Chancellor's Communications

Dec. 13, 2024

Dear Campus Community: 

Join us for Virtual Coffee with Chancellor Stefani Hicswa on Thursday from 11:30 am-12:30 pm.

Nov. 18, 2024

Dear Campus Community,
 
Listening sessions have been held on both campuses as we work to select MSUB’s next Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Your feedback is important.

Please join us at City College for the final Listening Session on:

November 20 at 1:00 in Health Sciences, Conference Room A

It will be helpful for the search committee and I to have your input as we move forward in the search. If you are unable to join us for any of the listening sessions, please submit your feedback by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 26.

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor 

Nov. 8, 2024

Dear Campus Community,
 
As members the MSU Billings community, your voice is very important in the selection process of the next Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Listening sessions will be held to assist the search committee in finding the best candidate to lead Academic Affairs.

Please join a Listening Session on:

November 12 at 3:30 on university campus in SUB Beartooth Room

November 13 at 1:30 at City College in HS Conference Room A

November 14 at 3:00 on university campus in SUB Beartooth Room

November 20 at 1:00 at City College in HS Conference Room A

I hope to see you at one of these upcoming sessions.

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor 

Oct. 10, 2024

Dear Campus Community,

I am pleased to announce that we will welcome Dr. Richard Beer as Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs beginning November 4.

Dr. Beer was the inaugural Dean of the School of Business of Saint Martin’s University and served as tenured professor of business and computer science. During his tenure at Saint Martin’s University, he also served as Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs in 2013 and as Interim Dean of the School of Engineering in 2014-15. He has more than twenty years of experience as a tenured faculty member. In 2020-21 Dr. Beer served MSU Billings as the Interim Dean of the College of Business and continued as Advisor for Strategic Initiatives until 2022.

Dr. Beer earned a doctorate in engineering with distinction from Technical University of Berlin in Germany. He holds a Master of Arts in mathematics from Wake Forest University, a Master of Science in computer science from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the Technische Fachhochschule Berlin.

A national search for our next Provost is forthcoming. The search committee has been seated. Provost Sep Eskandari’s last day will be November 1. I appreciate his exemplary service to MSUB. I want to thank Dr. Kurt Toenjes and Dr. Kim Hayworth for their willingness to share the duties of the Interim Provost position.

I am grateful to Dr. Beer for assuming the role of Interim Provost and for contributing his wealth of experience and expertise to the position. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Richard Beer.

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor 

Oct. 8, 2024

Dear Campus Community: 

Join us for Virtual Coffee with Chancellor Stefani Hicswa on Thursday from 11:30 am-12:30 pm.

Aug. 20, 2024

Dear Campus Community,
 
It has been a busy summer filled with preparation and planning to welcome our students back to campus this fall. I look forward to seeing you all at the State of the University Address on Thursday, August 22, at 8:30 a.m.  in Petro Theatre. I will highlight our many accomplishments from the past year, talk about what to expect in the upcoming year, and discuss why I am so grateful to be part of MSUB.
 
Immediately following the address, the Where in the Hive Campus Information Fair will take place in the Glacier Room showcasing many of our student services departments. This fair will help us become more versed in what we offer our students so we can all be better equipped to support them. At 2:00 p.m., please join us on Microsoft Teams for the Know the Nest event. This virtual gathering will feature updates from many areas on campus. Then starting at 4:00 p.m., I will host an All-Campus Open House at the Chancellor’s residence. Your families are welcome. Please park in the Normal Avenue parking lot adjacent to my backyard where all the festivities will be.

I look forward to seeing you all.

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor

Aug. 19, 2024

Dear Campus Community,

In today’s digital environment, we are more susceptible than ever to cyber-attacks such as phishing and social engineering that do significant harm to
institutions and individuals. Cybercriminals are constantly changing tactics to exploit new vulnerabilities and behaviors.

On August 20, around 10:00 am, you will receive an email from MSUB IT that will direct you to the website KnowBe4. Following the instructions, you will
need to enter your MSUB email address to receive your personalized link to access the training. The training will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Over the last several years, I have completed KnowBe4 training and found it very informative, engaging, and beneficial for my professional and personal life.

All MSUB employees are required to complete cybersecurity training.

Sincerely,

Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
Chancellor

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