Great Falls colleges ready for new academic year

In the video above, Brianna Juneau talks with officials at the University of Providence and the Great Falls College-MSU about preparations for the upcoming academic year.

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As the fall semester approaches, Great Falls College MSU and the University of Providence are preparing to welcome students back to campus. Both institutions are focused on enhancing academic offerings and improving campus services to ensure a successful start to the school year.

Great Falls College MSU is emphasizing a new addition to their list of programs. For the first time, the state of Montana will see a veterinary technician program in the course catalog at a public school.

Since the veterinary technician program in Dillon previously closed, a need has grown.

The college Dean, Stephanie Erdmann, spoke excitedly about the new program:, “We have over 30 students from across the state of Montana starting this fall to fill a workforce shortage in this industry.”

The college also updated their Atrium and Student Engagement areas to better accommodate students and their needs.

Meanwhile, the University of Providence rolled out new programs, as well as revived their dual-credit and dual enrollment opportunities.

The Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Greg Johnson, explained, “We've been really working to try to adopt and adapt our programs and adapt those programs to the needs of the students, so they have these opportunities to take programs and courses that they have not been able to take. And that's an added kind of excitement for UP I think.”

Both institutions touched on noticing a trend in increased enrollment number since the Covid-19 pandemic – highlighting ever-changing campuses that support student well-being and success.

“We are seeing enrollments come off of Covid. We are also seeing students engage in learning and different ways that they didn't have the opportunity before pre-Covid,” said Erdmann.

Johnson said, “Students are not here fully yet, but you can sense that there's a new kind of experience and energy happening already because of those things.”