University of Montana Bitterroot College announces 20% enrollment increase
July 29, 2024 •Jessica Abell, Ravalli Republic
Bitterroot College had a 20% increase in enrollment for the spring semester compared to last fall thanks to robust dual enrollment programs and workforce partnerships.
The growth in the school's student body was touted by the college's Interim Director Angela Mclean on Tuesday, who presented the information to a roundtable in Hamilton including University of Montana President Seth Bodnar.
“As I got ready to sit down in this room, I will tell you that I took a look at our spring numbers, and we’re over 20% from fall,” Mclean said. “And that is due to a lot of good messaging, really blood and sweat and hard work of our faculty and our staff and our students."
UM officials hosted the roundtable of students, educators and valley business leaders at Bitterroot College to highlight the success of dual enrollment programs and workforce partnerships in the health care, biotech and trades/transportation sectors.
They also announced the formation of the Bitterroot College Workforce Advisory Committee, to be chaired by Bitterroot Health Chief Transformational Officer Rebecca Conroy Bargfrede. The group is in the early stages of formation and is soliciting members to participate in creating a plan for how to best move forward in meeting the workforce training needs of the Bitterroot Valley.
Also in attendance were UM Vice Provost Tom Gallagher, Hamilton Superintendent of Schools Tom Korst, Accelerate Montana Executive Director Paul Gladen, Rocky Mountain Laboratories Associate Director for Science Management Marshall Bloom and Bitterroot Health Workforce Development Coordinator Toby Wilson, among others.
Mclean said community partnerships with organizations like RML have opened up broader relationships between Bitterroot College and biotech industries in the valley such as GlaxoSmithKline and Tonix Pharmaceuticals.
She also highlighted the development of a certificate training program officials hope to roll out this summer in conjunction with Accelerate Montana as part of a suite of biotech training opportunities.
“One of the things that I think is most exciting is that as the Bitterroot Valley continues to grow as the hub of biotech, we're going to be ready to serve them because of these partnerships,” Mclean said.
Those relationships reflect the support Bitterroot College has received from the community and reaffirmed UM’s commitment to accessible and affordable higher education for rural Montana residents, she said.
“When I first came, we knew we had to get the message out that this college was still open for business,” Mclean added. “So we did what we could with the resources that we had to create that understanding that we're still here, we're not going anywhere in that you could start here and matriculate in your studies, and likely, you could complete here without leaving here. There's a lot of magic in that.”
UM President Bodnar emphasized the importance of the Bitterroot College to the University of Montana and what he sees as their mission of “inclusive prosperity,” helping every community member reach their “unique and full potential.”
Higher education is facing new challenges as demographics and industries change in a shifting technological environment, Bodnar said.
“We have an aging workforce and a major talent crunch across the state. And, you know, we have to adapt in terms of how we deliver education," he said.
Online learning has expanded educational opportunities for students and Bitterroot College can be an access point for people in the Bitterroot to the reach the greater Montana University System, Bodnar said, touting the college’s "Start Here, Stay Here" motto.
“Our vision for UM Bitterroot is not for this to be a separate entity that tries to rebuild everything. That's just not feasible with scale,” Bodnar said. “Our goal rather is for this campus to meet the unique needs of every learner in the Bitterroot Valley. We should see this as a portal. … Why should a learner have to leave the Bitterroot to access the offerings in the Montana University System?”
UM Vice Provost Gallagher discussed how officials are working to identify industries where there is opportunity in order to build a portfolio of educational offerings that will serve both the growing industries of Ravalli County as well as the people who live here. He also emphasized the importance of recognizing the changing needs of the local workforce beyond a traditional four-year degree, and investment in rapid training programs, workforce certifications and continuing education opportunities.
“Technology is a big one, but so is construction," he said.
Bodnar said Bitterroot College is dedicated to rural education opportunities and emphasized the importance of learning from past challenges in order to find ways to better serve Montana communities.
“The Bitterroot College in 2009 was officially created, and the mission was to connect a diverse rural community to a wide array of learning opportunities,” Bodnar said. “That was the mission, and that continues to be the mission today."
Originally published on January 26th, 2023.