matching Shell employees’ gifts to various campus initiatives. As most already know, Robert “Bob” Poore passed away on May 3, 2007. Bob and his wife Pauline have been tremendous friends of this campus and our hearts go out to the entire family. We will fondly remember Bob as we drive up Park Street and pass under the Archway that adorns our campus entrance. He will forever be in our hearts! May 1, 2007 Headlining the two-day event were keynote speeches from Robert Rubin, August Busch IV, Bill Gates, Harold McGraw, Ben Bernanke, and many more. For more information on the summit, please visit www.boostmontana.org. And speaking of economic development in Montana, I will be traveling to Seattle later this month to attend a meeting hosted by the Montana Ambassadors. I’ll update you on this event in my next communication. Please join with me in congratulating Julie Crnich on receiving her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credentials. This international recognized certification showcases her mastery by confirming proficiency and knowledge in the fundraising field. CFRE certification insures us and our donors that Julie has a commitment to her chosen career and is a reflection of personal achievement in that she has displayed mastery by meeting requirements and standards set in philanthropy. Julie has been with the Montana Tech Foundation nine years and recently assumed the position of Development Officer for the School of Mines & Engineering. If you have not been paying attention to Montana politics, let me tell you that our state legislature did NOT complete its work within the allotted time. Thus, they adjourned without a state budget, without a plan to fund education, and have forced the Governor to call a special session so that the work can be completed. Governor Schweitzer has not set the date for the session yet, although most feel it will happen within the next few weeks. I will provide you with an update on the final outcome as soon as it happens. As for private funding of the Natural Resources Building, we continue to pursue Council of 600 additions. At this point, we have cash and commitments for $104,791 from 90 individuals. We will continue to solicit our Petroleum Alumni in order to increase the numbers within the Council. Please continue to push your friends and colleagues, every little bit helps! The M-Club Alumni Reserved Seating project continues to make steady progress toward their goal of $75,000 to install reserved seating in Alumni Coliseum. Cash and pledges stand at $44,450 for this project, which is slated to start construction in July. The project has been spearheaded by a group of former football players, assisted by the athletic department and Foundation staff. This project is a great example of groups coming together, both on and off campus, for the advancement and development of Montana Tech. You can follow the fundraising progress, and get news and updates about Tech football and current and former players by visiting www.diggerbbq.com/. Kelvin Sampson will soon return to Butte, the place where his coaching Dream started, to tip off “Project Dreams.” Project Dreams is a First Choice transformation of our arena into the best facility in the Frontier Conference. Kelvin will be headlining a fundraiser on May 19th (note the date change), and we are thrilled by the energy and excitement he provides this project. If you are interested in coming, please call me and I will provide the details. If you know of someone who should be invited, please let me know. The “Give from the Heart” campaign has generated more than $24,000 and we have nearly reached our goal of 50% participation. Our faculty and staff have been extremely generous this year supporting the capital projects on campus as well as departments and programs. Again, we are grateful to the special people that work for Montana Tech. In April of 2007, the Foundation collected 499 gifts from 385 donors. In total, these donors provided $180,748 to scholarships, programs, and capital projects. This amount compares to $88,996 the same month last year. The major gifts received this month were scholarships from Conoco Philips, and an endowed scholarship from Merit Energy (Gayden Family Foundation). We’ve started to utilize an online postcard service to create targeted and visually appealing mailings to our alumni and friends. This month, a postcard was sent announcing a new planned giving program, and another mailed to pending graduates offering a chance to purchase an Alumni Center brick commemorating their accomplishments at Tech. Next Saturday, May 12th, this campus will host our 2007 commencement exercises (107th graduation ceremony). During the ceremony, the Foundation will present each graduate with a keychain which says ‘Montana Tech’ on one side and ‘Alumni 2007’ on the reverse. In addition, the Montana Tech Alumni Association will be presenting a coffee mug as their gift to the graduates. I am delighted to inform you that Alumni Association President Scott Sampson and I have completed the Gleason MOU discussed at our last board meeting. The transfer of funds is underway, and we will be proceeding with the plans as we outlined. The Alumni Association has eliminated dues, and invited all past and future graduates into the Association, making our membership 8,300 alumni strong. The Association’s governing board will be working over the next few months to determine their “membership services” activities. Again, I will keep you informed of their decisions. The Alumni Association Annual Banquet will be held in conjunction with the commencement activities on Friday, May 11, 2007. The reunion of the Classes of 1947 and 1957 are taking shape. We have approximately 15 alumni from those classes returning to walk across the stage with the Class of 2007. It is an honor to host these guests, and I encourage all of you to attend the festivities if you are in the area. If you would like to buy raffle tickets to support the dinner, please call Peggy McCoy at 406-496-4402. As the academic year winds down, there are many good things happening in Career Services. Shortly, the 2006 Graduate Survey will be published. Montana Tech contacts every graduating senior for 100% response rate. This gives Montana Tech hard statistics of where our graduates are working and what they are making as an annual salary. Final numbers will be posted online soon. Career Services is excited to announce the DIGGERecruiting, an online career management system starting this May. Employers will be able to utilize the internet to connect with Montana Tech students, through viewing student information, register for career events, schedule on-campus interviews and post jobs online for students. Through this same system students will be able to post career-related documents like multiple resumes and cover letters, view career events and companies coming on campus, and view jobs posted from employers across the United States. This is a great opportunity to reach out to new employers and also offer many conveniences to those who have worked with Career Services. Mike Johnson April 1 , 2007 Spring Break and the St. Patrick’s Day festivities are behind us. It is down hill from here to the end of the semester. I can certainly tell by the demeanor of my students that Spring Fever is fully engaged. Despite the distractions that Mother Nature provides, we continue to see strong support for our campaign. During March of this year, we collected $528,966 from our alumni and friends. During the same period last year, we collected $90,105. The major gifts received during March include an enhancement to Gordon Parker’s endowment, the creation of Charles & Alena Christman’s scholarship endowment, an estate gift from George T. Hansen, a scholarship award from the Helen S. Davis Trust, a cash payment from Halliburton honoring their pledge for the Natural Resources Building (NRB), a gift from Newmont to support research activities, a donation to the Alumni Coliseum renovation project, Chevron scholarships, and a scholarship gift from Nance Petroleum (St. Mary’s Land & Exploration). Speaking of the NRB, our entire staff continues to travel the country soliciting support for this capital project. The COUNCIL of 600 initiative has been modestly successful, reaching $82,000 in total funds generated. We will continue to push this initiative; however, it is very unlikely we will reach $600,000. If you can influence anyone still waiting to complete their pledge card, please do so. As the Montana legislature continues its work in Helena, we remain optimistic about our appropriation request for the building. I will keep you posted as we learn more regarding the fate of the $3.2 million supplemental request. The planning for the building continues and the latest cost data shows about $1.5 million in additional costs above the original $14.4 million estimate. If the latest cost information holds, we will be approximately $2 million short of the total needed (with the legislative appropriation included). Our challenge is clear. We must (and will) find a way to get this building done. Frank and I are open to any additional thoughts or ideas that you may have. We have been working with the leadership of each college on campus to redefine the initiatives within the comprehensive campaign. This work has been enormously helpful in reeducating the campus on the series of initiatives embedded within the campaign. I will bring to you the final work product at our June meeting. If you have questions before then, please let me know. I wanted to let you know that the Alumni Association has met regarding the proposal I presented at our last meeting. At this point, the Association has not signed the MOU. They are questioning their own finances and some members of their group are still challenging the ability of our Foundation to direct earnings to the Alumni Association. I will continue to monitor this issue and update you as decisions are made. This remains an important future-focused issue for me. Brochures seeking financial support for the addition of reserved seating in Alumni Coliseum went out March 16th to Digger football players from the years 1991-2001. The goal for this project is $75,000. The first $10,000 donated will be matched by the M-Club Alumni founders. To be ready for next football season, construction must start by July 31st. A copy of the brochure is available on the foundation website. Earlier this month you should have received your copy of M News. Please let us know what you think. I have received many comments from people all over the country, and I always appreciate your thoughts. Online donations continue to increase. $38,225 has been received so far in calendar 2007, versus a total of $11,575 for all of calendar 2006. From the inception of the online option in 2004, we have accepted online donations of $63,105. 53% of our all-time online giving has occurred in 2007. Speaking of online opportunities, the Montana Tech Bookstore site is now online for electronic purchasing. Yes, you can get your Digger stuff online! An introduction of this site was included in the M News, and we are starting to see the fruits of this labor. The merchandise offerings will continue to change and expand, so keep looking if you do not find what you need. Please help spread the word - - www.montanatechbookstore.com. Please remember to complete your reservation request form for the upcoming June retreat. This form should be sent to Grouse Mountain Lodge as soon as you can. On behalf of the entire Foundation team, we thank you for your continued support. We look forward to the next time we meet. Mike Johnson March 1 , 2007 February was a solid month for the Montana Tech Foundation. This month we collected $492,360 compared to $589,550 for the same month last year. Last year’s total includes a $400,000 gift from the John (Jack) Valega estate. Leading the gifts for this month were the proceeds from the sale of the Poore’s home. That leadership gift offers us a significant boost toward making the Alumni Center a reality on our campus. Other major gifts this month were received from the George T. Hanson estate to enhance an existing endowment and from Maureen & Dan Rovig to increase their endowment. The COUNCIL of 600 initiative continues nationwide. As I write this message we have representatives combing the country meeting with our alumni and sharing the needs of our campus. During our personal visits we have met face-to-face with approximately 280 of our alumni. At this point we have approximately 60 commitments to join the COUNCIL. However, it is important to note that the effort to reconnect and energize our alumni is significant and I am certain that we will see rewards from these efforts long into the future. Our on-campus giving efforts are picking up steam. The Give from the Heart Campaign has provided the Foundation staff with an opportunity to meet personally with the faculty and staff on campus and discuss the comprehensive campaign and better define our needs. At the same time, this venue offers a chance to listen to the desires and interests of the faculty and staff. Again, I am certain that these communication lines will serve us well as we proceed with our campaign. I am proud to tell you that Montana Tech finally has on on-line option to purchase your “Digger” gifts and apparel. Visit www.Montanatechbookstore.com and be among the first to get your Digger merchandise on-line. The employees of the Montana Tech Bookstore along with support from our Computer Services group have done an amazing job getting this project done. Please let us know what you think. Arriving very soon to your mail boxes will be the spring edition of MNEWS. You will see that this issue highlights people and places and offers a little different look than you have seen in the past. Again, I am very anxious to hear what you think. The 2006 Graduate Survey is comprised of graduates from summer & fall 2005 and spring of 2006. This information is compiled by the office of Career Services. With the surveys completed so far and information from the departments, we are at overall 83% placement (Engineering – 91% and non-engineering – 76%). The next phase of the Graduate Survey is calling the students who have not responded to ask them the survey questions. Montana Tech Career Services prides itself on a 100% response rate. This means that every student is asked the survey questions and the placement percentages are actual percentages, not based upon the number of respondents. The average placement rate of Montana Tech graduates over the last decade exceeds 97% and this year we are striving for a goal of 100% placement. The enrollment numbers for spring semester have just been published and the numbers look good. We are slightly better than projected and are excited to see the continued demand for our services. Looking into the future, the applications for fall 2007 are significantly higher than they were at this time last year. Remember, last fall’s enrollment was outstanding. I will keep you posted as we work to convert these applications into enrolled students. Again, if you have any questions or need anything from Montana Tech, please do not hesitate to call. I look forward to the next time we meet. Mike Johnson February 1, 2007 January was a banner month for the Montana Tech Foundation. This month we processed 363 gifts for a total of $448,047. The same month last year we collected $80,821 from 258 gifts. Headlining the major gifts received this month is a $200,000 donation from ConocoPhillips for the Natural Resources Building (NRB). Please note, this gift takes the total amount raised for the NRB to more than $1.7 million. The other major gift in January was $140,000 total dollars received from Newmont USA Limited for scholarships, faculty salary supplements, and support for the assistant to the Dean in the School of Mines and Engineering. We also received $19,000 from Newmont Mining Corporation this month representing the proceeds from the Walter R. Lawrence Golf Tournament. Annual Giving for this fiscal year is ahead of last year by nearly $33,000. The total amount generated in cash, pledges and matching gifts is slightly more than at $215,725. Those who made a pledge during the phonathon increased their gifts by an average of $78 when compared to previous gifts. We are still exploring our options with the phonathon and are planning to make some follow up calls on specific solicitations that were sent out earlier this year. The phonathon resulted in more than $47,300 being directed to the Excellence in Education Fund. Overall, the phonathon callers made 3,065 contacts resulting in a positive response from roughly half of those called. The Council of 600 initiative introduced in last month’s report is off and running. The entire Advancement & Development staff is involved in the process of engaging our alumni nationwide and encouraging them to help us raise the last $600,000 needed to complete the Natural Resources Building. To date we have traveled to 10 different areas of the country and visited with more than 120 of our alumni. We are confident that this effort will result in near-term and long-term dividends. At this moment, we have 25 commitments to the Council of 600. Please note that we have asked for a firm commitment by the end of March, thus we expect many more members over the course of the next 60 days. The Foundation staff hosted a welcome back lunch for the faculty and staff last Thursday. This event was a big hit and greatly appreciated by everyone. We served more than 175 people and the Foundation staff was delighted to honor our faculty and staff. This Friday afternoon we will host a TGIF celebration at the south campus to again honor the faculty and staff at the COT. I am proud to tell you that we continue to improve our outreach efforts to prospective students. The Admissions Office has recently implemented “Instant Rapport.” This software allows prospective students to electronically chat live with an admissions counselor. Additionally, the Admissions Office recently purchased email software that allows Montana Tech to communicate with prospective students electronically without the pitfalls of spamming. With registration still underway and many students who have registered but not yet paid, spring enrollment numbers look good. Overall the campus has about 30 more students enrolled this spring compared to last. This equates to about a 4% increase in full-time equivalents, FTE (the number used by the state when determining funding). Enrollments in the 4-year programs are up overall while the 2-year programs are experiencing a slight decline compared to last year. Thanks again for your continued support. Mike Johnson January 1, 2007 During December of 2006, we did have some significant gifts and pledges that I think are worth noting. A major gift was made to petroleum faculty salary supplements by Gary and Janet Kolstad, Floyd and Margaret Bossard made a 5-year pledge to their existing endowment, Dr. Ray Peterson enhanced the R. Bradley Peterson Endowment, the Phelps Dodge Foundation, the Hess Foundation and the Helen S. Davis Trust each invested in their scholarships, the Stranahan Foundation continued their investment in the COT’s CNA program, ConocoPhillips pledged an additional $200,000 to the Natural Resources Building (NRB), and Tom Dyk made another large gift to the NRB. The remainder of the gifts was to scholarships, department funds, student clubs, and unrestricted gifts to the Foundation. At the beginning of this year, the private funds generated for the NRB are just below $1.75 million. As you know, we are asking this legislature for another $3.2 million for the completion of the building. Approximately 30 of our Montana students have contacted their local legislators during the break to discuss our need for this building and the importance to our campus that this project moves forward. Our student government initiated this lobbying effort and we are pleased to see them get actively involved in the process. Assuming we are successful at getting this additional appropriation, we will still be $600,000 short of our target. Beginning this week, members of our team will be traveling the country visiting with our alumni asking for their support to take us over the top. Specifically, we are asking that each petroleum alum pledge $1,000 to be paid over two years. We have 1,200 petroleum graduates working somewhere in the world, thus we will need one-half of the total to commit to the $1,000 pledge. The first 600 petroleum graduates to accept our offer will be placed in the COUNCIL of 600 and permanently recognized in the new building. The COUNCIL of 600 initiative will include a personal letter to every petroleum alum and a visit to approximately 35 locations before March 15th. We are taking advantage of previously scheduled trips for student recruiting or other campus business, and making deliberate plans to visit areas where high concentrations of petroleum alumni have gathered. Our trips will bring us to the areas of nearly 500 of the total graduates. We can certainly use your help spreading the word and encouraging your co-workers, friends, and acquaintances to attend our events and consider supporting the COUNCIL of 600. Our goal is to have the final piece of private funding in hand before the legislature completes its work. The Institutional Advancement and Development group is also assisting in another significant fundraising effort for campus. Again, this initiative involves the student government. The leaders of our student government have recognized that the “BIG M” needs to be renovated. As a result, they have grabbed this bull by the horns and set out to raise more than $100,000 to upgrade the electrical system, strengthen the reinforcements of the structure, replace the fence, and complete an overall facelift of the hill. The revitalization of the “M” is a tremendous catalyst to engage our students, faculty, community and alumni. We will be working to complete this entire effort by late April of 2007. Please watch for more on this subject, I will keep you posted. If you have visited our website recently, you may have noticed a change to the online giving options. If you have not looked, please check it out. We now have more on-line giving opportunities, including an option for the COUNCIL of 600. We are seeing an increase in the number of gifts given online, and we are always interested in your feedback on our website. Digger athletics continue to create excitement on our campus. Bob Green will be selecting a second assistant who will double as an SID outside the football season. The addition of this position reinforces the importance of athletics to our campus and our community. In addition to new employees, the holidays brought us an opportunity to let our Digger light shine. Joe McClafferty and the Digger Athletic Association opened an apparel store this holiday season. This effort was a modest success and we look forward to more ideas for making Montana Tech the First Choice for student athletes. Career Services had a banner year! This fall, seventy-three companies recruited on campus, which is an increase of 16 percent over the previous fall. In early December, Career Services sent graduate survey information out to December 2006 graduates. This information is collected and compiled for many uses within departments across campus. If you know graduates, please encourage them to contact Career Services. They should have received a survey in the mail, but this information can be filled out online. Please refer them to the Career Services’ website at www.mtech.edu/career. Spring recruiting is underway. It looks like it is going to be a very good 2007! The feedback on the Chancellor’s edition of MNEWS has been very positive. We are all energized by the excitement created from this publication. We will continue working to make sure that our messages to our external constituents remain sharp and filled with the great things that happen on our campus. You can expect the next issue of MNEWS in your mail boxes the first of March. If you have any ideas for content, please let me know as soon as possible. We are in need of great pictures. If you have any photos, or are willing to take photos for use in this and future publications, please call me. In fact, we are planning to enhance the class notes, alumni activities section. So if you have something interesting to share, we would love to tell your fellow Tech alumni about it. I can honestly say that the seven months I’ve spent in this job have passed very quickly! I am extremely proud of the board of directors and the entire staff, and look forward to the coming year with great optimism. Wishing all of you the very best 2007, Mike Johnson December 1,2006 November was another excellent month for the Montana Tech Foundation. In November we collected $442,994 in cash donations from more than 760 donors. For the same month last year the cash collections were $346,070. The significant gifts this month included a payment to the Mining Recruiter Fund, a payment for the Natural Resource Building, an increase to an existing endowment, and a large corporate gift to the Mining, Geological, and Metallurgy programs. I am excited to report on the performance of Foundation’s investments. In October, the value of the investment account increased by more than $525,370. The increase in market value from July through October has been $1.13 million. The month of November has not officially closed yet, but the positive trend is continuing. At this point in time, our investment account value exceeds $21.7 million. The 2006 Scholarship Banquet was held in Butte on November 28th. This event was a smashing success and a wonderful tribute to our donors and our students. We had more than 270 people in attendance and a good time was had by all. Coach Bob Green served as Masters of Ceremonies, Josh Vincent (1997, Environment Engineering) was the guest speaker, and Kelly Murphey (2007, Metallurgy) was the student speaker. Our phonathon completed its third month and our alumni continue to be very generous. More than 50% of those called have responded favorably to our requests for support, and from them we have received more than $138,000. We still have many more alumni to reach and the calls will continue through the Christmas break and into next year. The funds Montana Tech receives through corporate matching gifts are very important and an area the Foundation is paying careful attention to in an effort to augment our fundraising. As a reminder, if you work for a company that offers matching gifts, please take the opportunity to maximize your support. Joe McClafferty has reported that he met his goal of 100 new DAA members in his first 100 days on the job. In fact, they have added 106 new members and more than $115,000 in corporate sponsorships. Joe, the athletics staff, and the board members of the DAA are to be commended for their outstanding efforts. The fall semester was extremely busy for the Career Services Office. In addition to the career fair, Career Services hosted 73 employers who conducted 1,262 interviews with Montana Tech students. Several students are sharing their news about jobs or internships that they have already secured. It is truly a great time to be an OREDIGGER! Within the next couple days, you will be receiving a hard copy of the first edition of the Chancellor’s Edition of M News. Please let me know if you do not get your copy. On behalf of the entire Institutional Advancement & Development staff, I wish you and yours a very festive and safe holiday season. Mike Johnson November 1, 2006 October was a whirlwind month for the Montana Tech Foundation. Cash received for the month was $186,380 compared to $96,854 for the same month last year. The gifts this month included an enhancement to the Art Dyk Endowment, a gift to the Natural Resource Building (NRB), a contribution to the School of Mines Assistant to the Dean, funding for the Ewing Scholarship, and more than 700 donations to various departments, campus programs, and the Excellence in Education Fund. The following is an update on the major gifts received or pledged this month. I am thrilled to inform you that Glamis Gold has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing to a gift of $200,000 to be used by the Mining, Geological, and Metallurgical Engineering departments. Dan Rovig was instrumental in securing that gift and we are very appreciative of his efforts. The reference above to the contribution to the NRB was a $25,000 check from Baker Hughes. Congratulations to Jocko Evans and his staff for securing this gift. Noble Energy has completed their MOU for a $150,000 gift to the NRB. At this point in time, the private funds generated for the NRB are about $1.5 million. Our Phonathon is in full swing and we are very pleased with the reaction we are receiving from our alumni and friends. To date, we have made nearly 1,850 contacts and received cash and pledges in excess of $100,000. We have experienced great support from our campus and we are thankful for the extra effort in making our 2006 Phonathon a great success. Our entire staff has been working hard to prepare the next issue of M News. Please note that this issue will include the fiscal year 2006 Annual Report of the Foundation. I am very pleased by the overall effort and look forward to your feedback. You should be seeing this document on or before December 1st. Although we are very excited about the current enrollment numbers, we must not rest on our laurels. We are currently in the midst of the busy recruiting season. Many members of our team are on the road searching for potential Montana Tech students. Dean Doug Coe and I recently attended the college fairs in Ontario (Oregon), Boise, and Idaho Falls. This was an excellent experience for both of us and I am confident that we will be seeing a few of these students on our campus in the coming years. During our tour of Idaho we also held an alumni reception in Boise and visited Micron Technology and Woodgrain Millwork. The search for the next Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs & Research is moving forward. We have screened the applicants and narrowed the field down to the candidates we are planning to bring to campus for personal interviews. Additional details will be provided soon regarding this selection process. The formal invitations have been mailed for the November 28th scholarship banquet. If you are planning to attend, please RSVP as soon as possible. We look forward to an excellent event. In this season of reflection, I want to thank you for your service to the campus and the Foundation. I also want to thank you for the opportunity to serve this fine institution. We are seeing great and exciting things happen and I am confident that this momentum will continue long into the future. Wishing you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving, Mike Johnson October 1, 2006 The fall semester is in full swing, and September was a very busy month for the Montana Tech Foundation. The cash receipts for September 2006 were down from the same month last year. This month we collected $100,444 as compared to collections from the same period last year of $121,900. Much of this difference is due to timing of fund raising programs. Last year the Chancellor’s Roundtable fundraiser and the phonathon started earlier. The Foundation staff has been busy taking care of important administrative work. We have completed the annual audit of FY 2006 and received an excellent report. We have also compiled and distributed the 2006 annual impact statements for our donors. In addition to the administrative work, two significant annual-giving efforts were kicked off in September. The annual phonathon started on September 17th. Kayla Corrigan and her crew have been working hard to contact our alumni and friends. To date we have made 709 contacts and from them we have received $11,120 in cash and pledges. Many members of the staff and faculty are assisting with this effort. We are very grateful for the help and the alumni are always thrilled to talk to their former professors and friends. Please remember to help spread the word that when Montana Tech calls, “give generously”! I reported in last month’s communication that Halliburton was interested in helping with our effort to build a Natural Resources Building (NRB). On Friday, September 29th, I signed a memorandum of Understanding with Halliburton Energy Services indicating their intent to provide $350,000 for the NRB. We are thrilled to receive this leadership gift and believe it will be the catalyst we need to generate additional corporate support for the NRB. With this gift, the total amount of private support raised for the NRB is just short of $1.3 million. We still have a long way to go! We are preparing to unveil a formal fundraising plan for the Alumni Center at the upcoming Board of Director’s meeting on October 13th. We have received the architect’s renderings and we will soon be discussing the formal plan to generate the capital needed to build this showcase facility. To date, we have collected nearly $200,000 for this building. I would like to remind everyone that the annual call for nominations for the Foundation’s Board of Directors has been made. If you know of anyone that might be interested in serving as a member of the Board of Directors, please contact our office or Bill Thompson, Chairman of the Nominating Committee. Please make your nominations by October 9th. We are always looking for excellent people willing to further advance Montana Tech. Please note that it is not necessary to be a graduate of Montana Tech in order to serve on this board. Joe McClafferty, our athletic director, has been extremely successful creating a great deal of energy around our athletic programs. He has also been successful securing financial partners. In fact, he has generated more than $40,000 from 19 corporate sponsors. He has also secured nearly 70 new Digger Athletic Association memberships from individuals and businesses. Remember, Joe set an initial goal of 100 new members in the first 100 days. He is well on his way! The past few weeks have been intense for our Career Services group. The staff hosted the 7th Annual Montana Tech Career Fair on Thursday, September 14th. This was the biggest career fair at Montana Tech yet! There were over 91 employers in attendance and more than 800 students at the event. Recruiters regularly comment that Montana Tech students ‘Get Into It!’ with real-world experiences before they graduate! Employers at this career fair represented all industries looking to hire Montana Tech students for full-time positions and internship opportunities. It is a great time to be an Oredigger! Mike Johnson September 1, 2006 GENERAL FUNDRAISING UPDATE: The Annual Giving season is in full swing. You should have received your brochure in the mail. Phonathon calls will begin September 17th. Please tell your friends and neighbors to be generous when our students and faculty call. Kayla Corrigan will be leading this year’s phonathon. Chancellor Roundtable renewal letters have been sent to all current members of the Roundtable. We have also sent approximately 50 new requests to potential new members. These unrestricted contributions are critical to our operations and we will be making personal contacts to all of these potential donors to encourage their continued support. STAFF UPDATE: In addition to their general fundraising duties, each development officer has been assigned to work closely with one of our four colleges. Kayla will be assigned to the College of Technology and Dean will be assigned to the School of Math and Sciences. Julie Crnich has been assigned to the School of Mines and Engineering. Mike Johnson will be working with the College of HSS&IT. Pat Naughton has left us and made his move to the islands of Hawaii. His last day was August 18th. We all wish Pat the best. CAMPUS UPDATE: The new Athletic Director, Joe McClafferty, started his Montana Tech career earlier this month and has hit the ground running. He is working hard forging corporate partnerships for athletics and he has been very successful generating tremendous energy around our athletic programs and upcoming events. If you have not yet reserved your tailgating spot, call Christie Hess at 406-496-4105. Stay tuned for more news on athletics. Go Diggers! CAMPAIGN UPDATE: Dr. Doug Coe, Dean of the College of Mathematics and Sciences, Dr. Courtney Young, Head of the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, and Sarah Raymond, Director of Career Services at the invitation of Ash Grove Cement recently visited their headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas and their flagship plant in Chanute, Kansas. This was a one-on-one meeting with just our Montana Tech delegation. Ash Grove’s goal for the meeting was relationship building. Ash Grove is very pleased with our campus and loves our graduates. They specifically mentioned the fact that our graduates often have practical experience prior to graduation. They also commented favorably about the “Get Into It” campaign. Ash Grove has agreed to provide a $1,500 annual scholarship to one of our students. The architect has completed the renderings for the proposed new Alumni Center. We are very pleased with the work and look forward to generating money for the construction of this incredible addition to our campus. Storyboards are available of the alumni center and many on campus have previewed the drawings of the proposed building. Dean Markovics and Michael Barth will be leading the fundraising effort for our Alumni Center. Please stay tuned for more details. REMINDER:
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