University of Great Falls
Encyclopedia
The University of Great Falls (UGF), a private Roman Catholic
university
located in Great Falls, Montana
, is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
. The mission of the University of Great Falls "is to provide students with the opportunity to obtain a liberal education for living and for making a living."
, the Catholic Bishop
of Great Falls, in collaboration with the Sisters of Charity of Providence and the Ursuline Sisters
. It became coeducational in 1937.
A year later, Sister Lucia Sullivan established the Great Falls Normal School to educate teachers. At the time there were two schools, each operating under a different Catholic religious community. The union of the two schools was one of convenience and legality. In 1942, the institution was a sigle entity under the direction of the Sisters of Providence, and was renamed the Great Falls College of Education. By the early 1950s it became simply the College of Great Falls, and in 1995 was renamed University of Great Falls.
Over the years UGF has been involved in outreach education efforts. For many years, UGF has had a resident center on the Fort Belknap Reservation, and in Lewistown, as well as a continuing education program at Malmstrom Air Force Base. In addition to its campus offerings, UGF serves 31 sites in Montana
, Southern Alberta
and Wyoming
through its Telecom Distance Learning Program, and is able to serves students around the world. The University of Great Falls offers offers undergraduate degrees in over 20 programs and several Master’s Degree programs, including an on-line Masters of Art in Teaching in partnership with Bellevue University of Nebraska.
The student body consists of approximately 1,100 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students.
UGF has produced several distinguished alumni.
In addition to offering teaching certificates, some of the more popular programs are criminal justice
, human services, elementary education
, counselling psychology, and paralegal
studies.
The College of Graduate Studies offers eight master's degree
programs. UGF's calendar consists of four-month semesters in the fall and spring, and a 12-week summer term.
(GED). Results of ACT
or SAT
are recommended for academic advising and consideration for merit/no-need scholarships, but not required. To register, proof of two immunizations for measles and one immunization for rubella must be supplied.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
, is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is an independent, non-profit membership organization recognized by the United States Department of Education since 1952 and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the regional authority on educational quality and institutional...
. The mission of the University of Great Falls "is to provide students with the opportunity to obtain a liberal education for living and for making a living."
History
The University of Great Falls was founded in 1932 as Great Falls Junior College for Women by Edwin Vincent O'HaraEdwin Vincent O'Hara
Edwin Vincent O'Hara was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.-Early life:Edwin O'Hara was born in Lanesboro, Minnesota, as one of eight children. His parents emigrated from Ireland during the potato famine and settled in the United States. O'Hara studied at St. Paul's Seminary before...
, the Catholic Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Great Falls, in collaboration with the Sisters of Charity of Providence and the Ursuline Sisters
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
. It became coeducational in 1937.
A year later, Sister Lucia Sullivan established the Great Falls Normal School to educate teachers. At the time there were two schools, each operating under a different Catholic religious community. The union of the two schools was one of convenience and legality. In 1942, the institution was a sigle entity under the direction of the Sisters of Providence, and was renamed the Great Falls College of Education. By the early 1950s it became simply the College of Great Falls, and in 1995 was renamed University of Great Falls.
Over the years UGF has been involved in outreach education efforts. For many years, UGF has had a resident center on the Fort Belknap Reservation, and in Lewistown, as well as a continuing education program at Malmstrom Air Force Base. In addition to its campus offerings, UGF serves 31 sites in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Southern Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
through its Telecom Distance Learning Program, and is able to serves students around the world. The University of Great Falls offers offers undergraduate degrees in over 20 programs and several Master’s Degree programs, including an on-line Masters of Art in Teaching in partnership with Bellevue University of Nebraska.
The student body consists of approximately 1,100 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students.
UGF has produced several distinguished alumni.
Programs
The UGF undergraduate program consists of two colleges:- The College of Arts and Sciences, which contains:
- The School of Arts and Humanities
- The School of History, Language and Literature
- The School of Mathematics and Sciences
- The College of Professional Studies, which contains:
- The School of Business
- The School of Education
- The School of Human Services.
In addition to offering teaching certificates, some of the more popular programs are criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
, human services, elementary education
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, counselling psychology, and paralegal
Paralegal
Paralegal is used in most jurisdictions to describe a paraprofessional who assists qualified lawyers in their legal work. This is true in the United States and many other countries. However, in Ontario, Canada, paralegals are licensed by the Law Society of Upper Canada, giving paralegals an...
studies.
The College of Graduate Studies offers eight master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
programs. UGF's calendar consists of four-month semesters in the fall and spring, and a 12-week summer term.
Athletics
The University of Great Falls fields a number of sports teams within the Frontier Conference, at the NAIA level. Teams include:- Men's and Women's Basketball
- Men's and Women's Soccer
- Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track
- Men's and Women's Golf
- Men's Wrestling
- Women's Softball
- Women's Volleyball
- Cheer and Dance
Admissions
The University of Great Falls has a rolling admission policy. Applications will be considered without regard to race, gender, age, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, financial status, physical or mental disabilities, and national origin. Applicants may apply for admission any time; however, applicants are strongly urged to apply at least one month prior to the first day of classes for the term they intend to begin. Required documents must be submitted before a student can be admitted and allowed to register for classes. It is particularly important that the UGF Placement Test be taken prior to registration. Prospective students must complete an admission application, pay a non-refundable, one-time $25 application fee, and provide official high school transcript or official certificate of high school equivalency with scores from the General Education Development TestGED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
(GED). Results of ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
or SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
are recommended for academic advising and consideration for merit/no-need scholarships, but not required. To register, proof of two immunizations for measles and one immunization for rubella must be supplied.
Alumni
- Judith Cole, Advisor of International Development/Public International Law, United Nations Legal Division/United States Department of StateUnited States Department of StateThe United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
, Switzerland - Mary Ann Epley, Executive Officer, U.S. Agency for International Development, Arlington, VA.
- Agnes K. Fok, Ph.D., Faculty Emeriti, University of Hawaii at Manoa, former Director Biology Program. Research field membrane biology, protein cloning and sequencing.
- Paul G. HatfieldPaul G. HatfieldPaul Gerhart Hatfield, was an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He served briefly as United States Senator from Montana in 1978, and was later a United States federal judge.-Early life:...
, United States Senator, and Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme CourtMontana Supreme CourtThe Montana Supreme Court is the highest court of the Montana state court system in the U.S. state of Montana. It is established and its powers defined by Article VII of the 1972 Montana Constitution...
. - Karl Jorda, David Rines Professor of Intellectual Property Law and Industrial Innovation, Director Kenneth J. Germeshausen Center for the Law of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Franklin Pierce Law Center, New Hampshire
- Dennis R. Lassila, Ph.D., Shelton Tax Professor, Mays Business SchoolMays Business SchoolMays Business School is the business school at Texas A&M University. The school educates over 4,500 students in undergraduate and postgraduate programs and consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the nation....
@ Texas A&MTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
. Dr. Lassila has been published in over 60 articles in leading academic and professional journals, and is the co-author of more than 15 professional and educational books and chapters on tax services. - Maj. Gen. Arthur B. Morrill III, Vice Director, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA.
- Lee Ann Reminton, O.D., Professor of Optomety, Pacific University College of Optometry, Portland, Oregon. Author of the textbook, Clinical Anatomy of the Visual System.
- Jon TesterJon TesterJon Tester is the junior U.S. Senator for Montana, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as President of the Montana Senate.-Early life, education, and farming career:...
, United States Senator from Montana - Christopher J. Vine, BA., Northern Irish Explorer (Winner of the best room-mate contest 2010 with Lane McGrath)
- John Waldhausen, M.D., Surgeon (Cardiac), John W.Oswald Professor of Surgery Emeritus, Founding Chair Dept Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
- Robert M. Wiprud, M.D., Director of Family Practice; Associate Professor, Texas A&M Health Science CenterTexas A&M Health Science CenterThe Texas A&M Health Science Center, a component of the Texas A&M University System, is an assembly of colleges devoted to educating health professionals and researchers of competence and integrity...
College of Medicine, College Station, Texas.