Why are you seeing this? We’re sending the inaugural Missoula This Week to all our Missoula subscribers. If you like it, add it to your subscription list. If not, don’t worry — future issues will only go to Missoula This Week subscribers.“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected] president speaks to progress, challenges and future changes in annual addressUniversity of Montana President Seth Bodnar praised the “significant positive momentum” the school has seen in recent years, while recognizing the ongoing challenges, during the 2024 State of University address on Thursday. “In these challenges, though, I see opportunity,” he said. “I see UM as an antidote to the pernicious perception that a high-quality education is not accessible to the average American. I see UM creating opportunity and unlocking the full potential of learners from all backgrounds and in every stage of their lives and careers. And I see our students investing their talents in serving their communities and strengthening our social fabric.”Credit: Katie Fairbanks / MTFPBodnar announced the university is beginning the formal process to explore creating a college of science that would recognize and further develop UM’s strength in STEM fields. UM is also looking into forming a new college that includes humanities, social sciences and education, he said. “We have to focus on those areas where we have great strength and identify where strength meets opportunity is where our success lies,” Bodnar told MTFP in a separate interview. “And so what we need to do is say, how do we, through organization and other activities, amplify those strengths for greatest impact? And that’s what these structural proposals are intended to do.” In his address, Bodnar touted the school’s rising enrollment amid national enrollment declines. The 5.6% increase in first-time, first-year students from 2023 to 2024 is the largest year-over-year enrollment jump in 15 years, he said. “Just six years ago, our university was experiencing the steepest enrollment decline of any flagship university in the country,” Bodnar said. “Today, we’re the fastest growing university in Montana and one of the fastest growing flagship universities in the West.” Montana State University in Bozeman enrolls about 7,000 more students than UM and saw a 1% increase over last fall’s total, according to MSU. Missoula’s university recorded enrollment increases among Montana residents, Pell Grant recipients, first-generation students and veterans, Bodnar said. The university has seen a 45.5% increase in Native American students since 2018, with 839 enrolled this year, he said. Bodnar told MTFP that UM has worked to expand accessibility, launching the Grizzly Promise program in 2022 that covers tuition for students from families with an income of $50,000 or less. UM has also overhauled its orientation, revamped its advising model and created the Indigenous First-Year Experience program to help Native American students build community, he said. “We’ve seen good success in our rates of persistence and success, for our first-year retention rate remains at near an all-time high and our four-year graduation rate has increased by a third over the past few years,” Bodnar said. “And we now have last year recorded the highest rate of all time.” One of the “tensions” the university faces is balancing investment in campus infrastructure and other expenses with rising costs, Bodnar said. The weight of that balance falls on faculty and staff, who are working in a community with a rising cost of living, he said. Bodnar said adequate compensation is a key priority for him and something UM will advocate for in the upcoming legislative session. Maintaining quality, access and affordability is difficult but meaningful, Bodnar told the crowd of faculty members. “This is what the moment asks of us: to provide broad, affordable access for learners of all backgrounds, experiences and stages of life to a world-class education,” he said. “To support a flourishing research initiative that impacts our communities. To aggressively lean into and loudly tout our academic strengths, and to build civically minded leaders who will shape our country’s future in positive ways. And we should be proud that what UM is aiming to accomplish is not easy. We have chosen the more challenging path. The hard-earned momentum that you built is evidence that we are up to this task.”Public NoticeThe Missoula County Commissioners on Thursday held the first public hearing on a new Targeted Economic Development District at Grant Creek Crossing. The TEDD would allow the collection of tax increment revenue to help pay for roads, water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure on the 84-acre site south of I-90 and west of Reserve Street. As improvements are made in the district and property taxes go up, the difference in tax revenue is collected in a fund for further investment in the district. The hearing will continue on Nov. 7.  On Friday, the city of Missoula will release its draft land use plan as part of its “Our Missoula” growth policy and code update. Residents can review the plan online or learn more during presentations and drop-in events scheduled throughout the month. This is the last opportunity to comment on the land use plan before it begins the process of adoption, according to the city. More information and the schedule of events are available on the “Our Missoula” website.By the NumbersThe amount the Missoula Economic Partnership and NeighborWorks Montana aim to raise for a new revolving loan fund for affordable workforce housing. The Missoula Housing Impact Fund’s initial contributions include a $5 million philanthropic donation, designated for use within city limits, and a $3 million investment from First Security Bank, which will initially be used as part of the financing for the Scott Street-Ravara housing development.  “We are excited to work with the expert team at NeighborWorks Montana to support those tackling one of the most pressing issues facing our community, the lack of affordable housing for our workforce,” said Grant Kier, president and CEO of the Missoula Economic Partnership, in a statement. “While the longtime Missoula family that made this historic gift wishes to remain anonymous, they care deeply about our community and the need to make sure that a typical Missoulian can build an economically secure future here — they know that starts with housing.”Three Questions ForCredit: Katie Fairbanks / MTFPThe Missoula County Elections Office on Friday will mail nearly 65,000 ballots to residents registered to vote absentee in the upcoming general election. On Wednesday, Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman spoke with MTFP about how his office is preparing for the Nov. 5 election and what voters should know as ballots arrive. His comments have been edited for length and clarity. MTFP: What is your office doing to prepare for the election? Seaman: We had 22 teams of two working to prepare envelopes and ballots. It takes multiple weeks of printing the ballots, printing the envelopes, putting those together and doing a manual audit. It takes humans to run elections, and the more humans, the more local control. We received 800 voter registration forms on Monday [the last day of regular registration] and have three days to prepare those. And we have people who’ve come in and voted early. Late registration, election preparation and voting are all taking place right now. There’s been some confusion from voters on whether they’re signed up to vote by mail. In 2020, we had an all-mail federal election, which was very unique. So the biggest question in 2022 was, “where’s my ballot?” With this being such a big election, we’re making sure voters understand. We’re sending all polling place voters information about where to go and an absentee request form. That will let people know where to go if their polling place changed because of redistricting. We always coordinate with the post office, and they’re prepared and ready. They do more mail processing on holidays than for the election, so they’re ready to process ballots there and back.  MTFP: What are the voter services events the elections office is holding throughout the county and why are they important?  Seaman: We’re now in late registration, so we’re hosting voter services events to bring the elections office to the community. Voter service events are critical, and we like to advertise them during late registration when you have to make changes in person. Any voters who need to register to vote, make changes or drop off their ballot, you can do anything you can do at our office at those events. We’re working hard to maximize impact. We’d set up service events at Evaro and Lolo in the past, but we changed the times to better serve the community. The events at Gray Wolf Peak [Satellite Office] are in coordination with CSKT [Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes]. We’ll be there all day on Election Day, combined with the polling place to help maximize staffing.MTFP: What should Missoula County residents know about voting before and on Election Day? Seaman: The big thing is, starting next week, if you didn’t get a ballot in the mail, go to myvoterpagemt.com, check your info and come to the office. We encourage people to check their info and act now because it can be a three-hour wait on Election Day. This will be the biggest federal election we’ve run. We will have good staffing and flow, but it could be a long wait. One of the biggest questions we get is about the after-hours ballot drop box [located at the Elections Center]. It is prohibited during mail elections but is allowed during polling place elections. If you send your ballot in the mail, … send it seven days ahead of the election or use the dropbox. The week before the election, we will have extended hours until 6 p.m. and will be open on Saturday [Nov. 2] from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  On Election Day, everyone in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote, but there will be a long wait.  If you haven’t seen a ballot in the mail by Tuesday, check My Voter Page, see if you need to make an update and reach out to us before Election Day. — A list of important dates and the schedule of voter services events is listed on the Missoula County Elections website.SEE ALSO: Montana Free Press 2024 Election GuideGlad You AskedEarlier this year, a U.S. Postal Service review of Missoula’s mail-processing facility garnered concern from residents that the potential move of some work to Spokane would slow mail service. A reader experiencing problems with her mail contacted MTFP last week to ask if the change had gone through. After evaluating Missoula’s Processing and Distribution Center as part of its 10-year Delivering for America plan, the USPS on April 30 announced its plan to modernize the facility as a local processing center, moving some operations to Spokane. In response to concerns raised by several senators, including Jon Tester and Steve Daines, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in early May agreed to pause changes to processing centers under review, at least until after Jan. 1, 2025.“Even then, we will not advance these efforts without advising you of our plans to do so, and then only at a moderated pace of implementation,” DeJoy wrote in a letter to Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.On CampusIt’s homecoming weekend at the University of Montana, with the theme of “A Fall Affair.” The UM Alumni Association is hosting a slate of events, starting with the “Yell Night” pep rally at 8 p.m. Friday. The rally on the Oval will feature the UM Marching Band, the Grizzly football team with coach Bobby Hauck and the lighting of the M. Starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, the homecoming parade will make its way through downtown along Higgins Avenue, across Beartracks Bridge and east onto University Avenue toward campus. After the parade, the public is welcome to join the UM Alumni tailgate, beginning at noon at the River Bowl near the Adam’s Center. The annual homecoming football game will kick off at 2 p.m., with the Griz taking on Northern Arizona at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Might Be FunThose looking to get into the Halloween spirit are invited to put on their witch, warlock or sorcerer gear and join the Zootown Witch Walk on Sunday, Oct. 13. The walk will begin at 6 p.m. at the XXXs on North Higgins and travel south down the Hip Strip and back. The official after-party will be at Monk’s Bar, featuring drink specials and music. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are holding the third-annual Beartracks Celebration Powwow on Indigenous Peoples Day, Monday, Oct. 14, at Caras Park. The event is free and open to the public. The grand entry is at 1 p.m. The event will include traditional dancing, drum groups, food trucks and a vendor market hosted by Indigenous Made Montana.The post Bodnar praises ‘significant positive momentum’ at UM appeared first on Montana Free Press.