Developmental Education and Complete College America in Montana
The Montana Commissioner of Higher Education convened a Statewide Developmental Task Force during the fall of 2012. Comprised of both educators and administrators in higher education and K-12 Public Education, the Task Force recommended in May of 2013 that Montana join the CCA coalition with the caveat that in our zeal to improve Montanans’ higher education credentials, students’ educational needs not be inadvertently disregarded. http://www.mus.edu/board/meetings/2013/May2013/TwoYear/DevEdTaskForce_ExeSummary_a1.pdf
Complete College Montana
On August 19, 2013, Montana Governor Steve Bullock announced that Montana would join 33 other states that have signed on to the Complete College America initiative. The Complete College Montana initiative is aimed at increasing the number of college graduates in Montana—certificate holders or degree recipients—from 40% to 60%. Some of the “Game Changer Strategies” proposed by Complete College America include the following: tying funding to outcomes (Performance Funding); encouraging co-requisite remediation instead of sequenced developmental courses; capping credit requirements and encouraging all students to enroll in 15 credits per semester; offering block scheduling or student cohort scheduling; implementing “Guided Pathways to Success,” which “prepare clear path[s] to on-time completion” and may include “intrusive advising” (“Game Changer Strategies.” Complete College Montana. Board of Regents Meeting, Nov. 21, 2013. Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education). http://mus.edu/CCM/CompleteCollegeMT-BOE-1-7-14.pdf
Governor Bullock Appoints Board of Regent Chair to Lt. Governor
Governor Steve Bullock has appointed Angela McLean as interim Lieutenant Governor, filling the position vacated by John Walsh, who was sworn into the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, February 11, 2014. Walsh will fulfill the term of senior Senator Max Baucus who, on February 6, 2014, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new ambassador to China. Governor Bullock appointed Walsh, a Democrat, who has declared that he will run for the nomination in the primary election. In the meantime, Governor Bullock chose Angela McLean, an American history and government teacher from Anaconda, Montana, to serve as Lt. Governor. McLean has served as chair of the Montana Board of Regents since 2012, the governing body of the Montana University System. While her appointment to Lt. Governor will create a temporary void on the Board, the move confirms Governor Bullock’s commitment to improving education in Montana.