UPDATE From: President Richard L. Pattenaude
Number 8, May 2006
> USM’s 126th Commencement
> Wellness Fair on May 18
> A Look Back and Ahead
> Chancellor’s Position
> A Gold Certification
> Thinking Matters
> Celebrating Faculty & Staff Scholarship
USM’s 126th Commencement
Commencement, the most important event of the academic year, gives us the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of our students. It’s also an appropriate time to acknowledge that it’s the hard work and caring of each member of the classified staff, professional staff, and faculty that make such a tremendous difference to the quality of the USM student experience. Many thanks to each of you, and I look forward to seeing you all at the Civic Center on Saturday, May 13.
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Wellness Fair on May 18
The fourth annual all-employee Wellness Fair is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday, May 18, in the Sullivan Gym, Portland.
The event includes a free lunch, sponsored by TIAA-CREF, as well as more than 40 vendors, health screenings, and raffles. Details
are available at http://www.usm.maine.edu/wellness/ The Wellness Fair is for all employees, and I encourage you to attend and endorse release time as appropriate for your office.
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A Look Back and Ahead
We’ve much to be proud of this year: More than $23 million raised for scholarships, endowment, and construction costs of University Commons as part of our capital campaign; ground broken for a new 296-bed residence hall in Gorham; planning completed for the much-needed expansion of Lewiston-Auburn; approval of a new baccalaureate in mechanical engineering; and progress on the reinvigoration of General Education. But we must stay focused on the goals of “Transforming USM.” In the short term, we’ll continue to review carefully all open positions and operating expenses in preparation for a $400,000 shortfall in the operating budget, for the fiscal year beginning this July 1. There could be some legislative relief in the form of a late spring appropriation for the University System. Longer term, we have to concentrate on strategies that will improve our recruitment and retention. If we focus on these goals, I’m convinced that we not only will survive, but indeed will better serve our students, secure our financial future, and become a nationally recognized, regional university.
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Chancellor’s Position
I continue to be asked if I am a candidate for chancellor. As you may recall, Trustees will name an interim chancellor who will serve for up to one year, effective July 1. I am NOT a candidate. I remain happy, fulfilled and challenged as USM president.
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A Gold Certification
USM’s Abromson Community Education Center has been awarded “Gold” LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council for its environmentally responsible design. It is the first building in Maine, the fifth in New England, and the 89th in the nation to be certified at the Gold level. It’s a great symbol of our commitment to sustainability.
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Thinking Matters
Remediation of contaminated urban soils; papermaking; Hurricane Katrina relief; and ethics at risk were among the nearly 150 topics presented at our fifth annual “Thinking Matters.” Many thanks to co-chairs Professor Julie Ellis and student Sarah Hines, and to everyone else who gave us a chance to support and encourage student research, and celebrate the results.
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Celebrating Faculty & Staff Authors
The quality of faculty and staff scholarship is a critical element in our transformation into a nationally competitive, regional university. I was reminded of both the quality and vibrancy of that scholarship at our recent author’s wall reception. Traditionally, framed covers of works by faculty and staff have been exhibited on the seventh floor of the Law School building. Two years ago the exhibit was moved to the seventh floor of the Glickman Family Library. This year, we honored 24 faculty and staff authors who have published new works. University Libraries have created a list of works published by USM faculty and staff. I invite you to check it out at http://library.usm.maine.edu/collections/usmauthors.html.
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