Montana State University Billings

Montana State University Billings
Motto Access and Excellence
Established 1927
Type Public
Chancellor Dr. Rolf Groseth
Admin. staff 500
Undergraduates 5,041
Postgraduates 400
Location Billings, Montana, USA
Campus Suburban
Colors Blue & Gold
Mascot Yellowjackets
Website www.msubillings.edu

Montana State University Billings (or MSU Billings) is a state university. Its main campus is located in downtown Billings, Montana,[1] United States. Formerly Eastern Montana Normal School when it was founded, it was then renamed to Eastern Montana College before being renamed to its present name in 1994. It has the third largest campus population in the Montana State University System.

The university was established in 1927 and offers Associate/Bachelor/Master degrees and certificates. Today, there are over 160 degrees to choose from.

Students have access to many places in Montana, from hiking in the nearby city and state parks to sightseeing in Yellowstone National Park to going to a concert at MetraPark.

Currently between 5,000–6,000 students attend MSU Billings.

Contents

Student life

The school is host to a mix of traditional and nontraditional student body. Approximately 850 students live on campus in the residence halls.

Some of the major student organizations include:

Full List of Organizations

Notable alumni

Residence halls

There are two residence halls on the MSU Billings campus.

Petro Hall

Petro Hall is a 500-room residence hall completed in 1965.[2] There are 8 floors, including the first floor Petro Theater and the second floor lobby. It is connected directly to the Petro Theater on the first floor, and also connected to the Student Union Building.

Rimrock Hall

Rimrock Hall is 300-room residence hall completed in 1962.[3] There are 6 floors, including the second floor lobby and the first floor Student Union Building.

Athletics

The athletic teams are nicknamed the Yellowjacket and compete in the NCAA's Great Northwest Athletic Conference and in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Montana State University Billings has an active athletic department, including a newly reformed baseball program. Other sports include: men's and women's basketball (both making appearances in conference finals over the years), cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, cheerleading, softball, volleyball, tennis, indoor track, and outdoor track. The official MSUB song is the "Fight Song".

Men's basketball

The Yellowjackets men's basketball program has been at the forefront of the MSU Billings sports offerings since football was abandoned in the late 1970s. The program, which rose to prominence during the early 1960s under coach Harry "Mike" Harkins, has lately been competitive within NCAA D–II and while a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). In the past ten years the Yellowjackets have led D–II (and in some cases all of the NCAA) in three-pointers made per game. The school has finished under .500 only once in that timespan.

While Roy McPipe remains the only former player to be drafted by the NBA and play major professional basketball in the United States, many former players have found pro careers in Europe or in minor leagues in the states.

Men's Baseball

The Yellowjackets baseball program had originally been dropped in 1974, 5 years before the school moved from NAIA to an NCAA D–II athletics program. The baseball team was re-established in 2006, enjoying its first year ever as an NCAA baseball school under manager Chris Brown in the Heartland Conference.

The 2006 season started on February 24 with a 6–3 loss to Northwest Nazarene University. The Jackets began the year on a 16- game road trip, losing all 16 games. They started the year 0–18 before an 11–2 home win at Cobb Field against the same Northwest Nazarene team. The Jackets finished their first NCAA season on a 15–17 run to finish 15–35. In 2007 the team completed its second season with a much improved 24–26 record.

Extensions

The College of Technology

Originally another associate-level community college, the College of Technology merged with the main campus in 1994.[4] In the past few years, enrollment has risen to over 1,400 students (accounting for nearly one-fifth of the student body). Projections with grant improvements and workforce needs foresee a 2,000 student increase in the near future.

The College of Professional Studies and Lifelong Learning

The downtown campus provides conference facilities, workforce and professional development, personal enrichment, kids' camps, outreach and a Senior Academy for ages 55+. Their event calendars and course listings are available online.

Distance learning

MSUB Online is Montana State University Billings' Online Portal, featuring a wide array of courses (over 240 classes) and complete programs of study ranging from certificates, associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees.

Student services

Essential Departments for student service include:

See also

Notes

External links