General University Information

Office of Support for Students with Disabilities
http://www.usm.maine.edu/~oassd/
OSSD provides a wide range of services to qualified students with sensory, mobility, physical, psychological, learning and attentional disabilities who currently are enrolled in USM credit and non-credit courses and programs. Contact OSSD for information regarding your particular needs. Documentation maybe required. The office is located in 242 Luther Bonney Hall on the Portland campus; 207-780-4706 or TTY 207-780-4395 or visit our website.

Office of Undergraduate Admission
http://www.usm.maine.edu/admit/
The Office of Undergraduate Admission invites prospective students to visit the campus to explore their educational interests. The staff can provide you with information about academic and extracurricular programs, discuss admission requirements and procedures, and arrange campus tours. For more information regarding the admission process at USM, please call (207)780-5670 or email usmadm@usm.maine.edu.

Affirmative Action Policy
A member of the University of Maine System,
in complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and in pursuing its own goals of pluralism, the University of Southern Maine will not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability, or veterans status in employment, education, and all other areas of the University. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Questions and complaints about discrimination in any area of the University should be directed to the Executive Director of Campus Diversity & Equity at 732 Law Building,. Portland (207)780-5094, TTY (207)780-5646, and http://www.usm.maine.edu/eeo

Bookstore Information
http://www.usm.maine.edu/books/
Textbooks and course materials are sold in the University-operated Bookstore on the campus where your class is offered. The USM Portland Bookstore also carries textbooks for Gorham classes. Call any of the three USM Bookstores anytime to check availability of your course materials or to place mail orders. Textbook information and online ordering can be found on our web page at: www.usm.maine.edu/books. The Bookstores accept payment with Visa, MasterCard or Discover debit and credit cards; the USM Card; personal checks, (please have a picture id): and /or cash. Cash register receipts are required for any textbook returned and a copy of Bookstore refund policies will be attached to your receipt. Gift cards are available. The Bookstores buyback books year round for wholesale companies and buyback the last two weeks of each semester for store resale. The phone numbers are, Portland - (207)-780-4070, Gorham - (207)780-5476 and Lewiston Auburn College (207)753-6520.

Instructional Technology and Media Services
http://www.usm.maine.edu/itms/
Instructional Technology and Media Services operates on two campuses, 232 Luther Bonney Hall in Portland, and 3 Bailey Hall in Gorham.
Regular hours are: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday.

Video request - (207)780-5356
Equipment request - Gorham (207)780-5356, Portland (207)780-4280.

USM Child and Family Centers
http://www.usm.maine.edu/childcare/
The University Child and Family Centers serve the families of students, faculty, staff and alumni whose children range in age from infancy through pre-teens. Services are provided at our facilities on the Portland and Gorham campuses. Evening care may be available depending on need and space availability. Programs include:
• Full day/half day child care from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for children 6 weeks to 5 years of age.
• Summer camp for children 5 - 12 years of age.
Limited financial assistance is available to eligible USM students and staff.

Center for Continuing Education
http://www.usm.maine.edu/cce/
The Center for Continuing Education (CCE) provides lifelong learning opportunities for professional and personal development. This includes non-credit certificate programs and short-term courses in the areas of Business and Management, Health and Human Services, and Personal Enrichment. Training programs may also be customized for local area organizations and businesses. CCE maintains the Continuing Education Unit (CEU) system for USM. (207)-780-5900.

IT Users Services HELP! Desk
http://usm.maine.edu/computing/
The IT User Services Helpdesk is a computing assistance resource for the University Community.
All students, faculty and staff have a University account which must be activated before it can be used. It provides access to email, MaineStreet(PeopleSoft), Blackboard online courseware, classroom and lab computers, dial up internet access, and the University’s wireless network. Contact Helpdesk if you haven’t activated your account.
Help desk provides walk-in help and answers phone calls and email from students, faculty and staff on USM’s hardware, software, network and connectivity issues. You can call them at 780-4029, email helpdesk@usm.maine.edu or visit 144 Luther Bonney Hall Portland Campus.

Early Study at USM
http://www.usm.maine.edu/advising/earlystudy/
The Early Study program is designed to supplement the academic experience of high school and home-schooled students during the fall and spring semesters. Students must apply and register with an Early Study advisor. For more specific information and to download an EARLY STUDY APPLICATION call the Advising Services Center at 207-780-4040(toll-free 1-800-800-4USM ext. 4040.) or visit our website @ www.usm.maine.edu/earlystudy.

Student Exchanges
http://www.usm.maine.edu/international
USM has partnerships with many colleges and universities within the United States and the world. USM students are encouraged to explore academic exchange opportunities through National Student Exchange or with one of our many international partners, please contact the International Programs Office in 101 Payson Smith Hall or call (207)780-4959.

Greater Portland Alliance of Colleges and Universities (GPACAU)
http://www.gpacu.org/
The Greater Portland Alliance of Colleges and Universities (GPACAU), a consortium of Maine College of Art, St. Joseph's College, Southern Maine Community College, University of New England, and University of Southern Maine allows students to cross-register at other GPACAU schools. Any undergraduate matriculated student at USM who has earned 12 credit hours and is in good academic standing may participate. Each student may take up to a maximum of 3 courses a year and 5 courses in their academic career at an Alliance school. Courses taken at other Alliance schools must not be offered at USM that semester or within a reasonable time period thereafter. All prerequisites must have been met. Space must be available after continuing students at that school have had an opportunity to register. Other restrictions on a course basis or a school basis may exist. Tuition will be included on your USM bill, however, course fees are paid to the course host institution. All USM financial policies apply to these courses.
Contact Diane Hoyt in the Gorham Registrar's Office at (207)780-5106 for more information and registration materials.

Grading System
Grades at the University are given in terms of letters, with the option of a plus or minus designation, representing levels of achievement. The basis for determining a grade is the relative extent to which the student has achieved the objectives of the course. The student’s work in each course is graded as follows:

Grading System Key

A High Honor 4.00
A- 3.67
B+ 3.33
B Honors 3.00
B- 2.67
C+ 2.33
C Satisfactory 2.00
C- 1.67
D+ 1.33
D Low Level Passing 1.00
D- 0.67
P Pass in a Pass/Fail course. (C- or better)
Quality points not included in GPA
LP Low Pass in a Pass/Fail Course. (D-, D, D+)
Quality points not included in GPA
H Honors in a Pass/Fail class
I Incomplete; a temporary grade given when the student, because of extraordinary circumstances, has failed to complete the course requirement
INC Permanent incomplete
L Stopped attending
MG Missing Grade
DG Temporary deferred grade until course is completed
W Withdrawn (see Academic Catalog for full description)

Grades and Transcripts
Grades are posted as they are received. Faculty have been asked to turn in grades one week after finals. You may check your grades in MaineStreet (PeopleSoft)

Students who need official transcripts of course work completed must complete a Transcript Request Form at the Registrar's Office or at the Business Office at Lewiston-Auburn College or at this website: http://www.usm.maine.edu/~reg/transcriptrequest.pdf. All University charges must be paid before a transcript is released.

Change of Name and Address
Name changes require official documentation, such as a court document or driver’s license showing your legal name. You will need to provide your student ID number, and your former and current legal name.
You can fax this information to (207)780-5517 or mail to USM, Registrar’s Office, 37 College Ave. Gorham, ME 04038
Address changes may be processed on MaineStreet (PeopleSoft)

You may also contact the office to process at (207)780-5230.

Veterans Affairs
Located in the Advising Services Center in 119 Payson Smith Hall, the Office of Veterans Services coordinates the processing of Veterans Administration Education Benefits. For more information, call (207) 780-4623 or 1-800-800-4USM, ext. 4623.

Libraries
http://library.usm.maine.edu/
The Glickman Family Library on the Portland campus, located at the corner of Forest Avenue and Bedford Street, the Gorham campus library, located in Bailey Hall, and the Lewiston-Auburn College library are available for use by all students. Normal fall and spring semester hours are:

Glickman and Gorham campus libraries:
7:45 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday
7:45 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Friday
10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Saturday
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Sunday
1:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sunday - Gorham

Lewiston-Auburn College library:
8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Saturday
closed 11/24/07, and 12/15/07
NOTE: Holiday and vacation hours as posted.

University Health and Counseling Services
http://www.usm.maine.edu/ucs/
General Information -Health Fee
If you take 6 credits or more at the Portland or Gorham Campus of USM, you will automatically be assessed a health fee of $60.00 each semester, which provides you access to health care and counseling services at USM at either the Portland Health Center (modular beside the Woodbury Campus Center) or Gorham Health and Counseling Center (Upton Hall, first floor) or the Portland Counseling Center (Payson Smith Hall, first floor). If you take 3-5 credits you may opt to pay the health fee in the open enrollment period, the first four weeks of the semester. A summer health fee or fee-for-service arrangement is available to students taking summer courses or to students preregistered for fall courses who need summer health care and/or counseling services. The health and counseling fee allow for unlimited free office visits at the health center(s) and up to 12 free counseling visits. The health fee does not include laboratory testing, wellness exams and a few selected procedures. Office hours are generally Monday through Friday 8-4:30 pm, however hours vary by day, and by campus. Please call ahead for an appointment. Portland sites are open year round; the Gorham site is open in the fall and spring semesters only. The staffs are experienced professionals who understand college health issues, students’ budgets and student diversity. Work-study opportunities are available in all sites.

Student Health Insurance
The health fee is not health insurance. USM offers a basic health and accident insurance plan through Aetna. If you are uninsured and taking 6 credits or more and would like to purchase health insurance at a reasonable rate contact any of the Health and Counseling offices for more information at 780-4211.

University Health Services
http://www.usm.maine.edu/health/
The Student Health Services provides health care to students including diagnosis and treatment of health problems and wellness exams. The health centers are staffed by a team of highly skilled nurse practitioners, registered nurses and part time physicians. A range of additional services are available including laboratory services, after hours nurse triage service, travel abroad information and travel immunizations, state required immunizations, flu shots, consultation or referral services, health information, health promotion activities, health screening, communicable disease surveillance, self-help cold care and safe sex supplies, and more. For more information or to make an appointment call: Portland Health Center (207)780-4211 or Gorham Health Center (207)780-5411.

University Counseling Services
The Counseling Center provides short-term personal counseling services for individuals, couples and groups, crisis/emergency assistance, and referral services to both on-campus and off-campus resources. Any student who has paid the health fee is entitled to 12 individual counseling sessions and group counseling sessions free of charge. Consultation services and workshops are also offered to student groups upon request. University Counseling Services are provided by clinical psychologists, a licensed substance abuse counselor, licensed clinical counselor, and graduate counseling interns.
Students who use the Counseling Services often
have concerns and questions that interfere with their academic progress or other areas of personal growth. Typical reasons for requesting services include: developing confidence in self, coping with depression, anxiety, stress, managing interpersonal conflicts, developing satisfying relationships, understanding and coping with family dynamics, managing multiple responsibilities, alcohol and substance abuse, or handling personal crises.
Students may be referred to Student Health Services for assessment, prescription and follow-up for antidepressant/anti-anxiety medication. This care is carefully coordinated between the two services. For more information or to make an appointment call: (207)780-4050

Substance Abuse Services
University Health and Counseling Services provide access to services for students at USM. Any student who has paid the health fee is entitled to 12 individual counseling sessions and groups counseling sessions free of charge. College students are often faced with the choice of whether or not to use alcohol or other substances. A growing number of college students on campuses around the country are choosing to have a chemical-free college experience. Some students choose to speak with a counselor to discuss questions or concerns regarding their own issues around substance use, while others seek support and guidance regarding the substance use of a peer or family member.
Services at USM are tailored to meet the needs of each individual student. Through the assessment process, the student and counselor work together to determine the most appropriate level of care. Counseling Services provides individual substance abuse counseling, group counseling, and educational groups. The counselor and student may also decide together that referral to a support group or more intensive level of treatment in the community would be the best option. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Counseling Services at (207)780-4050.

Maine Immunization Law
Students who fail to comply with this law will not be allowed to register.
If you were born after 1956, and you are enrolling in a degree program or taking 12 or more credits as a non-matriculated (special) student, you must comply with the Maine Post-Secondary School Immunization Law before you attend any USM activities or classes. If you were born in or before 1956, please disregard this notice.
If you were born after December 31, 1956, you must submit one of the following to Student Health Services at USM:
1. A signed statement from a health official who administered a vaccine for Tetanus/Diphtheria in the past 10 years.
AND A signed statement from a health official who administered vaccines for: 2 each Rubeola (Measles), Rubella (German Measles), and Mumps. These vaccines must have been given AFTER your first birthday.
2. A secondary school health record showing the above.
3. Copies of laboratory evidence of immunity.

Immunizations are available for a small charge at Student Health Services. Call Student Health Services at (207)-780-4923 or (207)-780-4211 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
Exceptions:
You may submit a physician's statement that immunization against one or more of these diseases is medically inadvisable. You must meet the immunization requirement for those diseases not covered by the statement.
You may state in writing an opposition to immunization because of a sincere religious belief or for moral, personal or philosophical reasons.

Please be aware that students who choose one of the exceptions and who do not prove immunity from a disease, will be excluded from school during the danger period (15-23 days) when there is a case of disease on campus. Records will not be returned. Photocopy of original is acceptable. For more information, call Immunization Hotline (207)780-4504.
No special forms are needed; send a COPY of your immunization records to:
University Health Services
University of Southern Maine
96 Falmouth Street
P.O. Box 9300
Portland, Maine 04104-9300

Public Directory
The University of Southern Maine complies fully with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). This act is designed to protect the privacy of students with regard to access of records, and the opportunity for a hearing to challenge records when they are alleged to be inaccurate, misleading, or inappropriate. You as a student, have the right to inspect and review your educational records within 45 days of the Registrar’s receipt of a request for access; have the right to request an amendment of your educational record that you feel is inaccurate or misleading; and the right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in your educational record, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
A more complete description of the confidentiality policy and a form to allow you to be excluded from the Public Directory is available in the Registrar's Office.

Confidentiality of Student Records
The University of Maine System has designated certain information contained in your education records as directory information for purpose of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Your directory information may be publicly shared by the University unless you take formal action to restrict its release, see below:

Directory information includes:
--Name --Dates of Attendance
--Address --Phone
--Date of Birth --Program of study
--Degrees and Awards received (including dates)
--Most recent previous educational institution attended
--Participation in sports and activities
--Height and weight for athletics
--Class Level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)
--Enrollment Status (full/part time)

Under FERPA, you have the right to restrict the release of the above information. Note that when you choose to restrict the release of information that information will not be released to any source outside the university except as specifically required by Federal and State Law. For example, your name would not be included on any Dean’s Lists published in local papers; or the University would not be able to verify your enrollment to any person or organization outside USM for employment, unless there is a signed statement received in writing with the request for information authorizing the release of this information.
You may request that no information be released by sending a signed written statement to the Registrar’s Office, 37 College Ave, Gorham, ME 04038 or fax to: 207-780-5517.
In the event that written notification is not filed, the University assumes that you do not object to release of directory information.
To view detailed record:
http://www.usm.maine.edu/reg/CONFIDENTIALITY.htm

Parking Permits
Decals may be obtained at USM Parking Garage in Portland and the Police Department in Gorham. Hours of operation will be posted at both locations.

Shuttle Bus Service
Bus service between the Portland and Gorham campuses is available on a regular basis during fall and spring semester. Bus schedules are posted on USM bulletin boards. There is no charge for USM students.

Campus Crime Statistics Acts
In accordance with the Clery Act of 1998, USM publishes the Safety and Security Report, the report includes three years of statistics regarding crime (on campus, on adjacent public property, and in University owned campus buildings) and campus policies on alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes and sexual assaults. The report is available online at www.usm.maine.edu/police/safetyreport.htm or by calling the Office of Community Standards at (207)780-5242 for a paper copy.

USM STORM LINE
1-800-800-4USM (4876) then press option # 1
(207)780-4800 FOR LOCAL SERVICE
(207)753-6595 for Lewiston-Auburn Campus
1-800-294-0213 for TTY storm number
Classes are rarely cancelled because of storms. However, in case of severe storm conditions, please listen to the local radio stations for storm cancellation announcements. Please listen specifically for USM Lewiston-Auburn courses.

Campus Directions:
http://www.usm.maine.edu/generalinfo.htm

 

 

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