Chancellor's Communications

April 3, 2024

Dear Campus Community,

I hope this message finds you well. Yesterday was undoubtedly a challenging day for our university. I am grateful for the swift and coordinated response of University Police and members of the Incident Response Team in ensuring the safety of our campuses. 

It is important to recognize that such events can be stressful, scary, and evoke unexpected feelings and emotions. During moments like these, the wellbeing of our campus community is paramount. I encourage you to take care of yourselves and each other.

If you find that you are in need of someone to talk with, please remember that our Student Health Services offers counseling services. The dedicated professionals are experienced and available to assist you in a safe and confidential environment.

We have already begun to review yesterday’s events and will continue to implement improvements to our emergency response system, protocols, and redundancy measures to be better prepared. Your feedback is welcomed and can be sent to me at chancellor@msubillings.edu.

Events like yesterday require all of us to do our part. Emergency Procedures are available online on the university’s website. I encourage each of you to take time to review these resources. Training is also available throughout the year. Additionally, family members and members of the community may sign up to be included in the Emergency Notification System. 

Once again, I want to express my sincere appreciation to our University Police and the Incident Response Team for their outstanding service and dedication to ensuring our safety. 

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor

March 21, 2024

Dear Campus Community,

Many of you are involved in our community through ongoing service engagements. In addition to being a rewarding experience, information about your important work informs our strategic planning, community engagement, accreditation, and is vital in maintaining MSUB’s relationship with Billings and the surrounding region.

To ensure that we accurately capture the impact you make in our community, we are asking you to track any volunteer work or community service, such as serving on boards, blood drives, or advocating for others, etc. through the Service Sting form found on the Center for Engagement’s webpage.

We will send this annual reminder to log your service hours, but you can submit the Service Sting form as many times as you would like to log service hours throughout the year. This can be used to track your own hours continuously, or once each year when the reminder is sent.

Community service plays a crucial role in shaping the culture of our university. By participating in community service, you help foster the culture of giving that is fundamental among our institution's core values. Through community service, we demonstrate our commitment to improving the world around us and making a positive impact.

Thank you for all you do for our students and for the Billings community.

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor

March 19, 2024

Dear Campus Community,

Please join me this Thursday, March 21, from 11:30-12:30 for virtual coffee and conversations. 

Drop in for a few minutes or stay the entire time using Teams. 

I look forward to seeing you and catching up!

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor

March 13, 2024

Dear Campus Community,

Are you ready? Our sixth annual'Jacket Giving Dayis just around the corner on March 20-21! With 1,927 minutes to donate (in honor of our founding year of 1927), this is your chance to make a lasting impact at MSUB by supporting the projects and programs that matter most to you.

Like last year, this year's ‘Jacket Giving Day will focus on three major categories: Areas of Critical Need, Academic Centers & Institutes, and Yellowjacket Athletics – with over 24 total projects for our donors to choose from. Your donation, no matter what amount, can make a massive difference in helping us achieve our goal of engaging 300 donors to support MSUB and increase faculty and staff participation in fundraising.

Every project can earn bonus dollars by attracting the most donors. As an incentive, the three projects (one from each area) with the most donors will receive an additional $1,000! And stay tuned for more incentive prizes to come.

Check out the complete list of projects you can support and remember that even a small gift can go a long way in helping MSUB reach new heights on March 20-21. In the meantime, help us spread the word about 'Jacket Giving Day by forwarding the emails you receive and sharing our posts from the MSU Billings Foundation & Alumni Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram accounts.

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor

Krista Montague
CEO, MSU Billings Foundation & Alumni

 

Jan. 29, 2024

Dear Campus Community,

I am pleased to introduce two statements that reflect MSU Billings’ commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and our recognition of the heritage of the land on which our university stands. 

The following Diversity Statement and Land Acknowledgment have been carefully developed through collaborative and thoughtful discussion. I want to thank those who contributed to shaping the Diversity Statement, the DEI Task Force under the leadership of Dr. Jennifer Lynn and Dr. Ana Diaz. I additionally want to give recognition to Sunny Day Real Bird for her work to produce the Land Acknowledgment.

To make our values clear, these statements will be posted on our website, and you are welcome to use them. Thank you for your dedication to ensuring that MSUB is a place where all know that they are valued and belong. 
 
MSU Billings Diversity Statement:

Montana State University Billings strives to promote a diverse and inclusive campus where all students, faculty, staff, and alumni feel supported, connected, and valued in a welcoming campus community. We are committed to sustaining a culture of individual success, personal and intellectual growth for all, while respecting the dignity and rights of all persons. We prioritize the efforts that create and support different working, teaching, research and learning environments by celebrating and respecting the various dimensions of people’s identities and the complex way in which these identities interact.

MSUB is proud to serve these numerous dimensions amongst people, which include but are not limited to ability, age, appearance, athletic and student organization involvement, ethnicity, family/marital status, gender, gender expression, immigration status, language, military/veteran status, nationality, political ideology, race, religion, spirituality, sex, sexuality, socioeconomic status, as well as other personal identities and experiences.

MSU Billings Land Acknowledgment:

We acknowledge and honor, with respect, the Indigenous Nations on whose traditional homelands Montana State University Billings now stands and whose historical and cultural relationships with the land continue to this day. Many Indigenous peoples thrive in this place—alive and strong. 

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor

Jan. 17, 2024

Dear Campus Community:

Please join me this Thursday, January 18, from 11:30-12:30 in LA 205 for free coffee and conversations.

For those of you who cannot attend in person, please join us virtually using Teams.

I look forward to seeing you and catching up as we start the new semester!

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor