USM Action Plan
President Pattenaude busied himself responding to many questions and concerns from the faculty senate this past Friday after pitching his newest “USM Action Plan” entitled “Transforming USM.”
Included in the proposal are plans to implement new programs that could potentially include a BA in liberal studies, sports management and others.
One professor in the Modern and Classical Languages and Literature program expressed her concern over the addition of new programs when her program was unable to create a Spanish major due to decreased enrollment resulting from a full Spanish class being cancelled for lack of funding.
Areas for cost saving strategies were also identified. Some of these strategies are employee reductions (three percent over three years) and a reconfiguring of tuition. Tuition restructuring could mean students would be charged more for higher demand and higher cost courses.
Other topics discussed included strategies to increase full-time student enrollment, how to deal with the impending budget deficit, renovations and new construction. Mentioned as well was a new “University Commons” building, which would house the Muskie school, currently located in the Law Building; an upgrade of the undergraduate science labs; and the construction of a new Campus Center, which would include housing. When asked about the funds for these projects, Patternaude said the University is working with a fundraising consultant. “We’re going to build this stuff with other people’s money,” he said. He also said there were “dedicated funds to pick our worst areas and pick them off.”