Following is full text of a statement issued June 22 by Sam Collins, chair of the University of Maine System board of trustees:
Members of the University Community: As we move past the close of the 2015-2016 academic year, I wish to express the appreciation of the University of Maine System Board of Trustees to our valued faculty and staff for your scholarship, unwavering dedication to student success, and the great service you provide to Maine and its people.
Last month, the Board unanimously reappointed Chancellor James H. Page through Fiscal Year 2018 in recognition of the transformational progress we are making to serve Maine as One University. The Chancellor’s success at delivering an affordable, quality, and relevant public higher education is only possible with the cooperation and dedication of the talented staff and faculty at each of our campuses and centers who inspire our students and help shape Maine’s future.
Upon appointment four years ago, The Board of Trustees tasked Chancellor Page to reposition Maine’s University System to maximize opportunities in a time of great challenge and change. We were asking our new leader for the strategic thinking and resolve necessary to overcome more than forty years of reform efforts that failed to meet expectations.
Working closely with campus and community leaders across our state, Chancellor Page has delivered impressive results for our Universities and the people of Maine. Here are but a few examples of what Chancellor Page and the University Community have accomplished over the last few years:
· Maine is the only state in the country to reduce the real cost of public higher education over the last five years;
· A landmark credit transfer agreement between Maine’s higher education systems greatly streamlined the process of transferring credits among Maine’s public universities and community colleges;
o UMA and SMCC ease pathway for students;
· A focus on Early College has resulted in a 74% increase in college participation among Maine high school students over the last two academic years;
o Governor LePage praises UMFK on Early College;
o UMPI and Caribou schools reach expansive agreement;
· While there is still hard work to do and public support to earn, our commitment to affordability and fiscal responsibility has put Maine’s universities on a path to stable financial footing and projected budget surpluses;
o The work of our faculty and staff at USM to ensure public higher education is a vibrant, service-focused resource in Maine's largest urban and economic centers is particularly noteworthy;
· Our universities are growing stronger through a strategic focus on their strengths and a willingness to share our collective scale, reach and expertise as is the case with the campus-centered work to establish a primary partnership between UMaine and UMM;
· As of the May 1 deposit deadline, admissions activity for the upcoming year is up 16 percent year-to-date across the Universities and we are attracting national attention, outside resources, and youthful talent to Maine;
o Out-of-State admissions are up 50 percent at UMaine;
· UMaine off shore wind project elevated;
· UMF a “Best College” for 18th year;
· A campus-inspired enrollment initiative between UMaine and the University of Maine at Machias will bring 56 new students to Downeast Maine in the Fall;
· A faculty-led collaboration at UMF and USM has established a new fast track, collaborative pathway to a Masters Degree in social work;
· The collaborative approach being taken among the campuses to expand student access to critical programs such as nursing and the multi-campus development of programs like Cyber Security, a four-campus effort that earned our universities a designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance / Cyber Defense from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
We have every confidence the Chancellor will continue to do all he can to position our campuses and our communities for success, keeping the students and state we serve centermost in our consideration as we work together to serve Maine as One University.
Please accept the Board’s appreciation on behalf of the people of Maine for your service and commitment in transforming public higher education. We are optimistic about the progress and developments yet to come as the One University continues to improve our statewide capacity to turn your ingenuity and hard work into collective action and shared success for all of Maine.
We also invite every member of our community to take advantage of opportunities to contribute to our reform efforts. Hundreds have participated in the development of the draft Unified Budget Recommendations through the nearly 50 listening sessions held across Maine dating back to the start of the academic year. And there is still time before the July 1, 2016 end of the seven-week public comment process to review the draft recommendations and offer feedback.
With kindest regards and appreciation,
Sam Collins
Chair, University of Maine System Board of Trustees