Montana Tech of The University of Montana
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| Motto | De Re Metallica Literal translation: “Of The Metals”. This was the title of a book published by Agricola (aka Georg Bauer) in 1556. Agricola's text was a good exercise in communicating the technology of mining and smelting, and it is fitting that Technical Communication is one of Montana Tech's premiere academic programs today. |
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| Established | 1889 |
| Type | Public |
| Chancellor | Franklin Gilmore |
| Students | 2230 (2005–06) |
| Postgraduates | 90 (2005–06) |
| Location | Butte, Montana, United States |
| Colors | Green and Copper |
| Nickname | Orediggers |
| Athletics | The Orediggers |
| Affiliations | Montana University System |
| Website | http://www.mtech.edu |
Montana Tech is a university located in Butte, Montana. It was founded in 1893 as a mining school. In 1994 it joined the Montana University System and is now Montana Tech of The University of Montana.
Montana Tech specializes in engineering and technology education with additional programs in chemistry, safety and occupational health, professional and technical communication, nursing, and general university humanities courses. The 2005-06 enrollment is 2232 students; 2142 undergraduate and 90 graduate students, 87% from Montana.
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[edit] History
On February 22, 1889, President Grover Cleveland signed the Enabling Act by which Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington were admitted to the Union. This act was part of a series of federal acts that established and funded land grant colleges. As a result, 100,000 acres (400 km²) of public land were appropriated to Montana to establish and maintain a state school of mines. In 1893, the Montana Legislature appropriated $15,000 for construction of the school but it was not until 1900 that the Montana State School of Mines opened.
Charles Horace Clapp (1883-1935) was president of the school from 1918 to 1921. Clapp was initially hired as head of the geology department in 1916. As president he successfully lobbied to create the state bureau of mines and was named director of the new bureau. While in Butte, Clapp earned a strong regional reputation for promoting professional and economic development. He left the School of Mines to become president of the State University of Montana at Missoula--a position he held until his death. Because of chronic underfunding of the state university system (a condition that still prevails today), Clapp faced enormous administrative problems.
In 1943, the Montana School of Mines was designated a Naval College and a V-12 Navy program was started, which took over the campus. The V-12 program guaranteed an officer replacement pool for the Navy and Marines and gave many young men the opportunity to attend college. The program was disbanded at the end of World War II, having trained 478 students.
In 1945, school president Francis Thompson embarked on a program to modernize the Montana School of Mines’ curricula. To this end he set up a reconversion committee to determine what direction the college should take in the post-war years.
Until that point, students elected a major and could not take classes outside of it. The reconversion allowed students to take more technical electives and gave them more options in the humanities and social sciences. The reconversion committee marked a significant milestone in the history of the Montana School of Mines, setting the stage for the creation of non-engineeing programs on campus. In addition to the curriculum changes, the school also elected to change its name in 1965 to the Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology, a move which boosted enrollment from 331 in 1965 to 998 in 1971. Over time, this long and clumsy name was shortened to simply Montana Tech.
The Montana University System was restructured in 1994. Montana Tech become affiliated with the University of Montana and the name officially changed to Montana Tech of The University of Montana. Additionally the College of Technology (formerly Butte Vo-Tech) came under the administrative umbrella of Montana Tech.
[edit] Present
Montana Tech of The University of Montana has evolved into a dynamic institution composed of three colleges, one school, and the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. Prior to 1951, the college offered Bachelor of Science degrees in only five areas. Today, the college has implemented 6 certificates, 9 associates, 19 bachelors, and 11 masters programs.
Overlooking the city from the shoulder of Big Butte, Montana Tech’s north campus can be seen for miles. Its tree-shaded perimeter encloses both the stately buildings of the Institution’s past and the modern facilities reflecting its present and its future. A $20 million dollar construction and renovation project was recently completed on the north campus.
[edit] Education
Montana Tech, though small, is world renown for its challenging curriculum and hard-working students. Known as the “MIT of the West” and "Harvard on the Hill" the university’s emphasis is primarily in engineering and science, although a small liberal arts department is maintained on the campus. Montana Tech’s strive for excellence does not go unnoticed by employers. Most of the campus' departments boast a near 100% placement of its graduates. Montana Tech has been nationally recognized as the 4th best value in higher education (Ranked in 2005 Edition of America's Best Universities and Colleges), it is also in the Princeton Review’s best colleges in the country.
As a small institution, think of Montana Tech as a liberal arts college with a technical focus. Classes are small, students know their faculty from freshman year on, and there are wonderful undergraduate opportunities in research and service learning.
Technical Communication is a rapidly growing discipline and is available at Montana Tech in several forms: (1) a BS program in Professional & Technical Communication; (2) an MS program in Technical Communication; and (3) a minor. At Montana Tech, Technical Communication includes communication scientific and technical information, and using technology to communicate. Students in the undergraduate program receive a well rounded education in writing and desktop publishing, new media such as web page design and digital video, and the social dimensions of technical communication. For more information, see the PTC Dept website
[edit] Recreation
Montana Tech is in the heart of the northern Rocky Mountains and there is an abundance of 4-season recreational opportunities. Students can enjoy fly fishing for trout on the Big Hole River ("Montana's Last Best River)," a day on the slopes at the nearby Discovery Ski Area (no lift lines), backcountry and cross-country skiing just 15 minutes away, rock climbing along Pipestone Pass, backpacking in the Pintler Wilderness, or elk hunting on the Beaverhead/Deerlodge National Forest.
[edit] References
- McGlynn, Terrence D. Montana Tech 1893-1984. Butte, MT: Montana Tech Foundation, 1984.
- Munday, Pat. Biographical entry for C.H. Clapp (1883-1935), geologist and Montana School of Mines President. American National Biography, ed. John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes, 24 vols. (Oxford University Press: 1999): v. 4, pp. 900-1.
See also: List of colleges and universities in the United States.
