Associate provost opens home to roomless students

The University of Montana’s Associate Provost, Arlene Walker-Andrews, has offered to house two students who are living in interim, on-campus housing at her home.

Walker-Andrews said she heard about the overload of students living in study lounges, TV rooms and other nooks in the Residence Life halls from a previous Kaimin story. She then contacted Teresa Branch, the vice president for student affairs, and told her about her interest in helping the students. 

Walker-Andrews said she has two open bedrooms in her home, located eight miles outside of Missoula, since both her daughters are grown and living out of state. She said she agreed to house the students before she even talked to her husband about it.

“I thought ‘Gosh, what if I say yes, and then they party until four in the morning,’” Walker-Andrews said.

There might be a problem with transportation, she said, unless the students are willing to carpool into campus with her each day.

Walker-Andrews recognized the dorm overload problem, and said she is happy that UM has that many students.

It’s a simple offer and she is glad to help, she said.

Director of Residence Life Ron Brunell said he passed on Walker-Andrews’ offer to several students living in interim housing who have come to him to discuss the housing situation, but transportation to campus was a problem.

It’s a great offer, Brunell said, but as of Monday afternoon, no students had taken up Walker-Andrews’ offer. 

Brunell said the three females who were living in interim housing last week were placed permanently in the dorms. He also said several other male students of the 91 living in interim housing were also placed. But there are still a lot more male students than Residence Life can house in the dorms permanently, he said.

Kyle Konopatzke, of Columbia Falls, said he doesn’t understand how the situation got so bad. Konopatzke wondered if Residence Life takes too many students. He acknowledges that he applied late, but said he didn’t realize at the time he applied that it was considered late. Konopatzke said the university still has the obligation to provide proper housing to those students whose applications were accepted, even though they applied late. 

“I mean it’s admirable that they (a member of the administration) are taking students in,” he said. But it shows that the situation is extreme, Konopatzke said.

kayla.matzke@umontana.edu