The Montana Board of Regents on Thursday voted to let Montana State University name a computer science department building the Gianforte School of Computing. The building will be named after Gov. Greg Gianforte's family foundation, which recently donated $50 million for the new building’s construction.
The board or regents voted 6-1 to approve the name.
The proposed naming received pushback from some MSU students and faculty and Democratic state lawmakers.
Theregents' policy does not allow property to be named in honor of current statewide elected officials. However there are exemptions if “the philanthropic giving warrants some form of recognition.”
Board member Brianne Rogers voted in favor of the naming, saying the gift was "transformative."
“Our policy currently does include an exception for transformative gifts,” Rogers said.
The one dissenting vote came from Board of Regents Chair Casey Lozar, who said the naming should wait until Gianforte is out of office.
Construction on the building has not yet started.