Southern Maine Community College

Southern Maine Community College

Former names	Maine Vocational Technical Institute, Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute, Southern Maine Technical College
Motto	Envision a Future
Type	Public, two year
Established	1946
President	Dr. Ron Cantor
Students	7006[1]
Location	South Portland, Maine, USA 43°38′53″N 70°13′41″W / 43.648°N 70.228°W / 43.648; -70.228Coordinates: 43°38′53″N 70°13′41″W / 43.648°N 70.228°W / 43.648; -70.228
Campus	Suburban
Nickname	Seawolves[2]
Website	www.smccme.edu

Southern Maine Community College is a community college in South Portland, Maine, USA, and one of the seven colleges in the Maine Community College System.

History

Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) opened in 1946 as a day school in Augusta, Maine, under the name of "Maine Vocational Technical Institute" for returning World War II veterans. An increasing enrollment and the rapid growth of various technologies necessitated more comprehensive facilities. During the summer of 1952, the Institute was moved to the site of the former Fort Preble in South Portland, where it assumed the name of Southern Maine Vocational Institute. It is located close to Portland, the largest city in Maine, on a site overlooking Casco Bay.

Over the years, this institution evolved from a solitary technical institute into an accredited college. In the fall of 1968, the first associate of applied science degree students were enrolled, and in May 1970 the institution saw its first associate degree graduates. The then Southern Maine Vocational Institute sought accreditation by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Later this accreditation was transferred to the Associations Commission on Technical and Career Institutions when that commission was established. In 1985, the Maine legislature approved L.D. 2174, An Act to Establish the Maine Vocational Technical Institute System. This act formally grouped the then six institutions, once governed individually by the State Board of Education, into one organization under a central office structure governed by a Board of Trustees (BOT).

On June 22, 1989 the Maine legislature passed An Act to Enhance the Status of Vocational Technical Education in Maine. This act changed the name of the Maine Vocational Technical Institute System to the Maine Technical College System (MTCS) with similar name changes at each of the college within the system. At this time Southern Maine Vocation Technical Institute became SMTC.

In October 1998, the President of the MTCS and the Chancellor of the University of Maine System (UMS) worked together to bridge a gap in the higher education system structures in the state when they formed the Community College Partnership. This partnership laid the groundwork for development of community college offerings through the technical colleges that resulted in planned transferable degrees to the UMS campuses. Subsequently, the MTCS/BOT approved the awarding of associate of arts degrees in General or Liberal Studies at the technical colleges in December 1998. Southern Maine Community College revised its Mission Statement to embrace this enhanced educational position in May 1999. The school reports its educational mission statement is: "Southern Maine Community College empowers its students to respond to a changing world and enhances economic development in Southern Maine by providing a variety of educational opportunities and partnerships."^[3]

Over the years, the institutional focus moved from one predominantly centered on training to one committed to a broad range of academic curricula with an emphasis on lifelong learning. SMCC now offers diverse programs offering a variety of certificate, diploma, and degree options.^[4] The average age of the student body is 26.^[5]

History of Fort Preble

During the Revolutionary War, a temporary fortification known as Fort Hancock was built on a point of land on the eastern shore of South Portland, Maine. In 1808, under direction of Henry A. S. Dearborn, Fort Hancock was expanded to enforce a trade embargo that President Thomas Jefferson enacted against Great Britain. The newly expanded fort, now called Fort Preble, was named after Commodore Edward Preble.

Established as a Second System Fort in 1808 by Henry A. S. Dearborn to defend Portland Harbor, and named in honor of Commodore Edward Preble. Modifications to upgrade it to a Third System Fort were started but never reached completion. It received continued use through the U.S. Civil War, the Spanish–American War, World War I and World War II. Four Endicott Period batteries were installed after the Spanish–American War. An additional battery was constructed during World War II. On July 31, 1947 it was deactivated and declared surplus in 1950.

Execution at Fort Preble

On July 15, 1863, Billy Laird, a private in the 17th Maine Regiment, was executed by firing squad at Fort Preble after being charged with desertion. President Abraham Lincoln pardoned Laird but the telegraph message never got through due to the fact the telegraph wires in New York City which relayed the message from Washington, D.C. to Maine were cut during the July 1863 draft riots. Laird was the only Maine soldier in the Civil War to be executed for desertion.^[6]

Fire at Fort Preble

On January 29, 2002, a three-alarm fire at Southern Maine Technical College caused more than $1 million in damage, destroying more than 100 computers and shut down the school for most of the day. The fire was contained to a historic two-story classroom building that housed many of the college's technology programs known as the Preble building. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion. With power to the campus shut off, classes were canceled until 4 p.m.^[7] The fire was accidental, investigators said. Investigators from the state Fire Marshal's Office reported that the most likely cause of the fire was paper materials that had been stored too close to a steam-heating register in the building's basement causing the paper to dry out and catch fire.^[8] Pictures of the fire can be found in the Computer Technology building in Howard Burpee's room.^[9]

Campus

The campus sits on a 80-acre (32 ha) site overlooking Casco Bay three miles from downtown Portland. The college is complete with athletic facilities, which include baseball and soccer fields, and a full sized gymnasium. The campus includes forty buildings with residence halls and dining accommodations. The campus has many interesting features such as a brand new pier built by the State of Maine for research purposes and access to Willard Beach, the only beach in South Portland. The campus is also historically significant as the campus was once home to the military installment, Fort Preble, and old bunkers are still on the campus. Southern Maine Community College is also home to a lighthouse, as Spring Point Ledge Light is situated right in Portland Harbor. Southern Maine Community College's dormitory capacity can house up to 400 students.^[10]

Spring Point Shoreway

The Southern Maine Community College campus is situated within the Spring Point Shoreway. This shoreway comprises 21 scenic acres (85,000 m²), and includes Willard Beach, Fort Preble, the Spring Point Ledge Light, the Old Settler’s Cemetery, and runs through the Shoreway Arboretum. The shoreway also includes the building which once housed the Portland Harbor Museum (now merged with the Maine Maritime Museum^[11]).^[12]

Peter A. McKernan Hospitality Center

Currently, known as the Peter A. McKernan Hospitality Center, this historical non-combative building served as a double officer’s quarters during the Revolutionary War through World War II. In 1993, the center was renovated into a conference and lodging facility, utilized for students who are attending SMCC in the Culinary Arts and Lodging and Restaurant Management programs. The center overlooks the abundant history of Fort Preble and Portland Harbor. For more information on hotel accommodations and reservations, or to book one's next business or social event, call 207-741-5672. ^[13]

Dormitories

Typically students commute to SMCC but dorms are offered. Spring Point dorm, also known as New Residence Hall, and Surf Site are the two dorms that accommodate roughly 600 students a semester. Spring Point has four floors with two Resident Advisors on each floor and the Resident Director on the first floor. There is a common study rooms in Spring Point dorm on floors 2-4. Two students are normally assigned to a room with the exception of a few single triple suites. All rooms have a bathroom attaching them. All students pay a student activity fee which helps support different events each night in the dorms. The typical events are Movie nights, concerts, comedians, henna tattoos, paiper mache, and pizza parties. Study halls are offered almost every week to help ensure students success. Returning applicants will be assigned on a first come, first served basis based on the date the Housing Office receives the completed housing application packet until the 30% of spaces allotted to returning students are filled. Because there is so much competition for these spaces, students must have a clear disciplinary record, both conduct and residence hall violations, with the College and a minimum of a 2.5 cumulative GPA at the time their application is submitted. ^[14]

Lighthouse Art Studio

Phase one of a two phase renovation of a formerly underutilized boat shed was completed in 2013 to provide a waterside art studio for students adjacent to the lighthouse. Designed by Scott Simons Architects of Portland, Maine the Lighthouse Art Studio won the 2014 American Institute of Architects Maine Design Merit Award.^[15] In the second phase, photovoltaic panels will be installed to offset electrical loads.

Enrollment

The campus has more than doubled their enrollment to 6,000 students, since 2002.^[16] On October 17, 2003 University of Southern Maine President Richard Pattenaude and Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) President James Ortiz signed an agreement that guarantees admission at USM to SMCC students with associate degrees. The ceremony, held at SMCC’s McKernan Center, made official the first of several identical agreements that USM intends to form with York County (YCCC) and Central Maine Community Colleges (CMCC). Under the agreement, those who transfer from SMCC enter USM as juniors and may register concurrently with matriculated upperclassmen.^[17]

Shoreway Arboretum

Shoreway Arboretum

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shortway Arboretum.

The Southern Maine Community College campus also has an established arboretum which was created and is maintained by the college, named the Shoreway Arboretum. The arboretum runs along the shoreline of Willard Beach and visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Portland Harbor and islands off the coast. The arboretum contains many kinds of native salt-tolerant trees and shrubs, including a good specimen of Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra).

Athletics

Southern Maine Community College offers a handful of athletics. For both men and woman's sports they have basketball, baseball, soccer, and baseball for men and softball for women. There is a fitness center and a weight room located in the Hub.^[18]

Old Settlers Cemetery

Old Settlers Cemetery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Old Settlers Cemetery.

Also in the college's grounds is the Old Settlers Cemetery, which is South Portland's oldest landmark. It was established in 1658.^[19] It is also known as the Thrasher Cemetery.^[20]

Online

SMCC also offers "Distance Learning", or "Distance Education"- online classes. This offers students from all over the state to take classes online with SMCC.^[21]

References

External links

• Southern Maine Community College official site
• US College Search profile
• Maine Community College System
• SMCME