To build a better university—that was the charge of USM President Richard L. Pattenaude at the annual breakfast that opened the 2004-05 academic year on Friday, August 27. After welcoming new staff and faculty to the University, Pattenaude unveiled “Transforming USM”—USM's new strategic plan for the next five years.
Implemented through 2009, “Transforming USM” serves as the foundation for the University's work as it continues the journey toward becoming a nationally recognized, regional comprehensive university. While the University has made great strides under its previous strategy, The USM Plan, Pattenaude said USM's strategy must accelerate and adapt as economic, demographic and academic contexts change. By enlisting a series of itemized actions under five task areas, the University will continue to foster its academic and intellectual environment and ensure its long-term viability.
Recent factors influencing higher education in Maine include decreases in state funding; increases in public expectations of colleges and universities; rising competition from other colleges, universities, and in particular community colleges; shifts in high school demographics; escalating salary, benefits and inflation costs; and the University of Maine System reorganization.
“We believe these trends are permanent,” said Pattenaude. “They are a powerful set of forces we cannot ignore and cannot outlast.”
While the System plan presents USM with the opportunity to serve Maine's most populous region, achieving national recognition for regional excellence under these changed conditions is the purpose of “Transforming USM.” Instead of calling for massive cuts, “Transforming USM” calls for USM to bring greater focus to its work to serve constituencies as effectively as possible. By focusing on a limited number of core activities under specific action areas, Pattenaude said USM could accomplish its goals and reduce costs.
“Transforming USM” presents five action areas or “levers of change” that will shape the University's agenda for the next three to five years.
1. Revitalize Curriculum
Providing high-quality educational opportunities for students throughout Maine is the essential work and the means by which the University enhances the community. To strengthen the University's academic reputation and impact, the plan calls for the addition, suspension, or downsizing of selected programs based on student needs. As student interests and regional needs shift, the plan also calls for the reallocation of resources to strengthen key areas and selectively add new programs. Programs that have severely reduced enrollments or cannot sustain their quality will lose resources or be suspended.
Action items toward this goal include increasing educational opportunities for first-year and transfer students; establishing three to five new degree programs; establishing three new learning communities; and developing an organized co-curriculum. The plan also seeks to establish a College of Interdisciplinary Studies and an office of e-learning, to establish disciplined-based honors programs, and to broaden the Honors Program to an Honors College.
New program development will draw on resources and faculty from existing programs. Programs established in the last seven years will be reviewed to determine if enrollment and credit-hour targets have been met. Annual reports will be generated and distributed to support program review and resource allocations.
2. Invest in Current Programs and People
Despite considerable growth in the last several years, USM has incurred significant financial stress, said Pattenaude. While new monies—$986,000 in sum—have been allocated in 2004-05 to fund promotion and post-tenure review salary increases, financial aid, upper Glickman Library floor maintenance and operation, library acquisitions and enhancements, and PeopleSoft and business software, the University must secure additional investments to strengthen its current programs.
“Transforming USM” requires USM to redirect savings in many ways, including reducing annual cost savings by an average of $525,000 per year to cover projected deficits while making targeted annual investments totaling $776,700. Other cost saving measures will include creating a University Reinvestment Fund, restructuring the budget to reduce ongoing deficits, and adding incentive-based budgets where appropriate.
To boost overall effectiveness, the plan calls for implementation of the University Review and Improvement Committee's (URIC) recommendations and to make several key reorganizations, including: establishing an Information Technology Division, led by a Chief Information Officer (CIO), moving the Division of Community & Professional Education to Academic Affairs and initiating planning for a College of Visual and Performing Arts. USM will utilize a broad view of scholarship that honors traditional research and publication, while recognizing the full scope of academic work.
On the people side, the University will implement Employer-of-Choice strategies to attract and support a diverse workforce and host an annual USM Café to discuss common issues and build community. USM also will implement the Environmental and Economic Sustainability Committee plan.
3. Change Enrollment Profile
As high school graduation rates decline, USM must uncover new ways to maintain a desired fall enrollment of 11,000 students while increasing full-time enrollment. To promote a more culturally diverse student body—one that includes more transfers, full-time undergraduate and graduate students—the University also must increase recruitment and retention efforts.
Specific goals are to increase first-to-second year retention from 68 to 75 percent, and to increase the six-year graduation rate from 33 to 50 percent. Equally challenging will be to increase graduate enrollment to 25 percent of our student population by 2008-09.
To attain these goals, a joint undergraduate/graduate recruitment plan will be written. Likewise, the University will designate a Central Advising Council, with representatives from all schools and colleges overseeing all first-year advising, and developing a retention plan.
Other essential steps toward improved retention include placing greater emphasis on recruitment, advising, and retention contributions by faculty in their evaluation processes; working directly with high schools to clarify academic expectations, supporting early college/college-ready initiatives; aligning USM admission and placement standards with Learning Results; and launching a training program to support positive interpersonal interactions. Also, all new students (beginning with the class of 2007) will be contacted within the first six weeks of the semester.
4. Upgrade and Expand Facilities To better serve students and the community and increase its physical capacity, the University has worked hard to add new buildings. Across three campuses, USM has added or renovated many facilities, including the addition of Phillipi Residence Hall, major renovation and expansion at Lewiston Auburn College, $2 million in teaching lab upgrades, the renovation of the top three floors of the Glickman Library, and added a new parking garage and the Bioscience Research Wing. More work, such as the completion of the Abromson Community Education Center, is underway.
Yet, while USM has been very successful in financing many of these projects through state, federal and private funding, it has fallen behind in maintaining modern, comfortable classrooms and offices.
As such, “Transforming USM” calls for renovation of all classrooms and a focus on first completing all planned buildings. Other essential construction includes completion of the University Commons in Portland (Muskie, OLLI, expanded Osher Map Library, new Glickman entrance) using private funds, a new residence facility in Gorham (Fall 2006) and a new residence facility and a University Center in Portland (open Fall 2007).
Other slated projects include completion of a long-range facilities master plan for each campus; submittal of a $90 million bond request to the Chancellor to implement facility improvement plans, beginning with the renovation of Bailey Hall; and funding maintenance and operating costs for new and renovated spaces.
5. Raise Additional External Support As the University faces limited increases in state funding at a time when student access requires USM to control tuition and fee increases, USM must develop alternative sources of revenue. Private fund raising, alumni donations, increased support for research, and direct federal awards for targeted projects will play an increasingly significant role in our future.
To do this, USM is planning the largest capital campaign in its history—a $25 million capital campaign over five years for facilities, endowments, program support, and scholarships. Under the “Transforming USM” strategy, the University must also continue to increase grant and contract awards by 10 percent per year ($48.4 million total this year), increase federal earmarks to an average of $5 million annually, and seek $90 million in state bonds over five years.
Turning Change into Progress
As USM begins implementation of these actions, Pattenaude said the University would draw primarily on existing planning and governance units to keep the process simple and effective. Successful achievement of the actions will yield higher quality, more effective curricular and cocurricular programs; greater diversity among the student body; an improved physical plant; a more enjoyable and effective working and learning environment; and more efficient support services.
“Change is inevitable. Making that change become progress is up to us,” said Pattenaude. “I know in my heart that the actions in 'Transforming USM' will result in USM becoming one of America's best public, regional universities.”
