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

  • ZeroEyes, Academic Innovators Partner to Provide Safety Solutions

    ZeroEyes, which produces a multi-analytics weapons detection and threat intelligence platform, recently announced a partnership with Academic Innovators, according to a news release.

  • Opportunity by Design Framework

    Opportunity by Design

    Educational improvement efforts often focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and intervention systems while treating the physical school building as background. But school design is not a passive backdrop to learning — it is a structural lever for equity.

  • Auburn University Debuts $224M STEM + Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., recently opened its new $224-million STEM + Agricultural Sciences Complex, the largest research construction project in the university’s history, according to university news. The facility measures more than 265,000 square feet and brings six departments from the College of Agriculture and College of Sciences and Mathematics together under one roof.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.