Work together to improve public higher education

Thankfully, Gov. John Baldacci has truly asked the right question: “What’s best for students and the community of central Maine?” He signed an executive order appointing a task force which includes University of Maine System trustees as well as University of Maine at Augusta students, faculty and local citizens to investigate this question. Their charge is to find the best answer for educating students in an area whose economy is in transition.

The question transcends merging UMA with the University of Southern Maine. Although that option must be fairly and honestly evaluated, the task force is free to look at all options including the current stand-alone campus or a consortium with other of the smaller campuses. The task force will report its findings by December.

For too long some university trustees focused the critical debate about Maine’s public higher education on power – who has and who does not have it. Instead of talking about the contents of the university’s strategic plan, most discussed legislative meddling with what was deemed the exclusive province of the board of trustees.

Two trustees, Wickham Skinner and Donald McDowell, resigned in protest from the board of trustees a month before their terms expired. They recently wrote lengthy criticisms of the process and of the Legislature, “Higher education held hostage” (BDN, April 19) and “A fragile public institution” (BDN, April 20). Although both distinguished men have served the state well as trustees, I believe they misunderstood the legislative perspective.

McDowell said that he resigned because the Legislature refused to grant the board the independence it needed. He believes that the chancellor and the chair of the board of trustees erred in agreeing to a postponement of the UMA merger because the merger was part of their carefully crafted strategic plan. Yet, 95 percent of the trustees’ strategic plan is moving forward. Only the proposed merger was delayed to give community leaders, students and educators an opportunity to evaluate such an important change.

Chancellor Joseph Westphal and Board Chair Wick Johnson chose to be leaders and to listen to the concerns of the people. They agreed to a delay for study of the merger giving the governor the opportunity to create his task force.

Ironically, Skinner wrote that the trustees themselves changed the strategic plan’s initial proposal to merge Presque Isle, Fort Kent and Machias into the University of Northern Maine. He stated that the citizens of those communities were intensely loyal and devoted to their own campuses. The board then concluded that “the need for autonomy was so healthy that we should give up on the minimal savings projected. …”

He did not acknowledge those same concerns expressed by the citizens of Augusta. Gov. Baldacci, however, believes that the people of central Maine deserve the same consideration. He believes that we should all work together to find the best and most cost effective solution to higher education in this part of the state. Taking this time for public involvement will pay rich dividends as men and women of good will seek the best way to serve the students.

Many treat the trustees’ strategic plan as sacred – above reproach or question. In the case of UMA, the plan is fatally flawed. The plan simply assumes that the neighboring community college can now educate all of UMA’s current two-year students. Without millions of new dollars appropriated to the community college for this responsibility, the students will not be served in this total separation model. Central Maine Community College lacks buildings and staff.

The university’s touted savings gained by eliminating two-year programs create new financial obligations for the community colleges. The trustees’ strategic plan is to drop the students but keep the current funding. The Legislature, responsible for both systems, cannot do that. A good strategic plan would involve planning by both systems of higher education to avoid duplication of courses, buildings and faculty. Gov. Baldacci has now given us the opportunity to correct that flaw and create an even better strategic plan for the entire region by using the resources and talents of both systems of higher education.

Sen. Libby Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, represents the communities of Augusta, China, Oakland, Sidney and Vassalboro. She is the Senate chair of the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.