Officials examine future role of University College of Bangor

BANGOR – Several models of what the University College of Bangor could look like in the future are being drafted as a review of the campus’ status continues.

University of Maine System Vice Chancellor Elsa Nunez said Friday that she is drafting several models of what UCB could look like, including as part of the University of Maine at Augusta as it has been for the last 10 or so years.

Another idea is to convert it into a “higher education park” occupied by Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor and the University of Maine.

Under that scenario, which was included in UMS’ new restructuring plan, UCB would be affiliated with the Orono campus.

A third option would be to have the 1,000-student institution be managed by the university system as a whole. Faculty from all seven campuses would be sent there to teach classes.

UCB’s re-examination was prompted after a governor’s task force recommended that the university system abandon the idea of merging the University of Maine at Augusta and the University of Southern Maine as laid out in UMS’ controversial strategic plan that was approved in 2004.

During meetings that took place earlier this month and on Friday, members of a University of Maine System trustee strategic planning subcommittee agreed that they likely would adopt the task force’s recommendation and leave UMA as a “stand-alone” regional, baccalaureate institution.

But since UCB is part of UMA, the Bangor campus’ role also is in flux.

Chairman Jim Mullen reiterated Friday that additional information on the role of UCB and on other issues would be needed before the group makes a formal recommendation to the full board in March.

Other questions involve how much it would cost to establish UMA as a four-year baccalaureate institution, what its mission would be, and how its role in distance education would be accommodated.

UMS Chancellor Joseph Westphal pointed out that although UMA was the “chief provider” of distance education for a long time, other campuses have since begun offering Web-based courses.

Subcommittee members indicated that they agreed with the basic premises of the task force report which stated that UMA should concentrate on offering baccalaureate degrees to nontraditional students in central Maine.

Nunez, who is working with Chancellor Westphal and Chief Financial Officer Joanne Yestramski, said the models, as well as the finances associated with them, would be presented to the trustee subcommittee next month.