USM Public Affairs

Budget Challenges Ahead

No one can dispute that the recent Trustees’ decision to freeze in-state undergraduate tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year is wonderful news for Maine students and their families who have been struggling to pay the rising costs of tuition for many years. The Trustees’ vote is an important step toward helping more students enroll in our programs and stay through graduation.

Over the years, the University’s budget has relied ever more heavily on tuition dollars as state resources available for public higher education have declined.

Consequently, the financial impact of the freeze on our budget, combined with the precarious nature of the state budget and our own enrollment challenges, force us to yet again confront very significant budget cuts in fiscal year 2013, which begins on July 1, 2012.

The estimated target for reductions in our upcoming FY 2013 budget is $5.1 million.

The system-wide analysis of the freeze’s financial impact is not yet complete. Consequently, the targeted cut could very well change. Nevertheless, I feel it important to share with you what we know at this stage and to map out the steps we are taking to address this issue. I am confident that we will be successful in doing so as long as we keep lines of communication open and work together.

As a first step, I have asked managers in the major units across the institution (Academic Affairs, Chief Operating Officer, Human Resources, President’s Office, School of Law, University Advancement) to work with their reports to model the potential impact of the estimated $5.1 million cut on their areas, based on a formula that will soon be established. I expect those reports on February 15. I also am asking that the Resource Allocation Committee (the Provost, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Operating Officer and the VP for Human Resources) to compile details on all unfilled positions and establish even more stringent criteria to guide decisions on whether to fill positions or create new ones.

Armed with this information, and informed by the goals of our Strategic Plan, we will go through the process of finalizing a combination of reductions  and investments that will balance the budget and position us for growth moving forward.

All of our work to reduce administrative costs and create a more interdisciplinary academic structure over the last three and a half years will serve us well as we face the current budgetary challenges. However, it is now clear that we must respond with renewed creativity and imagination if we are to compete effectively for new students of all ages and to increase revenue to support the critical work that we do.

Our community support is solid. Our students continue to earn recognition for their work in regional, national, and even international fora. Our faculty and staff have rolled up their sleeves and are working together to create new programs and explore new funding possibilities.

The work ahead will be hard, but we will build a stronger institution, one that is indispensable to our region’s future.  We will continue to enhance the vitality of our communities, advance their economic development, and build our state’s competitive advantage in the global economy.

No New SIF Funds for FY 2013

We have just been notified that no new Strategic Investment Funds (SIF) will be awarded for fiscal year 2013. The System established the SIF program by pooling a percentage of the state appropriation, thereby creating shared resources to be awarded to campuses on a competitive basis to fund new initiatives. To help ease the financial impact of the tuition freeze on the campuses, Trustees have directed that 1 percent of the appropriation be dedicated to SIF, rather than the 3 percent. The 1 percent will fund existing, multi-year projects but there will be no funds for new awards. I want to thank those of you who submitted first-time SIF proposals for 2013. The creative thinking that generated these proposals will be needed as we decide how to balance our budget through a combination of cuts and investments.

 NEASC  Accreditation Approved

The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education has voted to continue our NEASC accreditation.  The Commission has scheduled our next, comprehensive evaluation for the spring of 2021. In continuing the accreditation, we were commended for our, “…thorough and candid self-study that portrays an institution with a passion for serving its students and confidence in its ability to fulfill its mission as an urban, public, comprehensive university in the state of Maine.”

The Commission also requested a report in the fall of 2013 that outlines our progress in building our capacity in institutional research, and focuses on development of an inclusive process that maps out a “…comprehensive and systematic approach to program review and assessment of student learning across all academic programs and using the results for improvement.” The Provost will be discussing with the Academic Council the implementation of this latter issue. We also are required to submit an interim evaluation in the spring of 2016.

Thank you again to the members of the NEASC Steering Committee for their critically important work. This process provided us with valuable opportunities to reflect thoughtfully on USM so that we can continue to carry out our mission.

More information is available at NEASC Accreditation Follow Up on the NEASC Accreditation page.

A Debut Novel

We have many causes to celebrate at USM. In particular, our students and alumni continue to shine, bringing distinction to themselves, their professions, and their communities.

USM alumna Morgan Callan Rogers, who received her B.A. in English in 1988 and completed the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing in 2004, was back on campus last week for a book release party at the USM Bookstore.  Viking Press has published her debut novel, “Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea,” which chronicles the coming of age of the daughter of a lobsterman. Reports are that the book already is a best-seller in Germany, and will be published later this year in Spain, Italy, and Australia. Morgan credits Associate Professor of English Dianne Benedict and also is grateful for the graduate-level education she received in Stonecoast. “I thank USM for having the wisdom to start this program,” she told us, “and I’m happy to have been part of the inaugural class.”  For photos and comments on the joyous Bookstore celebration, go to  the photo album on USM’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/USouthernMaine).

During the last several years, members of this university community have made a fundamental commitment to the prudent and responsible use of the tuition dollars and state funds entrusted to us.

We will, of course, continue to do so but we have experienced a setback in enrollments that carry financial implications. I continue to believe, however, that the hard work of many people during the past three years to erase the deficit and reorganize the university has positioned us to respond to the current enrollment issues, and has prepared us for reinvestments and, eventually, strategic growth.

Fall Enrollment

Based on a four percent decrease in fall credit hours, we are forecasting that tuition and fee revenues will be 2.3 percent, or $1.9 million below budget at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2012.

We will offset that $1.9 million using projected savings from unfilled, vacant positions; lower fuel and electricity spending; and revenues from indirect cost recovery, the funds we receive to cover the overhead associated with grants and contracts.

Residence Halls

We also are projecting that residence hall revenues could be down by $3.1 million when we close out the fiscal year on June 30. Residence hall operations are entirely supported by room and board revenues, not tuition or the state appropriation. Residence Life expenses are being reduced but we do not expect those spending cuts to be enough to balance this budget.

Consequently, at year end we will use funds from the $2.5 million residence hall reserve fund to cover the remainder of the loss in this budget.

Ongoing Adjustments

There very well may be ongoing adjustments throughout the year as we address changing circumstances. We have seven months left in the fiscal year to address the situation. In addition to the budgetary actions noted above, new marketing, recruitment and retention efforts are underway, classes are being scheduled in Gorham to satisfy the residential population’s requests, and attention is being paid to ensure that classes have a full complement of students.

Campus leaders throughout the country are grappling with the implications of precipitous decreases in state funding and revenues.  Our challenges, of course, are complicated by the decrease in enrollment numbers.

Yet in a time of lingering economic uncertainty, we have a clear responsibility to reaffirm the validity of public higher education to the lives of our citizens.  What we do in our classrooms, laboratories, studios and performance venues matters.

I am determined that this university be widely recognized and appreciated as a driving force in the economic, social and cultural future of Greater Portland and beyond.

MPH Degree Approved

It is my pleasure to announce an exciting new USM degree offering: the Master of Public Health (MPH). A direct response to the state and nation’s critical need for leadership within the field, the MPH will provide students with a broad population health and health system’s perspective, and prepare graduates to improve health and prevent disease for communities throughout our nation and our world. The new degree was approved by Trustees’ and will accept students beginning in the fall of 2012.

The program builds upon USM’s accredited Master of Science in Health Policy & Management degree, and expands our efforts to address a full range of health issues. Though the MPH is housed in the Muskie School of Public Service within the College of Management and Human Service, I am pleased to say that this is truly an inter-college effort. Courses will be taught by a mixture of faculty from both the Muskie School and the College of Science, Technology, and Health’s Department of Applied Medical Sciences. Collaboration such as this provides students with a rich, interdisciplinary knowledge base, as well as access to a diverse range of perspectives from our university scholars.

Thank you to all who have worked diligently to offer our students yet another opportunity to fulfill the USM mission and shape tomorrow’s world.

ThinkMaine

A University System campaign has been launched to raise public awareness of and appreciation for the work being done by Maine’s Public Universities. I have seen system campaigns work in other states and believe they will succeed here, too. The campaign sends positive messages about the value of a baccalaureate education and effectively complements our own marketing and communications efforts. Please view the TV and radio spots, videos, print ads, and stories associated with this campaign, known as Think.Maine.edu.

Upward Trend in Grants & Contracts

In the past two fiscal years, we saw an upward trend in the dollar amount of grants and contracts awarded.  Associate VP for Academic Affairs Samantha Langley-Turnbaugh reports that in FY 2010 we submitted 214 proposals with a total dollar value of $66,495,275.  We received 168 awards for a total of $43,933,575.  In FY 2011, we submitted 212 proposals for a total of $61,852,499, and received 143 awards for a total of $44,701,325.

Dr. Langley-Turnbaugh invites faculty and research staff to take a survey, the results of which will help us plan for the future growth and development of research, scholarship and creative activities.  If you have not yet completed a survey and would like to do so, please contact Research Administration and Development at 228-8040, lalvarez@usm.maine.edu.

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

Provost Wright and I trust that the new academic year provides continued opportunities for discussions on departmental reconfigurations that can lead to exciting teaching and learning experiences. Our newly integrated Department of History and Political Science, for example, is working on the melding of the original departments, and has been given permission to conduct a national search for a tenure-track specialist in African American history and politics. The finalist will teach courses in such areas as the Civil Rights movement and constitutional law.

COO Appointment

Trustees have approved the appointment of Katherine M. Greenleaf as our chief operating officer (COO). Katherine completed a one-year, fixed-length appointment and accepted a full-time appointment following a search. Our chief operating officer provides coordination and oversight of our administrative, business and service operations.  Katherine, with an extensive background in operations, finance and human resources, is especially qualified to fulfill the role on a full-time basis. She has senior-level managerial experience with Wright Express, Hannaford Bros. Co., and the former Union Mutual Life Insurance Company, now Unum.  Most recently, she operated Greenleaf Consulting Group, a firm that helps clients here and abroad develop business strategies, including management of cultural issues associated with growth and change. She earned a B.A. with honors in Asian Studies from Connecticut College and a J.D. from Boston University Law School.

Scott Steinberg Leaving USM

Scott Steinberg, our dean of undergraduate admission, is leaving to accept an admissions appointment at Bates, his alma mater.  Scott worked in admissions at Bowdoin before joining USM. At USM he brought an admirable sense of professionalism to his work and we wish him all the best. Scott has been working with Chief Operating Officer Katherine Greenleaf and Chief Student Success Officer Susan Campbell to ensure that we have a smooth transition.

Enrollment Update

As reported at the Opening Breakfast and elsewhere, our fall 2011 enrollments are down. Projections are in the range of 3% in total headcount (some 290 students) and 4% in credit hours. We will not have FINAL numbers until October 15. This, of course, is of great concern, but we are coming together to focus on building healthy enrollments.  I remain confident that we can do so.

As we pass the midpoint of the semester, I write to offer a few updates.

Three New Colleges, Three New Names

Each of our three, new colleges now has an official name.

As reported earlier this semester, “Red” is The College of Science, Technology, and Health (CSTH), and “Green” is The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHS).

Most recently, the “Purple College” is now officially known as The College of Management and Human Service (CMHS).

Please join me in thanking faculty and staff for their work on these important milestones.

Congratulations!

At their meeting held earlier this week in Augusta, Trustees granted tenure to a number of our colleagues.  If you have the opportunity, please join Provost Wright and me in congratulating the following members of the faculty:

AWARDED TENURE AT RANK OF ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
College of Management and Human Service

Joanne Williams, Associate Professor of Sport Management

PROMOTED TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR WITH TENURE
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Rachel Bouvier, Assistant Professor of Economics
Paul Christiansen, Assistant Professor of Music
Matthew Killmeier, Assistant Professor of Media Studies
Daniel Sonenberg, Assistant Professor of Music

College of Science, Technology, and Health

AbouEl-Makarim Aboueissa, Assistant Professor of Statistics
Kelly McCormick, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education
Carla Randall, Assistant Professor of Nursing

College of Management, and Human Service

Adele Baruch-Runyon, Assistant Professor of Human Resource Development
Robert Heiser, Assistant Professor of Marketing,

Lewiston-Auburn College

Daniel Stasko, Assistant Professor of Natural and Applied Sciences

PROMOTION TO PROFESSOR WITH TENURE
University of Maine School of Law

Charles Norchi, Associate Professor of Law

Please also join us in congratulating the following faculty who have been promoted.

College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

David Carey, promoted to Professor of History
Kent Ryden, promoted to Professor of American & New England Studies

College of Science, Technology, and Health

Charles Fitts, promoted to Professor of Geosciences

College of Management and Human Service

Susan Fineran, promoted to Professor of Social Work
Samuel Merrill, promoted to Associate Research Professor of Community Planning & Development

Students Win National GE Competition

Last semester, thanks in part to the encouragement and mentoring of Professor Jim Smith and others in engineering and technology, a team of USM students participated in the national GE Lean Challenge. Students at plants across the country were assigned the task of making a particular manufacturing process more effective and efficient. Our team worked on its project at the GE plant in Auburn. The student team made a presentation to local and national GE executives and…won!  We hosted a reception where GE officials made the announcement and awarded scholarships to our students. This was a great opportunity for our students to make connections between what they learn on campus and the careers they are interested in pursuing.

NEASC Visit April 10-13

USM’s NEASC reaccreditation visit will take place from April 10-13.  Our more than 100-page Self Study Report has been sent to the NEASC evaluation team members. I invite you to read the report on the NEASC page on our website. It offers a frank and thorough evaluation of how we have met the 11 NEASC standards related to such areas as academic programs, services to students, and status of our facilities. Preparing for this reaccreditation has been a Herculean task and I want to offer a sincere thanks to Luisa Deprez for chairing the Steering Committee and guiding us through this two-year process. Before leaving campus, the evaluation team will deliver an exit report. This has been an inclusive study process, involving some 200 faculty and staff. In that spirit, we are making plans to open the exit report to any interested members of the campus community. Details to follow.

Fiscal and Environmental Sustainability

In addition to fiscal sustainability, any responsible university also must focus on environmental sustainability.  Two recent initiatives advance both our fiscal and environmental well-being.  At the start of this semester, we converted the Portland campus central heating plant from fuel oil to natural gas. This conversion will save us $315,000 annually in utility costs, plus reduce our carbon output by more than 1,000 metric tons each year. The conversion is one of many goals in our “Plan for Carbon Neutrality.”

Earlier this semester, University Trustees approved the expenditures of $2.375 million for energy upgrades in Bailey Hall, Gorham, and in Luther Bonney Hall and the Science Building in Portland. A statewide bond issue approved last June will fund the upgrades. A special thanks to Bob Bertram and his staff in Facilities Management for their work on the heating plant conversion and for developing plans for the energy upgrades.

USM Hosts Events Bringing Schoolchildren to Campus

USM serves as the host site for several competitions that bring middle and high school students and their families to our campuses.  Last month, we hosted the middle school Western Maine “MATHCOUNTS” competition for the 27^th year in a row. Numerous Maine Engineering Week events took place at USM, including the Titan Challenge for high school students, and the Maine Engineering Week banquet and Expo, which was held in the Costello Sports Complex.  Earlier this month, we hosted the 11^th annual Northern New England Science Bowl competition for high school students. And this Saturday, March 19, we will host the Maine State Spelling Bee.

I want to thank all the faculty and staff who work hard to bring these events to USM.

A Honda Challenge

I am constantly amazed at how our students engage in various experiential learning opportunities that help them acquire the skills and knowledge they need to shape the future of our region.  A three-member team of marketing students, under the guidance of Professor Jeanne Munger, was selected as one of just 10 in the country to help Honda create a market for its CR-Z hybrid sports car only using social media.  The competition ends the week of November 22.  More information on this fascinating story is on our News Archive.

Trustees Approve USM Mission

I am pleased to report that Trustees have approved the USM mission statement, a copy of which is available on the “Discover USM: USM Mission & History” page of our Web site. Trustees’ approval is the culmination of a long process. Thanks to all who were instrumental in making this happen, especially members of the Faculty Senate.

Extraordinary Progress

My thanks to those of you who were able to attend the recent Budget Symposium.  It drove home the point to me that together we have made extraordinary progress, financially and in terms of organizational changes.  From July of 2008 to June of 2009, we faced a debt to the System of $4.4 million; a state curtailment of $2.7 million; credit hour declines; and increases in operating costs. In the current year, we have no debt to the System; a balanced budget; stabilized enrollment with improved student retention numbers; and the implementation of the academic reorganization. The System is projecting serious budget challenges ahead for all universities, including the possibility of a cumulative USM deficit of $4.6 million in fiscal year 2016.  We still have a lot of hard work in front of us but I believe that the changes made to date and the ongoing implementation of the academic reorganization will position us to fulfill the mission approved by the Trustees.

NEASC Accreditation Visit Scheduled

Salem State University President Patricia Maguire Meservey has been named chair of the NEASC visiting team that will be here April 10-13. President Meservey was on campus last week to prepare for that visit. Based on our self-study report and findings from the visit, the team will decide whether to recommend that we be re-accredited.  Those of you who are in leadership and management positions among the faculty and administration should keep your calendars as clear as possible during April 10-13 in the event that members of the team want to meet with you. To find out more about this process and to read the draft of our self-study report, visit the NEASC Accreditation web page.  You also can click on “Self-Study Feedback” to offer anonymous comments on the report.  We all owe the NEASC Accreditation Steering Committee and Chair Luisa Deprez special thanks for all their work during the past nearly 18 months.

Connecting You with Tomorrow

Our new marketing campaign is generating excitement, particularly concerning how students in the commercial speak about their USM experiences.  If you have not had a chance to see the television commercials, you can view them on our “Meeting the Challenges of Change” web page.

Community Voices for USM

USM is fortunate to have community volunteers withthe best interests of this university at heart, and supporters who speak forcefully and articulately on our behalf.  Wright Express CEO and Chairman Mike Dubyak, chair of our Board of Visitors, and Pro Search Inc. Founder and President Ed McKersie, a member of the USM Foundation Board of Directors, offer two recent examples. Mike’s Portland Press Herald “Maine Voices” column is titled “Maine’s missing strategic imperative: Higher ed.” Ed’s letter to the editor of the Portland Press Herald from earlier this fall is titled, “USM’s bottom line: Leadership counts.”

The 21st-Century USM: From President Selma Botman

I recently had the opportunity to address members of USM’s Corporate Partners. Rather than share with them the usual updates on our budget or the academic reorganization, I decided to shift the focus to what we are doing to create a new USM.

That shift in how we talk about USM is at the very core of a new marketing campaign that will be launched this Wednesday, October 20. The campaign will feature a range of focused and energizing media presentations, including TV spots on network and cable channels; online advertising on newspaper sites; public broadcasting sponsorships; and other web-based advertising, all of which will be wrapped around the theme of “Connecting You With Tomorrow.” This is an intensive, new effort to showcase our value to students, their communities and to our state.

We hope to have the first television spot posted on our website soon. I also invite you to participate in the ongoing execution of this campaign by sharing with us your story ideas that demonstrate how our students, faculty and programs are helping to shape tomorrow’s world. Send your ideas to connecting@usm.maine.edu.

The central theme of “Connecting You With Tomorrow” and the overall creative direction of the campaign emerged from an inclusive process that took into account feedback from more than a dozen focus groups, some 30 one-on-one campus interviews and the advice of a representative campus steering committee. Participants articulated that USM prepares students for success, thanks to an accomplished faculty and community connections that result in a range of experiential learning opportunities in and out of our classrooms.

This is an important step for USM, one that allows us to communicate a consistent, coherent message about what great things our students and faculty are accomplishing, and what a difference this university makes in the communities we serve. It will help attract new students, new sources of private support and more opportunities for our students, faculty and staff. In short, we will build a stronger public understanding of and appreciation for USM.

If you have the chance, please join me in thanking Vice President for Advancement Meg Weston for her leadership in bringing us to this point. I also want to acknowledge the commitment and creativity of the Swardlick Marketing Group, led by David Swardlick, a highly respected marketing professional and a longtime USM volunteer.

The 21st-Century USM: From President Selma Botman

Multiple Voices

The University Council, which formerly consisted of senior academic and administrative leadership, has been expanded so that there are multiple and varied voices from across the university around the table. I am also asking the Council to provide oversight and advice as we implement the academic reorganization. At the first meeting of the newly expanded Council, I asked members to share with their respective constituents information on issues brought before the group as a way to ensure open communication and transparent decision making.

See the members of our University Council.

Brighter Outlook for Current State Appropriation

Earlier this year, Governor Baldacci asked the University of Maine System to prepare for an $8.3 million curtailment in the state appropriation. USM’s share of that totaled $750,000. Chancellor Pattenaude and members of his staff met recently with the Governor to make the case that UMS is an investment in the state’s future, not an expense. The Governor agreed and decided to eliminate the proposed University System curtailment.  We had held back nearly $1 million in federal stimulus funds at USM to cushion the blow of any budget reductions. We will continue to reserve these funds through the fall in the event that the budget situation changes, but the Governor’s decision is very good news indeed.

Investments in Addressing Deferred Maintenance

USM, like every institution in the System, has a huge backlog of deferred maintenance projects.  We are making progress toward achieving the Strategic Plan goal of deploying our physical plant in support of the university’s mission. Put another way, our students, faculty and staff deserve to work and study in the best environment we can provide.  More than 50 capital improvement projects were completed over the summer. For the first time, we have data projectors in all teaching spaces on all three campuses. Our University Library in Bailey Hall has a new common area. There have been significant improvements to the Department of Art in Gorham, the Student Success Center and related areas in Payson Smith Hall and in the School of Law. The American Sign Language Lab and the Media Studies Lab have moved from 68 High Street to Exeter Street and to the former Portland Child Care Center, respectively. Our residence halls have more efficient heating and hot water systems, plus we completed a historic restoration of the Robie Andrews roof.   Many people in several departments deserve our thanks, but I want to especially thank Executive Director of Facilities Management Bob Bertram and his staff.

Trustees Approve New Deans

At their meeting held earlier this month, the Board of Trustees formally approved the appointments of Andy Anderson as dean of the College of Engineering, Health Professions, Nursing, Science & Technology; Lynn Kuzma as dean of the College Communication, Culture & the Arts; and Jim Shaffer as dean of the College of Public Service, Business, Graduate Education & Social Work.  Andy and Lynn have been appointed to two-year terms at the end of which we will conduct national searches for those positions. Jim’s appointment is for one year, so we are initiating a national search this fall. All three deans will be invited to apply for the respective positions.  Interim Provost John Wright announced the deans selections last month, but I want to join him in thanking Andy, Lynn and Jim for accepting these appointments as founding deans of our three new colleges. We will be involved in complex discussions over the coming semesters as we move toward implementation, and I am confident that as a community we will do so in an open, collaborative and respectful manner.

Educating a Skilled Nursing Workforce for the 21^st Century

Trustees also gave USM approval for a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program.  A DNP will be the required credential for all advanced practice nurses by 2015, according to a policy approved by The American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Those holding this graduate degree will be well qualified to respond to the pressing need for specialized nurse professionals and to alleviate the shortage of nursing educators.

Greenleaf Appointed as COO

I am pleased to report that Trustees approved the appointment of Katherine M. Greenleaf as USM’s chief operating officer (COO).  This is a one-year fixed length position. Katherine replaces Jim Shaffer who accepted the position of founding dean of our new College of Public Policy, Business, Graduate Education and Social Work. Katherine’s appointment will begin in early October and will run through June 30, 2011.  Our chief operating officer provides coordination and oversight of our administrative, business and service operations and ensures that these functions are integrated into and complementary to the university’s strategic plan.  Positions reporting directly to the COO include the chief financial officer; the chief information officer; the chief student affairs officer; and the chief student success officer. This position has proven to be invaluable to the running of the university, and Katherine, with an extensive background in operations, finance and human resources, is especially qualified to fulfill this role over the upcoming academic year.  She has senior-level managerial experience with Wright Express, Hannaford Bros. Co., and the former Union Mutual Life Insurance Company, now Unum.  Most recently, she operated Greenleaf Consulting Group, a firm that focuses on helping clients here and abroad develop business strategies, including management of cultural issues associated with growth and change. She earned a B.A. with Honors in Asian Studies from Connecticut College and a J.D. from Boston University Law School. Please join me in welcoming her to our campus community.

Pioneers Program Established Thanks to System Support

We are establishing the state’s first honors program in engineering and the sciences. The program – to be known as Pioneers – will educate our best and brightest science and engineering students.  Attracting students to these fields has become an increasingly important public policy at a time when the number of students in these disciplines is decreasing, yet the demand for scientists and engineers is expected to increase in the next decade at more than double the rate of all other occupations.

The Pioneers Program is made possible thanks to a preliminary $158,000 grant from the University of Maine System’s Strategic Investment Fund (SIF). The fund was established to support new curricular developments that “align academic programs with Maine’s changing economy.” We also will be applying for additional SIF grants and seeking scholarships to support the development of the program.

The goal is to recruit six to eight students for the fall of 2011 and then to enroll 10 or more students annually. Michael Wing of Gorham, an adjunct instructor in the Department of Technology who has more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing, operations and business management at small and multi-national companies, will direct the program.

I will keep you updated on program developments.

The 21st-Century USM: From President Selma Botman

The USM-Ocean Alliance research expedition to the Gulf of Mexico is a unique, joint effort to evaluate the impact of the unprecedented environmental disaster in the Gulf, with a focus on whales and the fish whales consume.

The Gloucester (Mass.) Times recently reported, “The University of Southern Maine is one of the nation’s leaders in marine mammal toxicology, while the Ocean Alliance has been a global leader in whale research and education for nearly four decades…”

For the next several months, researchers and students from the Wise Laboratory for Environmental and Genetic Toxicology will be aboard the Ocean Alliance’s RV Odyssey, the only sailboat in the world equipped with a state-of-the-art cell culture laboratory. USM researchers, students and Alliance staff will be collecting tissue samples from whales, and other species and analyzing them onboard. Further analysis will be done in the Wise Lab. It is the only research project designed to develop whale cell lines to research the impact of the massive spill on whales.

This research expedition makes so much sense on so many levels, aside from the visibility it is attracting and will continue to generate.

First, it applies the University of Southern Maine’s intellectual resources to a better understanding of the true, longterm impact of the worst ecolological disaster of our lifetimes.

Second, it builds upon our existing partnership with Ocean Alliance, thereby making possible the only research expedition designed to develop whale cell lines to research the impact of the massive spill on whales, the marine life on which they feed and the ecosystem that supports them. USM awarded an honorary degree in 2009 to Iain Kerr, chief executive officer of Ocean Alliance.

Finally, the expedition gives USM researchers and students — those on the boat as well as those back in our campus lab facilities — firsthand experience with this unique and historic research project.

You can find out more about the project at a public meet-and-greet to be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., this Friday, July 16, at the pier on the campus of Southern Maine Community College, South Portland. Tours of The Odyssey will be available, along with opportunities to talk with researchers, staff and students.

If it fits your schedule, I hope you can drop by and wish them well. The Odyssey is scheduled to set sail for the Gulf at 7 p.m., this Saturday.

The 21st-Century USM: From President Selma Botman

Within the last week there have been significant changes in Health and Counseling and most recently, in Research Administration. These initiatives, in addition to the Trustees’ approval of our academic reorganization and changes in academic leadership, constitute a climate of rapid change that, understandably, generates anxieties and concerns.

I want to take a few minutes to place these issues in context and outline the work in front of us.

Appointment of an Interim Provost

Given the important work ahead of us, I have moved quickly on a decision regarding an interim provost.

With Chancellor Pattenaude’s approval, I have offered the position of interim provost to John Wright, dean of our School of Applied Science, Engineering, and Technology.  His two-year appointment will be effective pending Trustee approval at the July meeting.  This appointment is made with the understanding that we will initiate a nationwide search during the 2011-2012 academic year for a permanent replacement.

I appreciate John’s willingness to step forward at a time of great change and even greater opportunity.  We are at a crucial point in the history of this university. John is USM’s senior academic dean whose 10 years of experience will be a tremendous asset to the university as it embarks on the exciting next stage of its academic life.

When John returns from vacation on June 14, he will assume his new responsibilities. Please join me in welcoming him to his new position.

In the meantime, continue to work through your respective deans or vice presidents to resolve any issues that arise. (Contact information for vice presidents is available at
http://www.usm.maine.edu/pres/staff/)

I will be off campus the week of May 31 but in daily contact with my office, so please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail if there are any pressing issues.  You also can contact Tim Stevens, special assistant and chief of staff, at 228-8183, tstevens@usm.maine.edu.

Academic and Non-Academic Reorganizations

You may recall that earlier this year we outlined two separate and distinct planning processes designed to help revitalize our academic core and move us toward our goal of fiscal sustainability.

The first was an effort to reduce our non-academic, administrative infrastructure and generate savings of more than $1 million for the upcoming fiscal year 2011 and beyond.  The decisions to reduce schedules in Health and Counseling and consolidate the delivery of physical health services in Gorham, along with the layoffs of six staff members in Research Administration, are part of that effort.  I deeply regret the toll these changes take on the professional and personal lives of our colleagues.

Implementing Academic Reorganization

The second of the two processes is academic reorganization. With the recent Trustees’ approval, we now begin a yearlong process of implementing the academic reorganization.

(For details, go to http://usm.maine.edu/pres/reorganization/)

In the short term, there are two immediate steps.

1.   Senate chairs will soon be asking for volunteers to serve on committees to prepare DRAFT governance and policy documents that address the institutional changes stemming from reorganization. Again, these documents will be drafts to serve as starting points for more detailed and inclusive discussions beginning in the fall semester.

2.   The second step will be to form search committees to conduct internal searches for interim deans of our three new colleges.  I will share more information on that process in a separate communication.

Finally, all other operational activities (appointment of department chairs for a period of not more than one year; scheduling of faculty; purchasing of supplies, etc.) should continue as usual. It is essential that the education of students continues uninterrupted during this upcoming year of the implementation process.

Broader Campus Representation

The work of reorganizing academic departments within our new college structure is primarily the responsibility of faculty.  Later this summer, I will, however, be announcing a reconstituted University Council with broader campus representation. I will also form a university-wide advisory committee to help guide implementation.

The success of this work rests on careful thought and broad campus involvement.  I remain committed to those principles and look forward to working with you to advance the interests of USM.

The 21st-Century USM: From President Selma Botman

A Special Thanks

Our community owes the members of the Design Team a deep debt of gratitude, not only for the work produced, but for also showing us that shared governance truly has a central place in higher education. Members spent nearly 40 hours in formal team meetings, not to mention countless additional hours in conversations with colleagues and groups. The team was a model of civility, dedication and heart. If you haven’t, please check out their reorganization proposal . I also remind you to send me your comments at reorgcomments@usm.maine.edu . Remember that any comments sent to this address are posted on a public USM website.

Marketing Reports to Meg Weston

Our Office of Marketing and Brand Management is now reporting to Vice President for Advancement Meg Weston. Meg brings to us years of experience having overseen marketing operations in imaging and communications businesses. She will provide the necessary leadership to update our brand positioning and marketing initiatives to support a distinctive institutional identity based on the goals of our new strategic plan and on the results of our restructuring effort.  Feel free to contact Meg at 780-4708, mweston@usm.maine.edu. If you have questions on specific, day-to-day marketing issues, please contact Leigh Raposo, the assistant director of marketing, at 780-4773, raposo@usm.maine.edu.

Creating Maine’s Future

This year, USM will offer some form of financial aid to nearly 8,900 students, yet the average undergraduate student will leave USM with nearly $26,000 of debt.  That’s why the USM Campaign for Scholarships is such an important opportunity to help our students achieve their dreams, take advantage of a USM education and then graduate well prepared to build a more vibrant community. We have raised nearly $600,000 toward the campaign goal $850,000. The Campaign includes the establishment of  “Creating Maine’s Future Presidential Scholarships.”  These scholarships, our most distinguished academic award, allow Maine high school graduates to receive a scholarship worth $5,000 per year for four years. On behalf of USM, I especially want to thank Wright Express for funding two such scholarships and the USM Foundation for funding one “Creating Maine’s Future Presidential Scholarship.”   If you haven’t had the chance, visit our campaign blog and watch our campaign video. It offers eloquent testimony as to why people care so deeply about this university and our students.