Office of the President
The 21st-Century USM
From: President Selma Botman
June 19, 2009
Welcome to the latest 21st -Century USM update. Please check this site regularly for official communications on a range of issues. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly at president@usm.maine.edu. I also invite you to check out my blog at https://blogs.usm.maine.edu/president
Budget Update
I am writing to bring you up to date on our end-of-the-year work. As we discussed last month at our town meetings, USM’s fiscal stability requires us to invest in mission-driven activities and to discontinue what we can no longer afford. In an effort to keep you informed, this memo identifies the positions that will be affected and outlines the direction in which we are headed. This process has taken time but I wanted to proceed carefully, respectful of contractual obligations and attentive to personnel policies.
We eliminated four, full-time positions and reduced the hours associated with seventeen positions in order to help meet the $4.1 million shortfall in the fiscal year which begins on July 1, 2009. The $4.1 million reflect USM’s share of the state cut to the UMS appropriation and our portion of the cost of system-wide services. We estimate a savings of $442,770 in salary and benefits costs once fully implemented.
We do not underestimate the impact of these decisions on the lives of our colleagues. Regrettably, these are necessary measures that will move us in the direction of a sustainable university that continues to provide the education that our students, their families and Maine taxpayers deserve and expect.
The elimination of two of the four positions will result in the closing of the Center for Real Estate Education, effective July 1, 2009. Colleagues at USM are in discussion with other external organizations that may have an interest in taking possession of operation of the Center so that the real estate industry can access its services. The Center, which was established in 1977 to offer pre-licensing and continuing education courses for the real estate industry, has delivered a valuable service to the community. But as with other difficult decisions, our first priority is to those programs that directly benefit our undergraduate and graduate students.
The remaining two, full-time positions include a press operator in USM Printing Services and a director in the Office of Learning Foundations. The press position is being eliminated because of decreased demand for offset printing and greater demand for digital printing. The director’s position in Learning Foundations is being eliminated through a reorganization in that area.
The 17 positions that are the subject of schedule reductions in the coming fiscal year include eight classified staff positions, eight professional staff positions and one faculty position.
Soon, we will begin the formal process of applying for Stimulus funds. As I mentioned in May, Stimulus funds cannot be added to our base budget to cover ongoing, year-to-year expenses. Our first use of Stimulus funds will be applied to offsetting costs related to the additional $525,000 reduced from our state appropriation in early May. Beyond that, we are talking with the System office to ensure that we are in compliance with federal rules and regulations.
I will continue to update you on budget matters as decisions are finalized. Our goal has been, and will continue to be, to meet the budget shortfall and conserve enough money to invest in this university’s future.
Sport Management Major Created
In order to move USM forward and to meet the educational aspirations of our students, we will continue to make strategic investments so that USM becomes a 21st-century comprehensive institution offering first-rate academic programs relevant to our region and state.
Beginning this fall, students will be able to major in sport management as part of the School of Business bachelor’s degree program in business administration. USM is the first institution in the University of Maine System to offer a sport management major.
You may recall that we started offering a small academic track of sport management courses and internships in the fall of 2007. The number of students interested in this field has burgeoned. Because we expect more than 100 students to register for sport management courses in the fall semester, we are expanding the program into a major. A search also has been initiated for a faculty member who will join us in the fall of 2010. Congratulations to Associate Professor of Sport Management Jo Williams, Dean Jim Shaffer and others who have been involved in building this program. It will be very attractive to students in terms of offering a foundation of business coursework, combined with specialized sport management courses and extensive internships.
Commencement Wrap Up
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make last month’s Commencement a success. It was a great day, bringing to life our commitment to student achievement. Highlights are available at www.usm.maine.edu/pres/commencement.
A Summertime Success
As we enter the summer months, we watch our students across many disciplines bring pride and accomplishment to USM. Computer science undergraduate Ryan Small won an artificial intelligence competition at the 2009 World Congress of Evolutionary Computation in Trondheim, Norway. When a reporter asked Ryan to identify his scientific hero, he named his professor, Clare Congdon. "If it had not been for her," he said, "I would never have gotten involved in artificial intelligence.” Bravo to Ryan and to Dr. Congdon.
Well Wishes
On July 1, Dean of Arts and Sciences Devinder Malhotra will begin his new job as provost of St. Cloud State University, the second-largest university in Minnesota. Please join me in congratulating Devinder on his appointment, and, of course, in thanking him for his four years of service. I am sorry to see him leave but also know that an appointment as provost is the next logical step in the career of a truly gifted academic leader.
