The President’s Perspective

Dear Griz Family,

As I look back on the fall semester and to our work ahead, I am struck by the collective effort that makes the University of Montana so special. The magic of UM is not – and has never been – about one person’s effort. UM’s successes belong to all of us, especially to our proud alumni and friends.

This is why I am so excited to share with you the momentum behind and the impact of our most ambitious fundraising campaign in the history of UM: Campaign Montana – Think Big. Be Bold.

Why does this campaign matter? The University of Montana offers a world-class education. Many of you saw recently that we were recognized by US News and World Report as the No. 1 ranked university in Montana. This campaign will allow us to sustain this excellence and to build upon our tremendous strengths across the sciences, the arts and humanities, and our professional schools.

I want to highlight another and arguably more important reason Campaign Montana matters. While UM offers an exceptional education, we do not limit access to this education to the elite, select few. UM’s mission – at its core – is to provide a world-class education that’s accessible to people from different starting points and all walks of life. 

Marrying quality with accessibility is a critical pillar of our country’s long-standing social compact that promises an affordable, excellent education for all who seek it. It’s an audacious goal, worthy of our democracy, and when we deliver on this compact, we transform not just individual lives but entire communities. This is the defining challenge of our time, and at UM we are tackling this challenge with boundless energy.

As I told our campus community earlier this fall when new students arrive on the Oval, they bring with them not just their duffel bags, their new bedding and their laptops. They bring with them their hopes and their dreams for a brighter future. They entrust these, their most precious possessions, to us. I am humbled and honored to be part of an institution that is worthy of that sacred trust.

Our charge is to ensure that every one of these students succeeds. Campaign Montana empowers us to enhance accessibility for our students through scholarships, study abroad opportunities, undergraduate research and career development programs. It empowers us to elevate exceptional and innovative academic programs, and to provide new and renovated learning environments.

I am unabashedly optimistic about UM’s future. Thank you for thinking big and being bold alongside us.

Seth Bodnar, UM President