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FVCC Home >  Press Releases >  2008 - April

The Alpha Iota Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Flathead Valley Community College will host a canned food drive May 12-15 in celebration of Project Graduation, a national service program that supports the efforts of community-based organizations to eliminate hunger.

Donation bins will be placed at the front entrances of all buildings on the FVCC Kalispell campus. The donated goods will be given to the Flathead Food Bank.

The Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society of two-year colleges administers Project Graduation. Phi Theta Kappa is the largest academic honor society in the world with approximately 90,000 members inducted annually. Phi Theta Kappa includes 1,200 chapters on two-year and community college campuses in all 50 states, Canada, Germany, Japan, and U.S. territorial possessions.

For more information, call Janaya Okerlund at 756-3908, or email jokerlun@fvcc.edu.

Do you struggle with writing performance appraisals for your staff? Flathead Valley Community College is offering a half-day Performance Appraisals workshop May 14 from 1 to 5 p.m.

The workshop will reveal various types of performance evaluations managers can utilize. Presenter and Senior Professional in Human Resources Cindy Carpenter will provide practical ideas on how to write and deliver outstanding appraisals.

The cost to enroll is $53. For additional information or to register, contact the FVCC Continuing Education Center by calling 756-3832.

The Flathead Valley Community College Multicultural Services program will host a presentation titled, “Land Use Planning on the Flathead Reservation,” May 8.

Free and open to the public, the discussion on the Flathead Reservation tribal planning process and land use issues will be presented by Janet Camel of the tribal planning office. Topics that will be addressed include the non-tribal population growing at a much higher rate than the tribal population and how the tribal government has engaged in a planning process for future growth to ensure the continuation of the tribal cultures for those who live on the reservation.

The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. in the Board Room in Blake Hall on the FVCC Kalispell campus.

For more information, call the FVCC Multicultural Office at 756-3945.

Flathead Valley Community College will offer a variety of short-term intersession classes May 19 through June 6. The classes will give area residents and college students home for summer break an opportunity to earn college credits in three weeks instead of a traditional semester.

Classes that will be offered include: Introduction to Archaeology, Printmaking I: Etching, Human Relations in Business, Economic Principles: Microeconomics, Instructional Technology, Introduction to Poetry, Interpersonal Relations/Communications, Liberal Arts Mathematics, Introduction to Psychology and Public Speaking.

Registration is currently taking place now through May 16 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Thursdays, and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Fridays. Registration will resume May 19 at 8 a.m.

Degree-seeking students are required to meet with an advisor prior to registration.

For more information, call 756-3852, or visit www.fvcc.edu.

Registration for summer credit classes at Flathead Valley Community College is in full swing. Open to both new and returning students, registration will continue through June 6. The course schedule of credit classes is available on the college Web site, www.fvcc.edu, and copies of the course schedule have been mailed to Flathead County residents.

In order to register, degree-seeking students are required to have a completed admissions file which includes a completed application form with a $15 application payment, high school transcripts and college transcripts if applicable and proof of two MMR immunizations. Students also are required to complete the ASSET placement test prior to registering for classes. Non-degree seeking students are subject to different admissions requirements.

Classes fill on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 756-3852 or visit www.fvcc.edu.

Flathead Valley Community College has acknowledged 14 employees with Employee Service Awards. The following employees were recognized at the college’s monthly Board of Trustees meeting April 28 for their years of service at FVCC:

25 Years of Service:

Continuing Education Coordinator Leslie Rogers, and

Forest Technology Instructor Robert Beall, Ph.D.;

20 Years of Service:

Student Services Secretary Paula Betthauser,

History/Political Science Instructor C. Jonathan Moses, Ph.D.,

Medical Assistant Instructor Karla West,

Maintenance Services Director Jack Roark, and

Systems Analyst Coleen Baars;

15 Years of Service:

Student Placement Coordinator Karen Darrow,

Continuing Education Program Assistant Debbie Struck,

Surveying Instructor Dave Dorsett, and

Adult Basic Education Director Margaret Girkins; and

5 Years of Service:

Workforce Training Director Jodi Smith,

Lincoln County Campus Administrative Assistant Janet Haines, and

Library Technician III Carrie Nelson.

For more information, contact Tara Roth at 756-3912.

The Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees met April 28 for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting.

Student Government President Erin Giefer announced Student Government elections and barbeque will take place April 30. Approximately 350 people attended the fourth annual Battle of the Bands hosted by Student Government April 4. The Logger Sports Team hosted the annual Stumpjumper Days competition April 26. The team traveled to Missoula last week to participate in the regional Association of Western Forestry Clubs Conclave.

Business Instructor Brenda Rudolph announced that 906 people attended the 2008 Honors Symposium. The college’s inaugural Poetry Festival Weekend April 11 and 12 also was well attended with 294 participants. The FVCC Library was listed in the Montana Library Commission’s Collection Management Honor Roll for the 13th consecutive year and was one of two academic institutions in the state that met the criteria.

Representatives from the Sports Car Club of America addressed public comment on the organization’s history of conducting sports car safety classes on the FVCC campus for the last 15 years.

FVCC student Nicole Therrien who received the Montana Section of the American Chemical Society Undergraduate Award reported on her award-winning presentation involving research she and three other FVCC students conducted on changes in protein shapes. The award of $750 will cover travel expenses for Therrien to attend a national meeting of her choice. She competed against students, including many seniors, from numerous four-year colleges and universities throughout the state and was the only student who competed from a two-year college.

In action items, the Board approved a resolution to dispose surplus property that has become excess to the needs of the college. The Board approved the recommendation by the Curriculum Committee to place the Associate of Applied Science in Natural Resources Management degree in moratorium. The Board approved withdrawing the Real Estate Specialist Certificate of Applied Science program due to insufficient enrollments resulting from the recent changes in market conditions. The Board approved the second reading of the In-district Tuition Policy for Teachers. The policy would permit any teacher employed by a Northwest Montana Educational Cooperative member school to be designated as an in-district student for NMEC education events for which FVCC provides credits toward teacher renewal units.

In addition, the Board approved the first reading of the proposed change in the Asset and Capitalization Policy increasing the major tangible items threshold from $1,000 to $5,000. The Board approved tuition rates of $93 per credit for in-district students, $142 per credit for out-of-district students and $348 per credit for out-of-state students for fiscal year 2009. The Board also approved an increase in fees. According to FVCC President Jane Karas, the increase in tuition and fees is necessary in order to maintain the level of high-quality education the college provides and due to the rising cost of inflation. FVCC is committed to working with every student who wants to attend the college but cannot afford to through financing options such as financial aid, scholarship packages and no-interest payment plans. The Board also approved to reschedule its June monthly meeting to June 30 at 3:45 p.m.

President Karas announced that Joel Warneke has been hired as a full-time physics instructor. The college held three receptions on April 25 to recognize the building trades, electrical and welding students who contributed to the renovation and completion of the college’s new café, “Campus Grounds.” FVCC is undergoing a facilities planning process and is exploring the concept of adding more “student-friendly” areas on campus.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting will take place May 19 at 3:45 p.m. For more information regarding specific items included in this report or regarding college activities, please contact Tara Roth by calling 756-3912. For more information on board meetings, please contact Monica Settles by calling 756-3801.

The Flathead Valley Community College Multicultural Services program will host a musical presentation titled, “No Irish Need Apply: The Irish-American Experience in Story and Song,” May 1.

Free and open to the public, the story of the Irish in America will be delivered by retired FVCC instructor William “Bill” Rossiter. In the presentation, Rossiter will utilize published oral history and tales as well as music-hall and traditional American songs of the Irish immigration to illustrate the "texture" of the Irish experience in America. Accompanied by guitar, banjo, autoharp and harmonica, the songs will tell the stories of the Irish who fled the famine of the 1840s. The songs will portray the sadness of leaving a loved home, the hope for the good life in "Americay,” the fear that they would never see friends and family again, their initial cold reception into America and later their acceptance as part of the American mainstream.

The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. in the Board Room in Blake Hall on the FVCC Kalispell campus.

For more information, call the FVCC Multicultural Office at 756-3945.

Are you looking for fun, hands-on activities to keep your youngsters busy while enriching their minds this summer? The Flathead Valley Community College Continuing Education Center has an exciting schedule of over 30 Kid’s College classes this year. The majority of classes are week-long, half-day sessions and focus on engaging themes that provide children of all grade levels with educational and valuable learning experiences.

Younger children can enroll in Creepy Crawlers, Let’s Speak French or Space Camp. Students entering second through fifth grades will enjoy Art Around the Word, Bone Hunters, Nature Mask Making, Galapagos Island Adventure or African Safari. Older children can learn about the solar system, Lewis and Clark, dragons, and totem tile clay animals and dream catchers. Teens ages 14-17 can become certified open water scuba divers.

To request a brochure listing all classes, contact the Continuing Education Center at 756-3832, or visit www.fvcc.edu.

Flathead Valley Community College Theatre will close its inaugural season with the cult-hit "The Rocky Horror Show," by Richard O’Brien. Opening May 2, the hilariously provocative rock musical combines unforgettable music, sexually-charged dance, enticing costumes and a magical set for what promises to be an electrifying evening.

On a seemingly innocent night out, all-American sweethearts Brad and Janet find themselves stranded at the haunting Frankenstein Place. They are greeted by a mouthy doorman who leads them into a world of bizarre folk dancing all in preparation for a celebration of the likes they have never seen before. Now finding themselves at the mercy of the cross-dressing egotistical Frank n Furter, Brad and Janet must find a way to survive the maze of creation, murder and relationships as the night unfolds. Unlike traditional musicals, the audience is encourage to talk, dance and even throw things as the characters fight their way through the events of the evening.

Director Taskar Duffner has teamed up with Musical Director Kurt Duffner to lead an all-star cast and crew of more than 30 FVCC students, alumni and Flathead Valley community members. Cast and crew set out to explore such issues as self acceptance, tolerance, sex and love. This sci-fi spectacle is sure to be a romp-roaring good time involving taboo situations with comic relief.

"The Rocky Horror Show" will be performed in the Arts and Technology Building on the college’s Kalispell campus May 2, 3, 9 and 10 at 7 p.m. and May 4 and 11 at 2 p.m. Advance tickets are available for purchase at the FVCC Bookstore Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or by calling 756-3814. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors.

Due to the subject matter, the show is strongly recommended for mature audiences only.

For more information, call the FVCC Theatre Box Office at 756-3906.

The Flathead Valley Community College Multicultural Services program will host a presentation on Afghanistan by former Kalispell police chief Frank Garner April 2

In the presentation, Garner will share his story of assisting the Afghanistan Police Program in training over 80,000 Afghani policemen in an attempt to meet the peoples’ needs for peace in a turbulent and violent country. Discussion will cover how democratic policing values, tactics, skills and principles are put to the test in an incredibly diverse and poverty stricken war zone and will be accompanied by power photos and video clips.

Free and open to the public, the presentation will take place at 7 p.m. in the Board Room in Blake Hall on the FVCC Kalispell campus

For more information, call the FVCC Multicultural Office at 756-3945.

Flathead Valley Community College inducted 24 new members into the Alpha Iota Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa April 8. PTK President Bryan Sawyer and Vice President and Secretary Sheena Lacer inducted each of the following students into the international honor society of two-year colleges. The students obtained at least 12 credit hours from FVCC while receiving a minimum grade point average of 3.5.

From Bigfork: Richard Lonon, Rachel Munson-Young

From Columbia Falls: Aubrey Burlinson, Ashley Hallett, Claire Nelson and Aimee Volkman;

From Kalispell: Logan Bussey, Barbara Cook, Andrew Creighton, Layla Dropps, Jeri Hoogendijk, Camille Howell, Christa Lowry, Thomas Neumann, Dane Okerlund, Alyssa Pitt, Emily Ponaski and Ashley Robinson;

From Lakeside: Peter Scott;

From Rollins: Jenny Yarger;

From Somers: Frances Bonne’t; and

From Whitefish: Jared Barton, Timothy Butterfield and Brina Ellis.

The purpose of Alpha Iota Pi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Flathead Valley Community College shall be the promotion of scholarship, the development of leadership and service and the cultivation of fellowship among qualified students of the college.

For more information, please call Phi Theta Kappa Faculty Advisor Karen Longhart at 756-3998.

Flathead Valley Community College’s Logger Sports Team will host its annual home competition, Stumpjumper Days, April 19 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in the FVCC Logger Sports Arena on the college’s Kalispell campus.

Seventy-four students from five colleges and universities in the northwest region including The University of Montana, University of Idaho, Oregon State University, Colorado State University and FVCC will compete in various events such as axe throw, horizontal hard hit chop, obstacle pole buck, single buck and bonzaii logger.

The purpose of logger sports is to acknowledge the rich history of forestry and logging and keep traditions alive. Event participants will be competing for the Bull of the Woods, Belle of the Woods and Top Team Awards. FVCC has hosted the annual competition since 1972, with the exception of 2006 when the new logger sports arena was under construction.

Community members are invited to attend, and admission is free. A concessions stand will be on site, and food and beverages will be available for purchase. The arena is located off of the first road located north of the FVCC campus and east of Hutton Ranch Plaza on Highway 93 in Kalispell.

For more information, please contact Bob Beall at 756-3898, email Annie Beall at abeall@fvcc.edu.

Flathead Valley Community College is asking area community members to give the gift of life. FVCC will host a blood drive April 24 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the college’s Kalispell campus. To schedule an appointment, call Sharon Randolph at 756-3981.

The Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees met today for a special Board meeting in reference to its upcoming Trustee election scheduled for May 6.

At the meeting, the Board voted to cancel the election for one open position in the Flathead High School District (Kalispell School District 5.) The decision resulted from the candidate for the Flathead High School District running unopposed.

According to FVCC President Jane Karas, the resolution to cancel the Flathead High School District election was reviewed prior to the meeting by the college’s legal counsel.

Following the vote, the Trustees declared candidate Robert A. Nystuen elected for the open position and issued a certificate of election to the candidate. The term is for three years beginning May 2008 and expiring May 2011.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting will take place April 28 at 3:45 p.m. For more information, please contact Monica Settles by calling 756-3801.

The Montana Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) presented awards to Montana undergraduate and graduate students who delivered outstanding research presentations at the organization’s annual Meeting-in-Miniature at Carroll College April 5. Each award consists of up to $750 to cover travel expenses to attend a national meeting of the winner’s choice.

Swati Bandi, 30, a fifth-year graduate student working toward a Ph.D. in chemistry at The University of Montana in Missoula, was presented the graduate award for her presentation titled, “Electron Transfer Experiments: An Insight into the Alkaline Conformational Transitions.” Bandi’s thesis advisor is Bruce Bowler, Ph.D. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology and a Master of Science in biochemistry from Devi Ahilya Indore University in Indore, India.

The undergraduate award was presented to Flathead Valley Community College student Nicole Therrien, 21, of Kalispell. Her presentation, titled, “Probing Ca2+-Induced Conformational Changes in Bovine Calmodulin by Rapid High-Pressure N-Acetylation of Lysine Residues and ESI-MS” was a result of the collaborated research performed by Therrien and fellow students Rebekah Smith, Nathan Schaff and Natalee Lence. Therrien’s instructor is Paul Martino, Ph.D.

A 2005 graduate Flathead High School, Therrien plans to transfer to Montana State University in Bozeman in the fall of 2008 to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry with a math minor. She has a long-term goal of earning either a medical degree or a dual M.D./Ph.D. degree.

For more information, contact Montana Section of the American Chemical Society Chair Janice Alexander at 756-3948, or email jalexand@fvcc.edu.

Flathead Valley Community College is giving FVCC students the opportunity to showcase their talents at “Tuesdays with Talent,” a new weekly event that will take place every Tuesday at 7-8 p.m. through May 13.

Tonight’s performances will be provided by FVCC students Sarah Ann Vail, Gatlin Hardy and David Crismore.

Talents will vary from singing and dancing to voice recitals and directing stage or video. The event is free and open to the public and will take place in the FVCC Black Box Theatre located in the college’s Arts and Technology Building.

For more information, call 756-3906, or email ktduffner@yahoo.com.

Exhibit Opens April 16

The Flathead Valley Community College Art Department will conclude its series of spring exhibitions with a collection of hundreds of works by FVCC students. Free and open to the public, the Student Show will be on display April 16 through May 15 in the FVCC Student Art Gallery and will feature artwork consisting of paintings, drawings, ceramics, photographs and jewelry.

According to FVCC Art Instructor John Rawlings, the exhibit is a “representation of all of our art students and what we do on campus.”

The public is invited to the exhibit opening April 16 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Arts and Technology Building on the college’s Kalispell campus. Pizza and beverages will be served.

For more information, contact Rawlings at 756-3896.

On April 18, Flathead Valley Community College will host national speaker and former California Crime Lab criminalist Bob Blackledge as he presents “Glitter as Forensic Evidence” as part of the 2008 National American Chemical Society’s Rocky Mountain Regional speaker tour. Free and open to the public, the presentation will take place at 7 p.m. in the FVCC Learning Resource Center, room 123 C and D. The annual tour makes various stops throughout Utah, Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming, and this year, the tour will make its first-ever appearance in Kalispell.

In his presentation, Blackledge will focus on glitter as trace evidence. As glitter is not a well-known source of ideal contact trace evidence, Blackledge will uncover the widespread use of glitter, how the product is made, the different ways it varies; how it may be discovered and collected from crime scenes and evidence items and how it has served as important associate evidence in various cases.

Blackledge has worked in the field of forensic science for over 30 years. His professional background includes working for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Tallahassee Crime Lab, working with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory-Europe during the Cold War in Frankfurt, Germany, and serving as the senior chemist with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Regional Forensic Laboratory in San Diego from 1989 to 2006. An author or co-author of roughly 40 journal articles and book chapters, Blackledge’s interests are wide-ranging, but his special passion is trace evidence. Reports of his research have been published in FBI’s Law Enforcement Bulletin, FBI’s Crime Laboratory Digest, Journal of Forensic Sciences, Science & Justice, Forensic Science International, Forensic Science Review, Microgram Journal, and Analytica Chimica Acta. He served as editor for Forensic Analysis on the Cutting Edge: New Methods for Trace Evidence Analysis published in 2006. Blackledge received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from The Citadel and a Master of Science in chemistry from The University of Georgia.

For more information, contact Montana Section of the American Chemical Society Chair Janice Alexander at 756-3948.

Tours to Kick Off with Special Reception May 8

If you haven’t experienced the magic of the Bibler Home and Gardens yet, now is your chance to take in a sea of spring colors consisting of thousands of tulips, daffodils and other bulbs at their peak, surrounded by brooks, waterfalls and ponds highlighted with bridges, sculptures and fountains. The Flathead Valley Community College Foundation is delighted to announce that spring tours of the Bibler Home and Gardens have been scheduled for Mother’s Day weekend.

New this year, the tours will be introduced with a special kick-off reception featuring a wine reception with light hors d’oeuvres. Guests will be given an exclusive tour of the Rug Room showcasing the Bibler’s collection of fine Persian rugs and will be the first to see the newly enhanced Inuit art exhibit and a re-landscaped pond providing even more breathtaking views. The event will take place May 8 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $60 per couple and must be purchased in advance. Guests must be at least 21 years of age to attend.

Tours of the gardens and the home’s exquisite collection of antiques, sculptures and heirloom Persian carpets will be one-and-a-half hours in length and will take place Mother’s Day weekend May 9, May 10, May 11 (Mother’s Day) and May 12. Tickets are $10 for adults and $3 for children and must be purchased in advance.

Proceeds from the kick-off reception and all tours will benefit student scholarships and programs at Flathead Valley Community College.

To purchase tickets, or for tour times and availability, call the FVCC Foundation Office at (406) 756-3963. For more information on the Bibler Home and Gardens, visit www.biblergardens.org.

Flathead Valley Community College has announced a new time for its final lecture of the nine-part 2008 Honors Symposium series themed, “Lessons Learned: The Role of Humanities in a Free Society.”

The presentation, “The Music from Carmen,” by Glacier Chorale Director Dr. James Stanard, previously scheduled for April 20 at 6 p.m. has been rescheduled to take place at 6:45 p.m. in the large lecture room at Flathead High School.

Other upcoming activities in the series will take place in the Arts and Technology Building Large Community Meeting Room on the FVCC Kalispell campus and include:

• April 10, 7 p.m.—“Losing Your Mind: How to Read Poetry, How to Write It”—presented by Lowell Jaeger, Department of English, FVCC;
• April 11, noon—“Can Poetry Matter?”—a panel discussion with panelists Lowell Jaeger, Roger Dunsmore, Mandy Smoker and Melissa Kwasny; 3:30 p.m.—Student Poetry Readings; 7 p.m.—Faculty Poetry Readings;
• April 12, noon—“Poetry in a Free Society”—a panel discussion with panelists Lowell Jaeger, Roger Dunsmore, Melissa Kwasny and Greg Pape; 3:30 p.m.—Student Poetry Readings; 7 p.m.—Faculty Poetry Readings; and
• April 17, 7 p.m.—“Why Be Moral?”—presented by Dr. Dane Scott, Center of Ethics, The University of Montana.

All lectures, discussions and readings are free and open to the public. For more information on the Honors Symposium, stop by the college to pick up a brochure, or call 756-3822.

The Flathead Valley Community College Multicultural Services program will host a presentation titled, “Traditional Native American Plants,” April 21.

Free and open to the public, the presentation on the uses of the traditional Native American plants will be delivered by Blackfeet Community College Greenhouse Project Director Wilbert Fish. His presentation will explore how Native American plants have and continue to serve as an integral part in medicinal and ceremonial purposes by tribal members and how the Greenhouse Project is aimed at protecting the plants from extinction due to traumatic environmental usage.

The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. in the Board Room in Blake Hall on the FVCC Kalispell campus.

For more information, call the FVCC Multicultural Office at 756-3945.

Area Job Seekers Invited to Attend the Biggest Employment Event in the Flathead Valley

Area job seekers and residents thinking about a career change have an opportunity to network with area employers at the “Biggest Employment Event in the Flathead Valley.” The second annual 2008 Employment Extravaganza will take place April 10 at Kalispell Center Mall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Organized by Flathead Workforce System Community Management Team, the event is free and open to the public and is ideal for individuals seeking full-time, part-time or summer employment, temporary positions, training opportunities or a new career.

For more information, call 758-6200.

Members of Flathead Valley community are invited to participate in a variety of activities at Flathead Valley Community College April 17 in celebration of Earth Day.

Events will kick-off with a brat fry fundraiser for the TRIO Scholarship fund from 11:30-1:30 p.m. outside the Arts and Technology Building on the college’s Kalispell campus. All products on the menu, including locally-produced brats, buns and mustard, along with Grandma’s Catsup out of Bozeman, will be Montana made.

From 1-4 p.m., the FVCC Green Team will host an assortment of fun and informative exhibits and activities located on the lower level floor of the Arts and Technology Building. Free and open to the public, activities will include several informative presentations by local experts on topics ranging from organic gardening and non-toxic cleaning products to vehicle modifications that help improve gas mileage; short films depicting the impact humans have on the environment; a computer quiz that calculates the size of one’s personal carbon footprint on the earth; and information on recycling presented by the college’s Renewable Resource Club.

For more information, contact Laura Damon at 756-3967, or email ldamon@fvcc.edu.

On April 29, Monte Yellow Bird Sr., better known in the art world as Black Pinto Horse, will present two sessions in the Arts and Technology Building Large Community Meeting Room on the Flathead Valley Community College campus sponsored in partnership by the Northwest Montana Educational Cooperative and the FVCC Continuing Education Center. Pinto Horse is a nationally-known cultural and educational consultant, presenter, storyteller and horseman of the Arikara and Hidatsa Nation from White Shield, N.D.

Free and open to the public, both programs will feature Pinto Horse’s artwork and will include insights into his experience as an American Indian as well as his journey as an artist.

The afternoon program from 1 to 3 p.m. will be designed to address high school and college students. The evening program begins at 6 p.m. and will be geared toward educators and the community at large. Office of Public Instruction Renewal Units for teachers will be available. Individuals seeking renewal units should arrive between 5:30 and 6 p.m. to register.

Black Pinto Horse attended North Dakota State University and majored in history education with art as a minor. He graduated in 2002 from Minot State University with a Bachelor of Arts in fine arts. Through his art, he best expresses himself through the use of a collection of vibrant colors, gradient hues, shapes and symbols of his traditions. His work reflects his First Nation culture, and the applied color imitates the bright, bold application of Expressionism and the 20th century “Fauvism Movement.”

For additional information, contact the FVCC Continuing Education Center at 756-3832, or visit www.fvcc.edu.

The Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees met March 31 for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting.

President Karas introduced the new Vice President, Administration and Finance Chuck Jensen.

Student Government President Erin Giefer announced that the FVCC Business Professionals of America students who competed at the state competition in Billings have received an invitation to compete in the national competition in Reno in May. FVCC Student Government will host Battle of the Bands April 4 at 6 p.m. Phi Theta Kappa hosted an open house March 25 and 26. The organization will host an induction ceremony April 8 at 6 p.m.

Business Instructor Brenda Rudolph announced that FVCC instructor Jay Mallonee’s research on wolves was published in the American Journal of Science. The FVCC Business Professionals of America, in partnership with the FVCC Library, will host a book sale April 2, 3 and 4 to help fund the Business Professionals of America student trip to the national competition.

Clerk of the District Monica Settles reported on the candidate filings for the FVCC Board of Trustees election scheduled for May 6. Incumbent Robert A. Nystuen, of Lakeside, has filed for the position in the Flathead High School District. Two positions, both in the Columbia Falls, Bigfork and Whitefish School Districts, are open this year. Elna Darrow, of Bigfork, has filed as well as incumbents Thomas K. Harding, of Whitefish, and John M. Phelps, of Whitefish.

Jeff Lawler and Dave Kauffman representing the Sports Car Club of America addressed public comment on the organization’s history of conducting sports car safety classes on the FVCC campus for the last 15 years.

Russ Barber, FVCC Polson building trades instructor, and three Running Start students reported on their recent trip to Orlando, Fla., to compete in the National Homebuilders Association competition in carpentry trades. The 13 students who participated from FVCC placed eighth in the largest residential competition in the world.

In action items, the Board approved FVCC Psychology Instructor Ivan Lorentzen’s request for sabbatical leave. The Board approved two resolutions to dispose surplus property that is obsolete and that has become excess to the needs of the college or is not economically feasible to repair. The Board approved and authorized Jensen to be named the signatory on the college’s check machine. In addition, the Board approved the first reading of the In-district Tuition Policy for Teachers. The policy would permit any teacher employed by a Northwest Montana Educational Cooperative member school to be designated as an in-district student for NMEC education events for which FVCC provides credits toward teacher renewal units.

President Karas announced that graduation will take place May 16 at 7 p.m. The commencement speaker will be FVCC alumna Jean Adams who now serves as assistant county attorney in Lewistown. FVCC completed its second study abroad program this weekend with students returning from Nepal after spending six- weeks learning in the country. The culinary arts students held a fundraising dinner March 8. Proceeds raised at the event helped pay for the students’ recent trip to Napa Valley, Calif. FVCC is in the process of applying for a Title III grant to help improve the college’s retention and graduation rate. The proposal is for $2 million to be distributed over a five-year period.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting will take place April 28 at 3:45 p.m. For more information regarding specific items included in this report or regarding college activities, please contact Tara Roth by calling 756-3912. For more information on board meetings, please contact Monica Settles by calling 756-3801.

The deadline to apply for the fall 2008 surgical technology program at Flathead Valley Community College is April 18. The four-semester, two-year program, includes both classroom and hands-on training and prepares students to assist in surgical operations. Students will become skilled in serving as integral members of surgical teams, working closely with anesthesiologists, registered nurses and other surgical personnel in delivering patient care before, during and following surgical procedures.

The program also provides students with opportunities to further their careers in a variety of areas including surgical specialists in various fields, traveling surgical technologists, surgical assistants, research and product development, material or supply management, supervisory positions, surgical technology instructors, product representatives or veterinary surgical or animal care assistants.

The program does not require any entry-level prerequisites to apply for the program.

For more information about the program, call Erin Howardson at 751-6994. For application information, call 756-3852.

Flathead Valley Community College’s Faculty Senate will sponsor a Candidates Forum April 22 from 4–5:30 p.m. in Board Room in Blake Hall on the college’s Kalispell Campus.

The forum, which will address the upcoming FVCC Board of Trustees election scheduled for May 6, will allow candidates the opportunity to provide a brief summary of their qualifications and matters of particular importance to them relative to the college. The forum will be moderated, and the audience will be invited to ask questions.

For more information, contact Faculty Senate President Janice Alexander at 756-3948 or Faculty Senate Vice-President Brenda Rudolph at 756-3858.

In collaboration with the Montana Human Rights Network and the Lutheran World Federation, the Flathead Valley Community College Multicultural Services program will host a presentation titled, “Women Waging Peace in Colombia,” April 14.

Free and open to the public, the presentation will be delivered by human rights activist Maria Ruth Sanabria, representative of the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Arauquita, Colombia. In her presentation, Sanabria will share her experiences of having her life threatened for defending human rights and for carrying the message of peace and human dignity.

The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. in the Board Room in Blake Hall on the FVCC Kalispell campus.

For more information, call the FVCC Multicultural Office at 756-3945.

The Flathead Valley Community College Multicultural Services program will host a presentation titled, “The Little Shell Chippewa: Montana’s Landless Indians,” April 8.

Free and open to the public, the presentation will be delivered by Karen Emerson and other tribal members. Topics of discussion will include information about the Chippewa culture, the history of the people of Turtle Mountain Little Shell, their stories of survival after they were forced to become homeless by the U.S. government, how they have maintained their identities as Chippewa Indians over the years despite their loss of recognition and their current endeavor to regain federal recognition.

The presentation will take place at 7 p.m. in the Board Room in Blake Hall on the FVCC Kalispell campus.

For more information, call the FVCC Multicultural Office at 756-3945.