* One of seven campuses in Maine's public university system, the 
  University of Southern Maine is the second-largest institution 
  of higher education in the state. 

* Created in 1970 by the merger of two state supported institutions under 
  the name University of Maine at Portland-Gorham, and renamed the 
  University of Southern Maine in 1978. Gorham State Teachers College 
  (1945) was founded as Western Maine Normal School in 1878, while the
  University of Maine at Portland (1957) was founded as Portland Junior 
  College in 1933. 

* USM has two campuses, one in the city of Portland (population 64,084) 
  and the other in the rural town of Gorham (population 11,856), as well 
  as a major off-campus location in Lewiston-Auburn. 

* USM employs 1,245 people: 345 Faculty, 437 Professional staff, 
  and 463 Classified employees. 

* Of the 310 full-time instructional faculty, 69.68% are tenured, 35.81% 

* USM's 1996 fall enrollment of 9,966 accounted for 32% of all enrollees 
  activities. 

* The E & G Operating Budget for 1996-97 was $58,126,506. * 

* The University of Southern Maine is accredited by the New England 
  Association of Schools and Colleges. 

* As of 11/30/96 

* Enrollment in fall 1996 was 9,996, including 8,084 undergraduates 
  and 1,882 graduate students. 

* There are 4,435 full-time students (45.5%) and 5,531 part-time 
  students (55.5%) comprising a total of 5,982 full-time equivalent 
  (FTE) students. 

* Maine residents comprise 93.40% of the total enrollment, with 80.7%
  of these coming from Cumberland, York, and Androscoggin counties. 

* Women constitute the majority -- accounting for 60.5% of the total 
  enrollment. 

* The average age of all students is 29.5 years. 

* 76.46% of all enrollees are degree candidates. 

* There were 1,539 new students entering USM in the 1996 fall semester, 
  of which 798 were freshmen and 741 were transfer students. 

* Students living in dormitories number 1,103 or 11% of the total 
  student population. There are 866 living on the Gorham campus 
  and 237 living in Portland. 

* In 1996-97, 5,500 students were awarded financial aid; the average
  aid amount was $4,875. 

* Degrees conferred during 1995-96 totaled 1,260: 

          88   law
          213  masters
          893  baccalaureate
          66   associate

* The University of Southern Maine has 26,500 active alumni in all 
  fifty states and numerous foreign countries, which are led by
  Canada with 81, Japan, 11, and Britian, France, and Germany with 4
  each. 

* The University of Maine System is a state-wide, seven campus,
  public University chartered by the 104th Legislature "to develop,
  maintain, and support a cohesive structure of public higher
  education in the State of Maine." 

* The Board of Trustees, in consultation with the Chancellor, is the
  governing and planning body of the University of Maine System and
  has statutory responsibility for preparation and approval of the
  operating and capital budgets of the University of Maine System.
  In accordance with the Laws of the State of Maine, the Board of
  Trustees of the University of Maine System consists of sixteen
  members. Fourteen members are appointed by the Governor for
  five-year terms, and a student member is appointed for a two-year
  term. This is subject to review by the Joint Standing Committee on
  Education and confirmation by the Legislature. The Commissioner of
  Education serves as a voting member ex-officio. 

* The Trustees appoint a Chancellor to act as chief administrative
  and academic officer of the System and, on the nomination of the
  Chancellor, appoint campus Presidents to lead each campus. 

* The University of Maine System, created by statute in 1968, is tax
  exempt under Section 501 (C)(3) of the 1986 Internal Revenue Code
  and encompasses the State's seven public universities: the
  University of Maine in Orono, Maine's Land Grant and Sea Grant
  institution; the University of Southern Maine, a comprehensive
  urban university; four baccalaureate institutions -- the
  University of Maine at Farmington, the University of Maine at Fort
  Kent, the University of Maine at Machias, and the University of
  Maine at Presque Isle; and a community college, the University of
  Maine at Augusta. 

* The University of Maine System occupies almost 1,300 acres of
  developed land with its facilities providing almost 7.5 million
  square feet of space; the replacement value of land and facilities
  is $1,140,197,096. The University has 39 dormitories with a
  capacity of 6,443 students. 

* The fall 1996 enrollment was 30,931 with: 

          16,517    full-time       and  14,414    part-time students 
          26,969    undergraduate   and  3,962     graduate students
          27,594    in-state        and  3,337    out-of-state students
          18,808    women           and  12,123    men

* There were 4,989 degrees awarded by the University of Maine
  System in 1996/97: 569 Associate; 3,111 Baccalaureate; 659
  Masters; 47 Doctoral;35 Certificates of Advanced Study; and 88
  Jurisprudence degrees. 

* The University of Maine System employs 4,713 regular employees:
  1,328 Faculty; 1,519 Professional and Administrative staff; and
  1,866 Classified employees. 

* The E & G Operating Budget for 1996/97 is $234,803,466. 

* The average cost for a Maine student to attend the University is
  $10,741 including tuition, room and board, books, and personal
  expenses. The additional cost to the University is $7,086 per
  undergraduate student funded chiefly by the state appropriation. 

* The University of Maine System is accredited, at its various
  campuses, by national, regional, and state agencies to provide
  academic program offerings in arts and sciences, education,
  agriculture, life sciences, engineering, forestry, legal
  education, and business. 

(Source: Office of Finance and Treasurer, University of Maine System) 
(Empoyee figures provided by Human Resources)