My wife, Professor Ramona Marotz-Baden, Ph.D., is retiring after a 35-year teaching career. Twenty-seven were at MSU. She had offers at Ivy and Big Ten schools. Her college at the University of Minnesota named Ramona one of its “Top 100 Graduates of the First 100 Years.” This prompts a question: Why does Montana State attract and retain better teachers than it objectively deserves?

I haven’t taught there for 23 years but this excellence was obvious in the ’70s and ’80s. It exists today. Given MSU’s tradition of low salaries, weak support, and occasional vicious opposition and deception from above, what explains our excellent faculty? Consider the low salaries. As a rule, when profs elect to move from MSU to another school they receive a 40 percent, 60 percent, or greater increase. Yet for many, Bozeman is a powerful magnet.

Our environment, i.e., mountains, wilderness, nearby skiing, clear waters, great vistas, open space, civility, and community, is a powerful attractor. These are huge side payments nearly impossible to replicate in another university environment. Those who leave are drawn back -- and powerfully so. How high must a salary be in New Haven to provide our quality of life? I guarantee it’s a lot more than Yale offers. UCLA? NYU? Question closed.

There are, of course, those who prefer urban amenities. If one is addicted to opera, Indiana U’s home, Bloomington, may be the only small town that meets that need. If one wants to be near the nation’s movers and shakers, this isn’t home. MSU isn’t for everyone.

Scholars of national prominence like to consort with their peers. Given MSU’s small size, there can’t be many stars in any academic department. Bozeman isn’t, can’t be, and shouldn’t try to be Berkeley, Boston, or even Bloomington.

Yet Bozeman attracts distinguished researchers who are nationally renown, e.g., the folks at the Thermal Biology Institute. And our Center for Biofilm Engineering is world class. I doubt if these academic entrepreneurs would have been equally attracted to the cornfields of the U of Illinois’ home, Champaign-Urbana.

Back to the key question: Why does MSU have better faculty than one would predict? It surely is not due to high morale generated by a long history of supportive administrators. Traditionally, those at the top sacrificed faculty interests and academic quality to advance or protect themselves. So neither high salary nor morale explains success.

I believe departmental collegiality and student quality help explain this anomaly. Excellent profs love to work with good colleagues and top students. Ramona is especially proud of her students who earned degrees at MSU and went on to top places for Ph.D.s. Clearly, undergrads at Berkeley, Caltech, Chicago, Dartmouth, Williams, and Yale have far better SAT scores than the average at MSU. However, our best are equal to theirs. Ours are not nearly as elitist and surely more grateful to experience excellent teachers.

Students from Andover (George W. Bush) and St. Paul’s (John Kerry) prep schools aren’t like those from Anaconda and Saint Regis high schools. Those who come to MSU from small towns seem especially appreciative of scholars like Ramona. Good professors love to recognize and develop kids with promise. And the students are grateful.

Here’s a sample of student comments from one of Ramona’s spring classes.

“You are a wonderful professor....” --Susan

“I am very grateful for being able to experience one of your classes....” --Kristen

“Thank you for being so supportive....” --Naomi

“...you have been a great resource and mentor....” --Wal---

“...support and inspiration! I admire you so much....” --Laurie

“You’ve had a profound impact on your world and I have great admiration....” --LaRae

“...and I feel very lucky to be one of your students....” --Jennifer

“...I look up to you and will always think of you fondly....” --Nichole

The compliments to Ramona go on and on. What a great way to end a teaching career! It’s now time for writing, traveling, and skiing.

It’s an honor to be married to such a great professor.

Love,

John