University of Maine

University of Maine
Established 1865
Type Public
Endowment $123.0 million[1]
President Paul W. Ferguson
Academic staff 720
Students 11,867
Undergraduates 8,759
Location Orono, Maine, USA
Campus rural
Colors Blue and White          
Nickname Black Bears
Mascot Bananas the Bear
Website www.umaine.edu

The University of Maine (UMaine)[2] is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System.[2][3] Having an enrollment of approximately 12,000 students, UMaine is the largest university in the state and is the only institution in Maine classified as a research university (RU/H) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.[4] The University of Maine's athletic teams are nicknamed the Black Bears, and sport blue and white uniforms.

Contents

History

UMaine was founded in 1862 as a function of the Morrill Act, signed by President Lincoln. Established in 1865 and originally named the Maine College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts, the Maine College opened on September 21, 1868, changing its name to the University of Maine in 1897.[5]

By 1871, curricula had been organized in Agriculture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and electives. The Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station was founded as a division of the university in 1887. Gradually the university developed the Colleges of Life Sciences and Agriculture (later to include the School of Forest Resources and the School of Human Development), Engineering and Science, and Arts and Sciences. In 1912 the Maine Cooperative Extension, which offers field educational programs for both adults and youths, was initiated. The School of Education was established in 1930 and received college status in 1958. The School of Business Administration was formed in 1958 and was granted college status in 1965. Women have been admitted into all curricula since 1872. The first master's degree was conferred in 1881; the first doctor's degree in 1960. Since 1923 there has been a separate graduate school.[6]

Near the end of the 19th century, the curriculum was expanded to place greater emphasis on liberal arts. As a function of this shift in focus new faculty hired during the early 20th century included Caroline Colvin, chair of the history department, and the first woman in the nation to head a major university department.[7]

In 1906, The Senior Skull Honor Society was founded to "publicly recognize, formally reward, and continually promote outstanding leadership and scholarship, and exemplary citizenship within the University of Maine community."[8]

On April 16, 1925, 80 women met in Balentine Hall - faculty, alumnae, and undergraduate representatives - to plan a pledging of members to a new honorary organization. This organization was called "The All Maine Women" because only those women closely connected with the University of Maine were elected as members. On April 22, 1925, the new members were inducted into the honor society.[9]

When the University of Maine System was incorporated, the school was renamed by the legislature over the objections of the faculty to the University of Maine at Orono (or UMO). This was changed back to the University of Maine in 1986.

Campus groups

The Wilde Stein Alliance for Sexual Diversity is a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender student advocacy and social organization. It is one of the oldest such organizations in the United States and the oldest in Maine. Founded in 1973, Wilde Stein is named after Oscar Wilde and Gertrude Stein[10]. According to The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, the Wilde Stein Alliance for Sexual Diversity has more than 200 members.

Organization and administration

UMaine is the flagship of the University of Maine System.[2][3][11][12][13] The senior administration of the university consists of President Paul W. Ferguson,[14] Provost Sue Hunter, Vice-President for Administration Janet Waldron, Vice-President for Research Michael Eckardt, and Dean of Students Robert Dana.[15] The senior administration governs cooperatively with the Chancellor of the University of Maine system, Richard L. Pattenaude[16] and the sixteen members of the University of Maine Board of Trustees (of which fifteen are appointed by the Governor of Maine and one is the current Maine State Commissioner of Education). The Board of Trustees has full legal responsibility and authority for the university system. It appoints the Chancellor and each university President, approves the establishment and elimination of academic programs, confers tenure on faculty members, and sets tuition rates/operating budgets.[17]

UMaine is also one of a handful of colleges in the United States whose Student Government is incorporated.[18] Student Government was formed in 1978 and incorporated in 1987. They are classified as a 501(c)(3) not for profit corporation.[19] It consists of a legislative branch, which passes resolutions, and an executive branch, which helps organize on-campus entertainment and guest speakers, works with new and existing student organizations, and performs other duties. Other organizations fall under the umbrella of Student Government Inc., including representative boards, community associations, and many other student groups. The Maine Campus, the student newspaper, is also incorporated and does not operate under or receive money from student government.

Campus

Location and layout

Situated on Marsh Island, between the Penobscot and Stillwater rivers, the University of Maine is the only Land Grant University in the nation located on an island.[20] Occupying the small town of Orono, population ~8,500,[21] the 660-acre (2.7 km2) campus[21] has a total enrollment (2011-2012) of 11,168 students.[22] The campus is equipped with thirty-seven academic buildings, thirty administrative buildings, eighteen residence halls, eighteen specific laboratory facilities, fourteen Greek life houses, ten sports facilities, five museums,[23] four dining facilities, two convenience stores, a student union, a cafe, a pub,[24] an 87,000-square-foot (8,100 m2) recreation and fitness center,[25] and a 200'x200' air supported athletic/recreational dome.[26]

The original campus plan was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City and the White House grounds in Washington, D.C. [27] Central to campus is the University of Maine Mall, an open grassy area between the Raymond H. Fogler Library and the University Memorial Field House. The Mall is further bordered by one residence and five academic halls. The campus is essentially divided into three sections (northern, southern, and hilltop),[28] all of which are within close proximity to (or border directly on) the Mall. The northern section includes many of the athletic facilities, including the Alfond Arena(ice hockey), Morse Field at the Alfond Sports Stadium (field hockey, football, track and field), Larry Mahaney Diamond (baseball), Kessock Field (softball), and the Mahaney athletic/recreational dome. Other buildings that occupy the northern section of campus include the Cutler Health Center, two administrative halls, three residence halls, and multiple academic halls. The southern section of campus includes the Memorial Student Union, the Maynard F. Jordan Observatory, Lengyel Gymnasium and Athletic Field, the Buchanan Alumni House, as well as multiple administrative, residence, and academic halls. The recently renovated Collins Center for the Arts is also located on the southern part of campus, and not only provides the Hutchins Concert Hall, a 1,435 seat venue for performing artists from around the world,[29] but also houses the Hudson Museum, known for its contemporary Native American art, as well as displays that are culturally specific to the ancient indigenous people of Maine. The Hilltop section of campus is populated largely with residence halls but also includes the 7-acre (28,000 m2) Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamental Gardens,[30] as well as academic and recreational facilities.

Greek life

Greek life has existed at the University of Maine since 1874. The presence of Greeks still exists strongly today with more than 700 students participating in one of the 18 fraternities or 7 sororities. More than 9% of University of Maine undergraduates are members of Greek letter organizations.[31]

Fraternities

Sororities

Sustainability

UMaine is one of 16 colleges and universities listed in Princeton Review’s “Green Honor Roll” (2011). College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor is also on the Green Honor Roll. Several of the nation’s leading research universities, including Virginia Tech, Oregon State, Arizona State and the University of Washington are also on that prestigious list, as are Harvard and Northeastern. Recognizing schools for their commitment to sustainability, the Green Honor Roll lists only those 16 institutions that received the highest possible score on The Princeton Review green rating. The guide lauds UMaine for its recycling programs, green-certified buildings and free shuttle bus service. It also notes the fact that UMaine has a sustainability coordinator, a sustainability council and “Eco Reps” in its residence halls. [32]

The University of Maine has a sustainability council composed of students, faculty, administrators, and staff, and employs a full-time sustainability coordinator. A green loan fund provides capital for energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.[33] The university has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040, and two residential-scale solar thermal systems are in place on Nutting Hall and Sebec House. The University of Maine composts food scraps from dining facilities, and York Dining Hall has gone trayless to reduce waste. For all new campus construction, LEED Silver standards are required.[34] The Blue Bike program refurbishes abandoned bikes and rents them to students free of charge, providing a means of alternative transportation on and around-campus.[35]

Academics

Academic overview

The University of Maine offers 90 undergraduate major programs organized in five Colleges: the College of Business, Public Policy and Health; the College of Education and Human Development; the College of Engineering; the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture. UMaine also is home to one of the nation's oldest honors programs, now called the Honors College.[36] The Honors College offers academically qualified students an opportunity for intensive, interdisciplinary study. Students are invited to become part of the Honors College during the admissions review process. UMaine also offers a wide array of graduate programs, including more than seventy master's degree programs and thirty doctorate programs.[37][38]

The University of Maine is one of only a handful of institutions to offer a combined developmental/clinical Ph.D. to students accepted into their clinical psychology Ph.D. program,[39] as well as advanced degrees with distinct concentrations in developmental psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology, and behavioral neuroscience.[40] Along with offering a Ph.D in psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience, the university also offers a neuroscience concentration for Ph.D. students studying biomedical science.[41]

The University of Maine is consistently listed among the nation's top colleges by Princeton Review, the "Fiske Guide to Colleges" and Forbes. [42] It is the only institution in Maine ranked as a national university in the U.S. News and World Report annual rankings. U.S. News categorizes UMaine as an institution that offers "a full range of undergraduate majors, master's, and doctoral degrees."[43]

UMaine is one of only four institutions in Maine (along with Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby) accredited to award membership into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.[44]

The university is also the birthplace of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society, recognizing high academic achievement across all disciplines.[45]

The Raymond H. Fogler Library is the largest in Maine[46] and serves as one of its intellectual hubs, attracting scholars, professors, and researchers from around the state.[47] A collection of rare and ancient manuscripts, as well as about two million government publications, augment the University's collection.[48] The Special Collections Unit includes the Stephen King (author and UMaine alumnus) papers, which attract researchers from across the globe.

UMaine hosts the Intensive English Institute, an English as a second language program designed to help students develop their English language skills for success in school, business, and social communication.[49]

With 211 faculty and 2,742 students (fall 2011), the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers Maine’s most comprehensive liberal arts experience.

The University of Maine is also home to the Maine Business School, the largest business school in Maine. Paris-based international educational consulting organization Eduniversal has included the Maine Business School at the University of Maine among its selection of 1,000 of the world’s best business schools, ranking it as an "excellent business school-nationally strong and/or with continental links."[50] In 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranked the Maine Business School among the nation's best business colleges [51]

Accreditation

The University of Maine receives overall accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the oldest regional accrediting association in the United States, as well as from many other professional societies, including the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the American Chemical Society, the American Dietetic Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board, the Council on Social Work Education, the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the Society of American Foresters, and the Society of Wood Science and Technology.[52]

The University of Maine received the following classifications from The Carnegie Foundation:[53]

Classification Category Description
Basic RU/H Research University. High research activity.
Undergraduate Instructional Program Prof+A&S/HGC Professions + Arts & Sciences with high coexistence. Between 80 and 59 percent of awarded undergraduate degrees are in a professional field and at least half of the graduate programs coexist with undergraduate programs.
Graduate Instructional Program CompDoc/NMedVet Comprehensive doctoral (no medical/veterinary). Awards doctorates in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Awards graduate or professional degrees in one or more professional fields. Does not award medical or veterinary doctoral degrees.
Enrollment Profile HU High undergraduate. More than 10 percent but less than 25 percent of students are graduate students.
Undergraduate Profile FT4/S/HTI Full-time four-year, selective, higher transfer-in. More than 79 percent of students at this 4-year or higher institution are full-time. Admitted students had an average ACT-equivalent scores between 17 and 22. More than 19 percent of students transfer into the institution.
Size and Setting M4/R Medium four-year, primarily residential. At least 3000 but fewer than 10000 FTEs (Full-Time Equivalents; total full time students plus one-third total part time students) attend this four-year institution. At least 25 percent of degree-seeking undergraduates live on campus and at least 50 percent but less than 80 percent attend full-time are classified as primarily residential.

Admissions

The Fall 2011 admissions data are as follows:[54]

Student Classification Applications Acceptances Enrollment
New First Year Students 8,093 6,289 1,785
New Transfer Students 1,107 730 449
Graduate Students 1,367 604 494

Student body distribution/enrollment distribution

The 2011-2012 student body consists of:[22]

Tuition/fees

The 2011-2012 tuition data are as follows:[54]

Tuition (per credit hour) In-State Out-of-State
Undergraduate $279.00 $803.00
Graduate $418.00 $1202.00

The 2011-2012 fees are as follows:[55]

Fee Undergraduate Graduate
Activity Fee $45.00/semester $40.00/semester
Fee 1-5 Credit Hours 6-11 Credit Hours 12-15 Credit Hours 16+ Credit Hours
Unified Fee $125.00/semester $381.00/semester $934.00/semester $958.00/semester
Fee Less Than 6 Credit Hours 6 or More Credit Hours
Recreation Center Fee $71.00/semester $115.00/semester

Research

UMaine is one of the National Science Foundation's top 100 public universities for research. In FY10, UMaine exceeded $100 million in external expenditures for research — 86% of which was federal funding. Leading sectors of the university in generating external support are advanced materials, marine sciences, climate change, environmental studies, forestry, precision manufacturing, and aquaculture. Undergraduate research is a priority at UMaine, and in 2008, the Center for Undergraduate Research was established to connect students with faculty projects that suit their interests.

Notable research by college includes:

College of Engineering

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Maine Business School

Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture

College of Education and Human Development

[56]

Athletics

The University of Maine participates in the NCAA's Division I level,[57] and is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association for football,[58] Hockey East for ice hockey,[59] and the America East Conference for all other sports.[60] The school has won two national championships, both in men's ice hockey. In 1993, they defeated Lake Superior State University 5-4 behind a third period hat trick by Jim Montgomery. In 1999, they defeated rival University of New Hampshire 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Marcus Gustafsson.[61]

In 1965, the football team competed in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida against East Carolina. They were beaten in the game 31-0,[62] but remain the only team from Maine to compete in a bowl contest.

The baseball team has participated in seven College World Series, six of them under coach John Winkin between 1976 and 1986, and one under Jack Butterfield in 1964. The Black Bears achieved two third-place finishes in 1964 and 1982.

The official fight song of UMaine is the “Stein Song”. Written by Lincoln Colcord (words) and E. A. Fenstad (music), the tune rose to fame when Rudy Vallee arranged the current version. Vallee attended Maine from 1921–1922 before transferring to Yale, and his popularity helped make the song a national favorite. To this day, the "Stein Song" remains the only college fight song to ever reach number one on the pop charts, achieving this distinction in 1930.[63] According to College Fight Songs: An Annotated Anthology, by Studwell and Schueneman, the "Stein Song" is one of the very best fight songs of all time.[64]

In addition to varsity athletics, the university offers many club sports through its Campus Recreation department. Sport clubs represent UMaine by competing against teams and clubs from other universities and colleges. National governing bodies for each club provide competition guidelines and league structure.

Sport clubs are student led and student administered. Each has a budget that is run through Campus Recreation, which in part funds nearly all clubs. Clubs are eligible for funding through Campus Recreation after they have been active for at least one year and have a membership minimum of ten members. Current club sports include alpine skiing, baseball, crew, cricket, cycling, fast pitch softball, field hockey, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, nordic skiing, roller hockey, rugby, shotokan karate, soccer, table tennis, tackle football, ultimate, and volleyball.[65]

Notable alumni

Arts, literature, humanities, and entertainment

Politics

Business, construction, and service

Science and engineering

Sports

Notes

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2010. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2010 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2009 to FY 2010" (PDF). 2010 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2010NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values_Final.pdf. Retrieved March 3, 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c "University of Maine". University of Maine System. http://www.maine.edu/prospective/univ-maine.php. Retrieved 2009-04-05. 
  3. ^ a b "Summary of the Commission on Higher Education Governance". Maine State Legislature, Office of Policy and Legal Analysis. p. ix. http://www.maine.gov/legis/opla/cheqsum.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-16. "...it is important for the Trustees to maintain the educational status of the university of Maine as the state’s “Flagship” institution. As such, UM merits special consideration for its emphasis on public service and research." 
  4. ^ "Carnegie Classifications > Search Results (New England states)". The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/index.asp?key=63&search_flag=true&BASIC2005=16&REGION=1. Retrieved 2009-03-19. 
  5. ^ Smith, David C. (1979). The First Century: A History of the University of Maine, 1865-1965. University of Maine at Orono Press. 
  6. ^ http://www.cutler.umaine.edu/about/history.htm
  7. ^ http://www.honors.umaine.edu/community/the-honors-campus/colvin-hall/caroline-colvin/
  8. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/orientation/traditions.htm#skull
  9. ^ http://www.umainealumni.com/feed.php?num=6&feed_id=51&news_id=157
  10. ^ http://mainecampus.com/2005/04/11/wilde-stein-open-house-highlights-groups-services-to-umaine/
  11. ^ "How to Build a Knowledge-based Economy in Maine and Raise Icnomes to the National Average by 2010". Maine State Planning Office. November 2001. http://www.maine.gov/spo/economics/docs/publications/30and1000.pdf. 
  12. ^ "Next President". http://www.maine.edu/pdf/umprescri.pdf. 
  13. ^ "President's Message". Undergraduate Catalog, University of Maine. http://catalog.umaine.edu/content.php?catoid=49&navoid=551. 
  14. ^ http://www.wabi.tv/news/21516/first-day-for-new-president-at-umaine
  15. ^ http://www.maine4h.maine.edu/about/administration.htm
  16. ^ http://www.maine.edu/chancellor/index.php?section=4
  17. ^ http://www.maine.edu/board/index.php
  18. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/handbook/SOrg/student_government.htm
  19. ^ "Corporate Name Search:University of Maine Student Government, Inc.". Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions. http://icrs.informe.org/nei-sos-icrs/ICRS?CorpFilings=19880274ND. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  20. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/hr/newemployees/funfacts.htm
  21. ^ a b http://www.city-data.com/city/Orono-Maine.html
  22. ^ a b http://www.umaine.edu/ois/facts_at_glance/factsglance.htm
  23. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/umweb/locator/categories.htm
  24. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/dining/map.htm
  25. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/campusrecreation/facilities/recreationcenter.html
  26. ^ http://goblackbears.cstv.com/facilities/maine-mahaney-dome.html
  27. ^ http://www.magarchive.umaine.edu/issues/v2i4/lasting.html
  28. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/locator/
  29. ^ http://www.collinscenterforthearts.com/pdf/TechnicalInformation.pdf
  30. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/lhc/ornamental.htm
  31. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/greek/index2.asp
  32. ^ http://umaine.edu/news/blog/2011/08/02/princeton-review-fiske-guides-list-umaine-among-nations-best-university-named-to-green-honor-roll/
  33. ^ "Understanding and Mitigating the Environmental Footprint of the University of Maine". University of Maine. http://www.climatechange.umaine.edu/Research/MaineClimate/EnFootprint.html. Retrieved 2009-10-09. 
  34. ^ "University of Maine - Green Report Card". Sustainable Endowments Institute. http://greenreportcard.org/report-card-2010/schools/university-of-maine. Retrieved 2009-10-09. 
  35. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/ofm/sustainability/#greenbike
  36. ^ http://honors.umaine.edu/about-the-honors-college/
  37. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/about/academic-programs/
  38. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/about/
  39. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/psychology/clinical.html
  40. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/psychology/graduate.html
  41. ^ http://gsbs.umaine.edu/programs/neuroscience/
  42. ^ http://umaine.edu/news/blog/2011/08/02/princeton-review-fiske-guides-list-umaine-among-nations-best-university-named-to-green-honor-roll/
  43. ^ "Best Colleges: University of Maine". U.S. News and World Report. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/2053. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  44. ^ "Chapter Locator: New England District". Phi Beta Kappa. http://www.pbk.org/interact/chapterlocator.aspx. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  45. ^ http://www.phikappaphi.org/web/About/About_Phi_Kappa_Phi.html}
  46. ^ http://hisoftware.com/case/maine.htm
  47. ^ http://library.umaine.edu/about/mission.htm
  48. ^ http://library.umaine.edu/SpecColl/
  49. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/iei/
  50. ^ http://www.eduniversal.com/business-school-ranking/country/united-states-of-america/223
  51. ^ http://umaine.edu/business/about-2/
  52. ^ http://catalog.umaine.edu/content.php?catoid=41&navoid=391
  53. ^ http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/lookup_listings/view_institution.php?unit_id=161253&start_page=institution.php&clq={%22first_letter%22%3A%22U%22}
  54. ^ a b http://www.umaine.edu/ois/facts_at_glance/factsglance.htm#Fall%2007%20Admissions
  55. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/ois/facts_at_glance/factsglance.htm
  56. ^ UMaine Leadership Profile, 2011
  57. ^ "Maine". National Collegiate Athletic Association. http://www.ncaa.com/schools/380_Maine.html. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  58. ^ "Football - News". Colonial Athletic Association. http://www.caasports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8500&KEY=&SPID=4660&SPSID=48484. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  59. ^ "Hockey East Teams". Hockey East. http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/men/teams.php. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  60. ^ "Members". America East Conference. https://admin.xosn.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14000&ATCLID=669432. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  61. ^ "Frozen Four History". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?page=almanacmenshockey. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  62. ^ "Champs Sports Bowl History". Florida Citrus Sports. http://www.fcsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=60968&SPID=6637&DB_OEM_ID=11300&ATCLID=619680. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  63. ^ "Top 40 Hits of 1930". LyricsWorld. http://ntl.matrix.com.br/pfilho/html/top40/1930.html. Retrieved 2009-04-05. 
  64. ^ Studwell, William; Bruce R. Schueneman (1998). College Fight Songs: An Annotated Anthology. Haworth Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0789006653. http://www.amazon.com/College-Fight-Songs-Annotated-Anthology/dp/0789006650#reader. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
  65. ^ http://www.umaine.edu/campusrecreation/programs/clubs/clubs_about.html
  66. ^ "Richard A. Lutz - Professor". Rutgers. http://marine.rutgers.edu/main/IMCS-People-Details/People-Details-Richard-A.-Lutz.html. Retrieved 2011-05-28. 

References

External links