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College of technology students help build overcrowded school’s new buildings in Missoula

October 15, 2010 /

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Bear Paw Development Corporation is a private non-profit organization created for the purpose of administering programs to help improve regional economic conditions in Hill, Blaine, Liberty, Chouteau and Phillips Counties and the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy's Indian Reservations.

Not only do students at the University of Montana pay for tuition and books, but now they’re building classrooms, too.

While that seems somewhat counterintuitive to the whole notion of a public education, it’s actually what UM College of Technology Dean Barry Good calls a "win-win" situation. It solved two problems, at least temporarily, with one proverbial nail.

Securing money for a new $30 million COT building, which is planned for construction on the UM Golf Course, has been a priority for several years. Unable to secure state funding for the project during the last legislative session, UM officials will head into the 2011 Legislature again with the same goal in mind.

In the meantime, students recently rolled up their sleeves to build temporary classrooms and faculty offices to help alleviate the COT’s overcrowding problem.

By CHELSI MOY of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/local/8bdb3998-d812-11df-b64a-001cc4c03286.html