Coronavirus Information
On March 26, Gov. Steve Bullock issued a Stay-at-Home directive for residents of Montana. The order temporarily closes all nonessential businesses and operations to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The order, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. March 28, will buy time for health care workers on the frontlines and seeks to limit long term impacts to the state’s economy.
The directive will be in effect through Friday, April 10, and requires all businesses and operations in Montana, except for essential businesses and operations as defined in the directive, to stop all activities within the state.
The order also prohibits all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a household or place of residence.
The directive from Gov. Bullock exempts educational institutions, and specifically the Montana University System, as it is critical that UM maintain the necessary staff on hand to support our residential students, critical research, remote learning and other key activities. At UM we continue to do everything possible to reduce the number of employees who must physically come to our campus to work. Read President Bodnar's message about the governor's directive.
Questions? Call the UM Coronavirus Hotline at 406-243-INFO(4636) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday to speak with a UM employees about your questions.
The University of Montana is coordinating with Missoula City-County Health Department, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, and federal health officials to proactively monitor and respond to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to protect the health and well-being of our campus community.
Beginning March 23, UM moved all in-class instruction to remote teaching modalities that do not require in-class presence. Face-to-face instruction will not resume this spring.
UMOnline is providing resources to assist faculty and students in continuing instruction remotely. Visit the following webpages for instruction, tools and support geared toward students, faculty and employees.
Researchers can find information specific to their work on UM's Office of Research COVID-19 webpage.
As of March 22, UM strongly encourages student to move out of our residence halls as soon as possible. Refunds of room and board fees will be issued for the period from March 23 through the end of spring term. Students must complete this form to be eligible for the refund.
To protect public health, UM and all MUS campuses continue implement appropriate prevention measures in line with CDC guidelines and recommendations.
UM is staffing an information hotline to answer questions from students, families, faculty, staff and the public. The call center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. You can reach the hotline by calling 406-243-INFO (4636).
UM's Incident Command Team managing our campus response to COVID-19. This team, made up of representatives of more than 30 campus units, is monitoring the situation in real time while following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, the Missoula City-County Health Department and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. This team will post important updates on this webpage.
The Montana University System is providing COVID-19 information on its website.
- MUS Frequently Asked Questions
- Montana COVID-19 Information Line: 1-888-333-0461
- Email for Montana COVID-19 questions: covid19info@mt.gov
The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. There are some general precautions you should always take to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including proper handwashing and hygiene. If you suspect you are sick with COVID-19, call your health care provider before visiting in person.
Visit UM's Frequently Asked Questions about Coronavirus webpage for answers to commonly asked questions. Please be aware that information is changing rapidly. We strive to provide the most up-to-date information on the FAQ page. Please call the UM COVID-19 hotline at 406-243-4636 if you have questions that are not addressed in the FAQs.
The FAQ page covers questions related to:
- Health and Wellness
- Prevention
- University Operations
- Academics
- Human Resources
- Travel and Study Abroad
March 26, 2020
Message from the President
Gov. Steve Bullock today issued a stay at home directive for all Montanans that will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28.
March 26, 2020
Update from Provost Harbor
We began remote instruction this week holding our breaths, hoping that the transition would be smooth. I have been hearing from students and faculty that, in general, the move to remote instruction has gone amazingly well
Message from Human Resource Services
Thank you all for the incredible job you have been doing over the past few weeks.
March 25, 2020
UM Student Weekly E-Newsletter
ASUM President Abbigail Belcher provides another update for UM students. This newsletter also contains extensive information about COVID-19, student services and resources.
March 2020
UMToday and UMTonight Messages
Read UM's daily email messages sent to employees via the UMToday and UMTonight newsletters. Several issues address COVID-19 topics.
Ongoing
More UM Communications About Coronavirus
See additional communications from UM President Bodnar, Provost Jon Harbor and other UM officials.
UM Moves to Remote Learning March 23 Due to COVID-19 Outbreak Mar 12, 2020
At the direction of the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, UM will switch to remote learning methods March 23.
UM Cancels Study Abroad Programs Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Mar 12, 2020
Effective March 12, the University of Montana is canceling all spring 2020 and academic year 2019-20 education abroad programs worldwide.
The University of Montana will move to remote instruction beginning March 23. Many campus offices are closed to the public and are offering services remotely. Most events at UM are canceled. Check the UM Events Calendar for updates on cancellations and postponements.
To protect public health, UM and all MUS campuses are implementing physical distancing measures in line with CDC guidelines and recommendations.
See the Coronavirus Event Information for additional guidance.