Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S U M M E R 2 0 1 8 64 Interview with Seth and his wife, Dr. Chelsea Bodnar www.distinctlymontana.com/bodnar183 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL YOU APPEAR TO HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THE NEED FOR "DIVER- SITY." CAN YOU SUMMARIZE WHAT DIVERSITY MEANS IN THE CONTEXT OF A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION? e benefits to our students, our employees, and our state cannot be overstated: having a diverse student body, faculty members, and employees brings a wealth of different beliefs, perspectives and in- sights to our collective learning. As a person from a small, rural town, my worldview prior to attending college was quite limited. But the opportunity during college—and later in graduate school overseas— to study and work with people from different backgrounds enriched my education in ways that I never could have imagined. I want to make sure we do the same for students at UM. ENROLLMENT AT THE U OF M HAS BEEN STAGNANT TO DOWNTRENDING OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO INCREASE ENROLL- MENT OF BOTH IN-STATE AND OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS? We are focused on two key areas related to enrollment at UM: bringing new students to campus and helping those who are already here to persist and succeed to graduation. We need to seize opportunities to tell our story and engage with prospective students, beginning in their freshman year of high school. We are increasing our investments in this area, and I recently announced an organization restructure to bring our mar- keting and enrollment efforts together under one leader, which will improve coordination and execution of our efforts. Perhaps more importantly, we are working hard to ensure that every student who shows up here at UM succeeds to graduation and beyond. We are working to better understand why students leave before completing their degree and exploring ways in which we can help them persist and succeed. For example, we know that helping students build meaningful connections here on campus is important, and we've found that participation in a freshman seminar course or our freshman wilderness experience offered through campus recreation can help students build friendships and connections that will serve as an important support system for their first year and beyond. DO YOU SEE THE U OF M IN COMPETITION WITH MONTANA STATE FOR STUDENT ENROLLMENT? Montana students are incredibly fortunate to have a strong Montana University System and excellent options for pursuing their post-secondary education. I want every student to attend the place within the system that will provide them with the best educa- tion within their areas of interest and passion. I am also excited about exploring collaborative opportunities with campuses across the Montana University System. HOW WILL YOU CONNECT WITH THE STUDENT BODY IN TERMS THAT ARE MEANINGFUL TO THEM? I love to engage with our students; they are the reason UM exists! I am continually impressed by their passion, intelligence, commitment, and engagement across our campus. Whenever I can, I am out on the campus talking to students. Engaging with our students challenges me as well; I get to see UM from their perspec- tive and hear their ideas. CONNECT WITH US: 800-462-8636 admissions.umt.edu admiss@umontana.edu Grab your future by the horns. umt.edu

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