Welcome to USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College (USM LAC), the youngest college of the University of Southern Maine (USM), and the only one that is both a college and a campus! Our small college atmosphere allows us to provide individual attention to you whether you are in class online or on site, in the Atrium Art Gallery, in a laboratory, or in another country! When you join us, you will enter a very supportive and friendly community where faculty, students and staff work together to ensure a positive, intellectually invigorating experience for you.
Our outstanding faculty is comprised of internationally known scholars who offer a variety of accredited programs designed to prepare you to meet challenges at home and around the world. Our new Common Core Curriculum has a unique approach to learning based on broad themes of justice, sustainability, democracy and difference, all organized to address the opportunities of a complex world that is closer to us every day.
USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College is your college, established by the people of Lewiston-Auburn, offering both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with the resources of a research university whose mission is to serve the region. Our graduates consistently report pride in their USM LAC degrees, their contributions to the community, and the meaningful relationships they still enjoy with the faculty and staff who made their experience so rich.
Unique features of the college include:
• Our Student Success Center (SSC) that is your first stop to answer all your questions about classes, advising, tutoring, and any services you might need as you begin and continue your journey with us. The SSC is also where you are assigned a mentor who will be your guiding resource during your entire time at USM LAC.
• Our Franco-American Collection which documents the history of the Franco-Americans (Maine’s largest ethnic group) in Lewiston and beyond. This is the largest collection of its kind in Maine, and one of the three largest in the United States.
• Our Atrium Art Gallery which boasts a variety of art exhibitions, including juried works of local and international artists that expose our students to some of the finest work in different media, such as ceramics, metal, glass and wood.
• Our Office of Community Service that allows students to earn credit for service-learning opportunities. Over the last year more than250 students, 20 faculty members and approximately 100 community partners in over 25 courses, have enriched the lives of students and community members in Androscoggin County.
Remember: This is your university, closer than you think. Explore our website, or just come on by to visit. I look forward to hearing from you.
Joyce Taylor Gibson, Ph.D.
Dean, USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College jgibson@usm.maine.edu
