Dear Bobcat parent and family members,
Wow, time flies! It feels like yesterday when we celebrated over a thousand MSU graduates at
Winter Commencement. That was barely a month ago, and now it’s 2020, the start of
a new year, decade and semester. Happy new year!
I want to extend a warm welcome to those of you parent and family members who have
new students at MSU beginning classes next Monday, January 13. This is the first of
my semester communications to keep you in the loop with relevant information and updates
on campus events this spring. Welcome to the Bobcat family!
If your student is returning to campus, I hope the winter break was good and gave
you opportunities to spend meaningful time with them. The residence halls opened yesterday
at noon, so students are able to move in anytime now.
Transition to start the spring semester for continuing students after the holiday
break can be a challenge. One upside is that students can become restless at home
after a month, and are likely looking forward to reuniting with their classmates and
friends on campus.
One downside to this past winter break: not a lot of new snow. It was one of the
driest Decembers on record in Bozeman, and all of the local ski areas are anxious
for more snow. But, that does provide another upside for students who have been gone
for the month and left vehicles. They are returning to cars that are relatively easy
to access (and to find).
One important reminder: MSU students can add and drop classes during the first two
weeks of the semester. It’s a good idea to touch base with your student and ask about
the classes they are enrolled in for spring, and if they are carrying a full load
(15 credits or more).
We strongly recommend students take 15 credits or more each semester. It’s one of
the most effective ways to keep the cost of education down and students on track for
graduating in four years. Take a look at the Freshman 15 program to find out more about the financial advantages for students who take 15 credits
or more each semester.
As we start the semester, MSU offers a ton of activities to welcome returning students
back to campus and to help integrate new and transfer students into campus. The full
listing of the MSU Debut Spring Events is on our website.
We’re looking forward to an incredible spring semester with lots of activities, including
a national conference on undergraduate research, a ski rail jam in the middle of campus,
and much more.
Warm regards,
Matthew Caires
Dean of Students
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