Trustees Approve Strategic Plan; USM and UMA to Merge
In late September, the University of Maine System Board of Trustees unanimously voted to approve their strategic plan (www.maine.edu/spp), which includes a plan to integrate the University of Southern Maine and the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA).
The plan sets forth a broad goal for: “...a comprehensive, multi-campus university serving the southern and central regions of the State, offering undergraduate programs as well as a focused set of graduate, research, and outreach offerings.”
“We will proceed carefully, in a collaborative fashion, honoring and respecting the work of all faculty and staff, ” says USM President Richard L. Pattenaude. “We will keep the best interest of students and the community at the center of all discussions.”
Pattenaude and UMA President Charlie Lyons have initiated a series of meetings with faculty, staff, and students from both campuses. In the spring of 2005, work will begin on the design of a long-term implementation plan. That plan should be in place by the summer of 2005, with the launching of the three- to five-year process of integrating the campuses in September 2005.
“We have an opportunity to build upon the strengths of both institutions,” says President Pattenaude. “We will work together to create a seamless education system that delivers baccalaureate and graduate level programs in such a way that people from Waterville to Kittery have opportunities to better themselves and their communities.”
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