University of Montana Breaks Ground on New Residence Hall

The University of Montana in Missoula, Mont., recently broke ground on a new, 600-bed residence hall to address housing needs on campus, according to a university news release. The university has seen three consecutive years of enrollment growth against the backdrop of a local housing market less than conducive to student needs.

“We know that when students live on campus, they build community, they succeed in the classroom and they enhance their college experience,” said Seth Bodnar, university president. “This is not just a building. It will be a place that enhances the success of our students through advanced community building and affordable, safe living.”

Construction is scheduled to start this fall and has an estimated completion date of fall 2027. The university currently sees an on-campus population of about 2,000, and 1,000 more students live in university-owned off-campus properties, the news release reports.

“At UM, our residence halls are critical to the educational and social journey of our college years,” said McKenlie Ballard, student and community development coordinator at UM. “For many students, there isn’t a place where they will spend more time during their years at UM than their residence hall. Our residence halls are the place where students meet their friends, begin to learn the lessons of adulthood and discover who they truly are.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • RIT Saunders College of Business – Lowenthal Hall Addition

    RIT Saunders College of Business – Lowenthal Hall Addition

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. RIT Saunders College of Business's Lowenthal Hall Addition has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.