Community Services

Bureau of Business and Economic Research

The Bureau of Business and Economic Research has been providing information about Montana's state and local economies for over 60 years and is proud to be the most comprehensive economic analysis center in the state.

House on the campus of The University of Montana-Missoula, the Bureau is the research and public service branch of the School of Business Administration. On an ongoing basis, the Bureau:

  • analyzes local, state, and national economies
  • provides annual income, employment and population forecasts
  • conducts extensive research on forest products, manufacturing, health care and Montana Kids Count
  • designs and conducts comprehensive survey research at its on-site call center
  • presents annual economic outlook seminars in cities throughout Montana
  • publishes the award-winning Montana Business Quarterly

Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit

The Unit investigates basic and applied problems in wildlife ecology and management. Graduate students majoring in Wildlife Biology or Biological Sciences, conduct much of the research supported through the Unit by USGS-Biological Resources Division, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and numerous other agencies and groups.

Montana Campus Compact

The University of Montana is a member in good standing of The Montana Campus Compact. MTCC is a statewide coalition of college presidents and chancellors committed to renewing the public purposes of higher education by promoting campus-community collaborations and civic engagement activities. Since 1993, these campus leaders have represented two-and four-year, public, private, religiously affiliated, community, and tribal colleges across Montana. MTCC supports and encourages activities such as volunteering, community service, and service-learning through its programs, which include:

  • MTCC Campus Corps
  • Service-Learning Workshops and Faculty Development
  • MTCC VISTA Project
  • Compact Service Corps
  • Montana Athletes in Service Award
  • Careers in the Common Good Scholarships

For more information regarding MTCC member benefits and services, please contact the MTCC headquarters office at (406) 243-5177 or online at the Montana Campus Compact website. For MTCC services at UM, please contact the Office for Civic Engagement at (406) 243-5531 or see their listing under The Office For Civic Engagement.

The Office for Civic Engagement

The Office for Civic Engagement (OCE) is honored to serve as The University of Montana's primary agent of community activism and civic responsibility. It is our mission to challenge and improve lives with an ethic of service and community investment. We accomplish this by building partnerships that strengthen both the university community and a variety of nonprofit interests; empowering individuals and organizations to enhance capacity for strategic growth, program exposure, skill development and collaborations; and, enhancing professional, academic, and personal experiences through volunteerism and service learning. The OCE is a unit of the Davidson Honors College and operates as an affiliate of the statewide Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) organization (see separate listing). The OCE is located in the Davidson Honors College, room 015, (406) 243-5531 or the Office for Civic Engagement website.

OCE Programs:

  • Student Volunteer Programs - Throughout the school year, OCE coordinates several community service programs for students to get actively involved in the community including Service Saturdays, K-12 Tutor Programs, Alternative Breaks, Adopt-A-Family and more.
  • AmeriCorps & AmeriCorps* VISTA - The OCE provides students with the opportunity to engage in national service while attending the University.
  • Nonprofit Administration Programs - The OCE facilitates the Minor in Nonprofit Administration and the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance national certificate program in nonprofit administration. Both are degree enhancement programs designed to assist students to achieve skills and abilities in preparation for careers in the nonprofit sector. The OCE also coordinates the Online Professional Certificate Program in Nonprofit Administration, a series of short courses designed for busy professionals who want to hone their skills in specific areas such as grant writing, financial management and fund raising.
  • Service Learning - Service learning is an innovative method of teaching and learning in which students, faculty and community partners work together to enhance student learning by applying academic knowledge in a community-based setting. The OCE works with faculty and departments to create meaningful service learning partnerships with community organizations and attain service learning designation status for their courses. Students can search for these courses using the service learning attribute in CyberBear

Nonprofit Leadership Alliance

The University of Montana is an affiliate of the national Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA). The NLA program at UM is designed to be a degree enhancement certification program that complements a student's major. The program provides students with academic and extra-curricular opportunities to gain skills and abilities in preparation for professional careers in the nonprofit sector. All Nonprofit Leadership Alliance students acquire knowledge and skills in general nonprofit management, fund-raising principles and practices, board committee development, program planning, and grant writing. Upon completion of the NLA requirements, students receive the Certified Nonprofit Professional credential. The Office for Civic Engagement operates the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance program in addition to the minor in non-profit administration. For more information contact (406) 243-5159 or browse the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance website