Most American colleges and universities today are facing difficult choices about how they should allocate—or reallocate—increasingly challenged resources, both in human and fiscal terms, and more broadly, what they will do as an institution of higher learning and how they will do it. We are fortunate in that, beginning with President Linda Schott, we initiated a process of taking charge of our own institutional destiny—this included both embracing outcomes-based or proficiency education as it is known in Maine as a means of differentiating our academic mission and practices and of addressing critical student success challenges—but also in terms of making conscious and forward-thinking choices in terms of both our budget and infrastructure. Since her departure, it has been my mission both to accelerate and reinforce these processes as I view them as essential toward not merely meeting our current fiscal and educational responsibilities—but ensuring that our institution is best prepared in terms of its own internal processes and relationships to meet the future needs of our students and the communities we serve.
Thus, my thanks to the members of the Reorganization Task Force and everyone on this campus who has provided input into the process—and who will be providing final recommendations the week before spring break. Our new institutional structure, which I will present to the Chancellor of the University of Maine System in April, will ensure that UMPI is best positioned to meet the needs of today’s university. And we do that by providing courses and offerings to our students in four different ways: (1) through traditional live classroom programs on our campus; (2) through coursework available to students at sites such as the Houlton Higher Education Center and high schools throughout the County; (3) through online coursework and majors accessible to anyone anywhere with a computer; (4) and, starting this coming fall, complete four-year equivalent competency based programs in Business that meet the needs of our non-traditional age students, especially ones with prior course credit from two or four-year schools.
Just as critical is our function within and our dedication to the One University concept. When I first came here, some 19 years ago, we maintained the slogan “the warmth of a college; the strengths of a university.” People openly identified us as the “little Orono”—the mini comprehensive university in Aroostook County that provided analogous experiences and programs to students who could not (or would not) attend our flagship land grant university.
Today we know that institutions can no longer afford to be everything to everyone. We need to make conscious and deliberate choices as to how we best meet the needs of our students and the scope of programming and services we can provide to best ensure their success. Few have overtly made this connection, but, more than ever, One University allows that old moniker of UMPI’s to have greater validity—“the warmth of a college; the strengths of a university—through ONE UNIVERSITY.” And our greatest strength lies in our ability to partner and collaborate with our sister institution some 50 miles to the north—as well as, quite frankly, our community college colleague only two miles to our north.
Indeed, we currently have several partnerships in place. For many years, our financial aid offices have worked together. Faculty in individual programs have partnered together in terms of research and internship opportunities with students. We are currently sharing a Vice President of Student Affairs. Our Physical Plants and Facilities collaborate in a number of ways. TRIO College Access Services have a long-standing North-South consortium grant (since 2006) that makes possible faculty and staff interactions supporting college access and preparation for our County kids. Finally, and most recently, UMFK Provost Steve Gammon has been leading broad-based discussions on both campuses, most notable in regards to bringing a four year nursing program to UMPI. So, although we may experience our (mostly good natured!) institutional rivalries and jealousies, we are actually well-positioned to move this partnering to the next level.
We are thus introducing a pilot initiative for (minimally) the next fifteen months, which establishes a Standing UMPI UMFK Collaboration Committee. The purpose of this Collaboration Committee is straightforward and action-oriented: “to develop locally relevant academic and administrative collaborations that build on the strengths of the individual institutions in order to better serve students and the Northern Maine region, maximize efficiencies and fiscal sustainability, and increase enrollments.”
This will ensure that these two great institutions will offer even more effective and innovative academic programming with greater levels of applied learning, internships, and faculty and student research—all while ensuring that there are more and better opportunities for Aroostook County students within Aroostook County.
Finally, as a syntax and grammarian aficionado, I am just tickled pink by the recent ruling of the US court of appeals regarding Oakhurst Dairy drivers being owed overtime. The decision literally hinged upon the use of the “Oxford comma,” of which I am a huge proponent, and for which I now feel completely vindicated. A classic use of the Oxford comma is in a sentence such as this: “I went to the IGA to buy a loaf of bread, a stick of butter, and a carton of milk.” Oxfordians use the comma before the final conjunction at the end of a series; anti-Oxfordians do not because they feel it is unnecessary and ornamental. You can decide for yourself as to which you support—and why! See the story at http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/15/health/oxford-comma-maine-court-case-trnd/
For a separate story, below?????
Owl Stand by You: In recent months, we’ve been working hard to reaffirm our commitment to diversity, inclusion and civility because it is incredibly important for UMPI to be a place that is welcoming to all members of its campus community, a place where we all feel we have a voice that can be heard. To that end, our Inclusion and Civility Task Force has been hard at work, determining the avenues it should pursue in fostering this atmosphere in ways that embrace diversity, create solidarity, encourage civil discourse and respect for others, and increase a general feeling of safety on campus.
While there will be campus forums and awareness campaigns coming from this group in the future, I am very pleased to report on what they have in store for us next week. Stand Together Week will take place between Tuesday, March 21 and Thursday, March 23. A Pledge that reflects our campus values has been drawn up and Task Force members will be stationed at various times and locations around campus, offering you the opportunity to sign a larger than life version of the Pledge, ask questions, and help make a statement about our commitment to each other. All members of our campus community are invited and encouraged to sign the Pledge. For details, be sure to check out www.umpi.edu/owlstandbyyou .
My thanks to everyone on the Task Force for making this a reality—but special kudos go to the students whose insight, energy, and guidance has been absolutely essential: Lassana Dorleh, Lossene Dorleh, Daria Wozmak, and especially Alex DesRuisseaux, who provided the impetus and vision to get this all started.
