Last year UMPI created an Office of University Advancement and many have asked me “what exactly does Advancement do?” The answer is fairly simple, yet complex. The traditional answer is that we serve to “advance” the institution and build lasting relationships with alumni, friends and donors who care as much about UMPI as we do, thereby inspiring loyalty and support for UMPI. Advancement works closely with the president and university leadership to receive the support of alumni, friends and organizations—both financially and through advocacy. At UMPI, Advancement includes development, alumni relations and sponsored projects.
Development
Development is about fund-raising and friend-raising as it fosters connections with individuals whose financial support fuels the efforts of all of us–students, faculty and staff alike–to make the university and the world in which we live and work better. This process requires us to build genuine, trust-based relationships in order to receive donations from individuals and businesses. These donations are then used as requested by the donor to support academic and major building projects.
Did you receive an UMPI scholarship this year? If so, it’s likely that your scholarship was paid through the university’s foundation. This organization started in 1972, has a board led by 16 community members and total assets of more than $4 million. Through development and philanthropy, the university’s foundation provides scholarship support to UMPI students every year—this year totaling over $151,000!
Have you ever noticed the names on the buildings across campus? These individuals and/or their families and friends made major contributions to UMPI. For example, Park Hall was named for the Rev. George M. Park, who was the leading spirit for bringing the Aroostook Normal School (now known as UMPI) to Presque Isle in 1903. Park Hall was dedicated in 1969 on the site of the Park homestead, where five of the six Park youngsters grew up. This land was donated to the university by the Park family. The Rev. Park’s grandson, Laurence Park, is an active and frequent visitor to our campus. He is quite the UMPI historian and loves to share his stories. The Park Scholarship is provided by the Park family to numerous UMPI students every year.
For upperclassmen, when you returned to campus this fall, you may have noticed new signs at the three entryways to the campus. These signs were made possible with a generous donation of $20,000 by one of UMPI’s partners–the University Credit Union. UCU has been on campus for six years and collaborates with UMPI in many ways, such as providing workshops for students on financial literacy, working with Student Financial Services on their SALT program and providing gifts for campus goals, such as the new signage at the entryways and wayfinding signs across campus.
For those attending commencement this year, did you notice the new flags hanging in Wieden Gym or the colorful flags flying in the flag court? These flags were provided as part of an estate gift from Dr. Richard Ayre, a beloved professor of criminal justice and sociology who died a few years ago. These flags represent the various nations—both international and tribal—of our students, faculty and staff.
Alumni Relations
The UMPI Alumni Association is led by an elected board of 13 members and works to improve the connection between the university and alumni around the world by being the common thread that links them to one another and to their university. The alumni association hosts events and gatherings both on- and off-campus. These board members assist with Homecoming and Commencement as well as provide scholarship funds to students.
This fall they are launching a program for new students from afar called the Community Host Program, linking interested students with area residents to assist with making a local connection. The overarching goal is that this connection will ease the transition for new students to college life and a new community by providing support and friendship to students away from home. It will introduce them to Presque Isle and northern Maine and help them access local resources such as retailers, physicians or places of worship. If you’re a new student and would like to participate, please contact me at deborah.roark@maine.edu.
We have amazing alumni. If you’d like to see firsthand what our alumni are doing, take a look at the Where Have Your Wings Taken You website at yourwings.umpi.edu. One day in the not too distant future, we hope to see your selfie wearing your wings on this website, along with an update of where your wings have taken you.
Sponsored Projects
Through external grant funds from state and federal agencies as well as foundations, we are able to provide opportunities for research and scholarly work for faculty members to engage in. These also offer hands-on research and other opportunities in which our students can excel.
If you participated in Upward Bound or Talent Search programs while in high school, you were a part of a federal grant-funded project. UMPI has both of these programs that provide college access services to students so that they can achieve their goals of attending college and earning a degree. We also have a Student Support Services program that provides tutoring and counseling support for our students—located in the ground level of the CIL. The services for each of these programs is paid for through federal grants. UMPI submits applications for these funds through a competitive process.
No matter what your program of study, hometown or year in college, I bet if you thought about it for a few minutes, you’d realize that the many activities in the Office of University Advancement have a direct impact on your college experience. We look forward to connecting with you as a student and especially when you graduate and become an alum! Stop by the president’s office to say hello or learn more about careers in donor relations and philanthropy.
