USM concerned about proposal to change system

PORTLAND – They may not be as adamant in their dissent as their counterparts on other University of Maine System campuses, but the faculty and students at the University of Southern Maine also have concerns about a proposed reorganization of the statewide system.

University of Maine System Chancellor Joseph Westphal, Vice Chancellor Elsa Nunez and members of the UMS board of trustees faced skeptical groups when they outlined the proposal to the USM community during a series of meetings Tuesday.

The plan calls for reorganizing the seven existing universities into four, moving all two-year programs to the community college system, and enhancing the prominence of the flagship campus in Orono.

The University of Maine at Augusta would become part of the University of Southern Maine. Universities at Fort Kent, Presque Isle and Machias would be blended into a single University of Northern Maine with three separate campuses. Administration of all the campuses would be centralized where possible.

Chancellor Westphal told those gathered at USM’s Albert Brenner Glickman Family Library that the changes were needed because the state did not have the financial resources to support a far-flung, independent system. He said the various campuses were in trouble because they were allowed to evolve over the past four decades without a clear path of direction.

“We’re just beginning to do the kind of things that we should have been doing in the past,” said Westphal. “Our per-student cost is one of the highest in the nation and we’re not a rich system. We’re very inefficient in how we do things.”

Westphal estimated that the consolidation would not only save the system $15 million per year when implemented, it also would show the Legislature and state taxpayers that the university system was serious about getting its financial house in order.

While many of those professors attending a morning meeting agreed with the concept, they questioned whether the administration had fully worked out the details. They expressed concerns about losing support to the “flagship” in Orono at a period when USM was experiencing steady growth in size and offerings.

Westphal and Nunez reiterated that because Orono was the state’s land grant university with a strong history in research and advanced degree programs, it was imperative that it retain its status.

Not all the comments were critical. Business professor Jeanne Gutman said, “I commend you folks for taking this huge step because you’re going to have so many rotten tomatoes thrown in your direction.”

The administration team also came under fire during a separate meeting with members of the Student Senate. The students voiced concerns about USM being short-changed in favor of UM.

Student Senate Chairman Jeremy Collette said he was worried about the impact of further cuts on the faculty. Collette claimed that “many programs in this university are suffering greatly,” and that the lack of faculty interferes with the ability of students to graduate in four years.

Westphal acknowledged that there were problems with faculty hiring and that solving them “can’t be done overnight.”

Student Gabriel Markley suggested that greater emphasis be placed on expanding programs at USM. Markley described Portland as the state’s major growth area and claimed that it offered more employment opportunities for graduates than communities in northern Maine.

“It puts USM on a par with the University of Northern Maine,” Markley said of the plan. “USM doesn’t get accorded the respect it deserves.”

Westphal replied that the university system was created to provide opportunity for all the state’s students.