Former UM president Royce Engstrom returning to teach chemistry … – The Missoulian

Royce Engstrom, former president of the University of Montana, will return to the university to teach chemistry.

Engstrom is expected to teach Chemistry 104 and an honors course titled "The ways of knowing," according to the University of Montana's Academic Planner.

As first reported Wednesday in the Montana Kaimin and confirmed by UM spokeswoman Paula Short, Engstrom will begin teaching courses this fall.

The honors course is "a critical assessment of contrasting epistemological stances expressed in various views of the divine, nature, society, and the self," according to the Academic Planner.

It describes Chemistry 104 as "an introduction to chemistry for those who feel they have an inadequate background to enroll in CHMY 121N or 141N." Each course is worth three credits.

Chemistry classes present a retention problem, said Chris Palmer, who chairs the UM Chemistry Department. Engstrom wants to help with developing these classes to help students stay with the subject, Palmer said.

It is typical for administrators to be tenured with a department of their specialty, Palmer said. When Engstrom left his position as president, he was given the option of joining the chemistry department faculty, Palmer said. Engstrom was enthusiastic about the chance to contribute on the introductory level, Palmer said.

The honors course Engstrom will be teaching is a core class meant for first-year honors students, said Brock Tessman, dean ofDavidson Honors College. The class curriculum is centered around students evaluatinghow they come to know truths in the world.

The university does not have an official salary level for Engstrom at this time, according to Terri Phillips, UM associate vice president for Human Resource Services. Engstrom's salary during his final year as president was $303,145.

In late November, Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian asked Engstrom, who became president in 2010 after George Dennison retired, to step down. Sheila Stearns now serves as interim president.

Only two other former university presidents have returned to teach after leaving the top position, according to university archives. In the 1940s, George Simmons resigned as university president and returned to his position as a zoology professor.In 1990,James Koch left the president's job and went on to teach a few history classes at the university.

Engstrom began his academic career as a chemistry professor at the University of South Dakota. He served in many capacities there, including chair of the department and eventually serving as provost before joining the UM administration in 2007, where he also served as provost before being chosen as president.

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Former UM president Royce Engstrom returning to teach chemistry ... - The Missoulian

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