Philanthropy strengthens student support and career preparedness

To see how Campaign Montana has helped UM put student success at the forefront, we can head straight to the heart of campus, where donor gifts have allowed the College of Humanities & Sciences to create its new Student Success Center.

The facility is a hub where students receive advising and professional support as they create and pursue their personalized education and career plans. It is modeled after the Larry and Dee Dee Gianchetta Student Success Center at the College of Business, which also was established through donor gifts during Campaign Montana and has inspired other similar one-stop-shop approaches to comprehensive student support across UM.

The multi-faceted resources and networks that the student success centers provide have been shown to improve learning outcomes, give students a greater sense of belonging, and prepare more engaged learners who are better equipped to navigate campus life and are career ready.

“We want our students to succeed academically, but we also want them to succeed in having excellent careers, in transitioning from the University out to the world, where they’re going to be working and interacting as creative, engaged citizens,” said Humanities & Sciences Dean Larry Hufford.

Overall, Campaign Montana donors gave more than $126 million for student support and scholarships. In addition to strengthening UM’s holistic tools, resources and networks, the vision and generosity of donors allow colleges, schools and programs to deliver tailored services and learning opportunities every student needs to persist and succeed toward graduation.

For example, friends and alumni supported the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation’s Native American Natural Resource Program, which provides individualized resources students need for a successful academic experience at UM. A full-time, dedicated coordinator provides academic and career advising, internship and job placement assistance, and support to help students feel at home at UM.

Building on the momentum for student support that Campaign Montana donors helped generate, the University intends to establish student success centers in every school and college in the next few years. Concurrently, it will build on its experiential learning traditions with its signature career readiness program ElevateU, ensuring that every UM student graduates ready to engage in a meaningful career.