Welcome, or welcome back, as the case may be, to the University of Maine at Presque Isle—or UMPI—or North of Ordinary or “umm-pea” as we are phonetically, if not better, known.
Let me be honest from the very start: this is not a welcome I was expecting, or expected, to write. Just a few weeks ago, our president for the last four years, Dr. Linda Schott, had presided over our 107th graduation ceremony (which included a surprise marriage proposal—a UMPI first!), faculty were preparing for summer teaching or research assignments and I was prioritizing my work for the summer as the university’s provost and vice president. And then came the news that Dr. Schott had accepted the presidency at Southern Oregon University (see http://www.pressherald.com/2016/06/13/university-of-maine-at-presque-isle-president-leaving/ for more details) and a short time later the chancellor asked me to serve as interim president for this coming year.
Oddly enough, my time at UMPI began nearly 19 years ago under similarly surprising circumstances. Back in the summer of 1997, I was finishing my dissertation (basically a ridiculously long research paper that, in my case, was nearly 400 pages!) and figuring out the schedule for my final year as a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut when I received a phone call asking me if I would consider teaching for a year at UMPI. I visited campus, agreed to a one-year contract and nothing was ever the same for me after that.
Much has changed in the course of those 19 years at UMPI. Back in 1997, there was no Gentile Hall, the turbine wasn’t yet built, the CIL was called (simply) “The Library,” you could exit rather than just enter at the north entrance and terms such as “learning outcomes” were found mainly in education program syllabi, if at all!
But much at UMPI—our values as an institution—have remained consistent. Faculty knew then, as they do now, that college students who connect both inside and outside the classroom are more likely to achieve a higher degree of success in both their professional and personal lives. UMPI then, as now, strove to provide outstanding opportunities to challenge you intellectually and expand your comfort zone in preparation for the world that follows. In addition, co-curricular experiences and hands-on learning—from student exchanges and study abroad programs to internships and research opportunities, to conferences and distinguished lectures—were recognized as critical to your success.
And that is what a university is all about—maintaining traditions and customs that it knows are vital to our educational and cultural experiences, but also recognizing when it is time to change those practices to best meet the challenges of the present.
In the past four years, UMPI began the process of transforming itself beyond a state university that provided northern Mainers with an excellent education. It began its journey as a nationally recognized leader in education that, simply put, was determined to guarantee that all of its students, regardless of their major, would be ready for professional or graduate careers. It was determined that all students, regardless of discipline, would be guaranteed to have mastered all of the skills and knowledge necessary for success in today’s world. We call this “personalized education,” in which you, as students, have multiple opportunities and venues to show your mastery of subject matter, receive the support you need to achieve that mastery and are provided a guaranteed pathway to complete your undergraduate degree in four years (or less!). And over these past four years, UMPI has received more and more recognition from around the country—from higher and higher status in the “US News and World Report 2015 Best College Rankings,” to its first ever appearance in the “2016 Best Value College Rankings” in Money Magazine, to the 2016 Maine State Merit Award from the New England Board of Higher Education. And we’re just getting started.
One more thing that hasn’t changed: success in college remains a partnership between the university and you, its students. For our faculty and dedicated staff members are only as effective as the relationships that they develop with you and that you, in turn, develop with them. I was recently asked to appear on the local television station to talk about preparing for college and the advice I would offer to new students. Much of this advice might seem like “common sense”: (1) go to class; (2) get involved, inside and outside your classes; (3) get to know and make friends with people ahead of you in your program; (4) learn how to balance and prioritize; (5) ask for help early and as often as necessary. But some may seem less so—such as (1) don’t be afraid of mistakes—learn from them; (2) keep in touch with family and old friends, as they are the ones who often know you best and can keep you grounded as you face new challenges; and (3) get to understand the “system,” both its strengths and weaknesses (that will reward you later on in ways you probably wouldn’t immediately imagine!). Perhaps most important of all: push yourself outside of your comfort zone, as that’s when much of your most authentic learning often happens. UMPI’s personalized education is designed to give you the opportunity to take risks, to not have to get everything right that first time out, but rather to develop your skills and abilities over time—all because, since we started doing this work back in 1903, we’ve learned a few things ourselves. Like guaranteeing that you’ll end your journey with us prepared for what comes next…no matter where and how that journey began.
Finally, like any successful institution, we want to know how we’re doing and what we can, and should, do better. That’s why I invite all of you to contact me at any time with questions and concerns, with kudos or complaints—because that is truly one of most important aspects of higher education: getting involved, taking ownership and making a difference. You can send me an email (raymond.rice@maine.edu), voicemail (768-9525) or (best yet) come by the president’s office on the first floor of Preble Hall…any time.
