Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
Students and faculty at Montana State University-Northern have come together to bring an experienced collaborative project coordinator to Havre Thursday in a forum to talk about the future of Northern. Bliss Browne of Imagine Chicago will facilitate the Imagine Northern forum from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday in the Student Union Building ballroom on the Northern campus, said Katherine Williams of Northern’s Community Service Degree Program. Williams said Browne, who founded Imagine Chicago in 1992, was in Havre in February and the student senate at Northern discussed using her citizen-based approach to identify and build on strengths at Northern. As Browne, who first met with Havre groups in March 2007, was going to be back in Havre this Thursday, the forum was organized, Williams said. The intent is to increase the amount of community involvement in planning for Northern’s future, Williams said, which has also been advocated by members of the faculty. “(We want to look) to the community to reinvite them to help give even greater input into Northern’s growth,” she said. Interim Chancellor Rolf Groseth said the forum could be very helpful in his mission to determine the course Northern should take in preparation for seeking a new permanent chancellor. Groseth was appointed after Chancellor Alex Capdeville in December announced his retirement the end of that month. “I’m really optimistic. Obviously it isn’t going to be the silver bullet, but I’m always really excited about bringing people together to talk about the future of Northern,” Groseth said. “It certainly will be helpful to me.”
