We are so pleased to announce our mascot will be the River Otters after a months-long process that began with a list of more than 500 suggestions.

River Otters are tough, feisty characters who persevere in sometimes harsh conditions to thrive. They also look out and care for one another, so they are the perfect representative of our amazing campus community. Plus, they are cute!

The River Otters and Electric Elk were in a dead heat for the early part of the week before the River Otters pulled away. River Otters finished with 48 percent of the vote, Electric Elk finished with 42 percent, and the Wolverines trailed with the remaining 10 percent of the vote. More than 2,300 people voted.

The process of selecting a mascot for the college began last fall with campus and the community invited to submit ideas. More than 500 flooded in. That list was narrowed to about 125 names when a committee reviewed them against set criteria. From there, a large committee of students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community narrowed the choices to a top 10. A campus vote resulted in the top 3 followed by last week’s vote that was open to anyone.

There still is some work to be done before you will see the River Otters displayed around campus and on apparel.

The process has resulted in some questions.

No, we are not starting an athletics program. The Great Falls College Community Choir still will be the only team on campus.

However, the mascot will help us enhance brand identity, build community and school spirit and have some fun. And if Geico can have a Gecko, we can have a River Otter.

Go River Otters!

 

Fall 2022: Great Falls College begins process of finding a mascot.

Great Falls College is beginning the process of selecting a mascot that will rally school spirit and build excitement around a campus culture.

The process begins today with the launch of a campaign to gather ideas for the mascots.

“This is open to anyone who would like to solicit an idea for the mascot,” said Dr. Stephanie Erdman, CEO/dean of Great Falls College. “We are reaching out to our student body, alumni, staff and faculty and the general public for ideas. We want as many choices as we can get.”

There will be many chances for people to weigh in as mascot committee winnows the numbers down in a series of steps. There is a timeline below.

Some of the things the mascot committee will consider as it narrows the choices include:

  • Easy to recognize, understand and pronounce
  • Shows a sense of community
  • Elevates the image of the college
  • Works with our existing shield logo
  • Portrays the values of Great Falls College
  • Reflects central Montana identity (preferred)

“The committee is committed to being as open and transparent as possible,” said Scott Thompson, executive director of community relations and mascot committee member. “This is designed to be as inclusive as possible.”

“Reach out to anyone on this committee with any feedback or ideas you have,” Thompson said. “But most importantly, let your voice be heard and enter your idea on the website.”

 


 

Frequently Asked Questions

To further develop brand identity for Great Falls College, Dr. Stephanie Erdmann, CEO and dean of the college, asked executive community relations director Scott Thompson to convene a mascot committee to include students, faculty, staff and community members. This work is made possible after Great Falls beat out hundreds of other community colleges to be named a Top 10 finalist in the Million Dollar Community College Challenge from the Lumina Foundation. The college received $100,000 to help with marketing and branding.

In the past students have asked for a mascot at Great Falls College. While some efforts were made to develop one, nothing had ever been finalized.

Having a mascot will rally school spirit and build excitement around campus culture.

The launch of a campaign to gather ideas for a mascot is underway. We are reaching out to our student body, alumni, staff and faculty and the general public for ideas. They can be submitted through our website. 

There is no limit to submission ideas.

We are gathering mascot submissions through October 17, 2022.

The mascot reveal is scheduled for mid-January of 2023.

Some of the things the mascot committee will consider as it narrows the choices include:

  • Easy to recognize, understand and pronounce
  • Shows a sense of community
  • Elevates the image of the college
  • Works with our existing shield logo
  • Portrays the values of Great Falls College
  • Reflects central Montana identity (preferred)

All submissions are gathered through the Great Falls College website.

Student body, alumni, staff and faculty and the general public are eligible to provide ideas.

 


 

Mascot Development Process

Great Falls College's Mascot Selection Timeline

 

 


 

Committee Members

The committee is comprised of:

Name Role
Wayne Breau Instructional Technology Specialist/Webmaster
Rachael Bruce Dental Hygiene Faculty Member
Kerry Dolan Accounting and Business Program Director
Dr. Stephanie Erdmann CEO/Dean
Dr. Leanne Frost Executive Director of Student Success
Tammie Hickey Director of Lifelong Learning
Quincie Jones Division Director, CTE and Health Sciences
Stacy Lowry Reporting and Grants Coordinator
Shannon Marr Director of Recruitment and Enrollment
Elliot Paz Student Representative
Rion Sanders Social Media Marketing Specialist
Jolene Schalper Senior Vice President of Business Development at Great Falls Development Authority
Sky Stanley Student Representative
Scott Thompson Executive Director of Community Relations
Brandon Tighe Student Representative
Gary Trotchie Student Representative
Kristi Voboril Senior Executive Assistant
Staci Weigum Admissions Representative
Dr. Mandy Wright Director of Teaching and Learning Innovation

 

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