Just before campus cleared out for vacation, the USM Board of Visitors presented a report on the future of the university.
The report, called the “Southern Maine Imperative II,” calls on the local community to make a substantial investment in the university, which they think is in the best interests of both the region and the school.
The Imperative II comes eight years after the first Imperative. It has been called a “report card,” but it also redefines goals and sets new expectations, especially in light of the current financial hole in which USM has found itself.
The Board of Visitors serves as an advocacy group for USM and includes members of the business, legal and educational communities in Maine. Many on the board are alumni.
Citing USM as the economic and cultural driver of the region, the 28-page report outlines how a “healthy USM leads to a healthy region, which in turn leads to a healthy state.”
Calling USM the “fuel in the engine of economic and societal growth,” the report presents eight recommendations for the growth and health of the university.
These goals include increasing research and development, earning national distinction, and improving retention. While the board offers some ideas for how these might be reached, it leaves figuring out implementation up to the university.
Despite current budget concerns, the Board of Visitor’s recommendations do not focus solely on getting the school back on firm financial footing. Rather, the report sets forth long-term goals which aim to boost the reputation of USM.
Investment from local businesses to ensure the success of USM can only help the university, according to Blackwood. “The more the community sees the school as a key engine to the future of the region, more positive things will happen.”
The report also suggests than an antiquated “formula” for distributing state appropriation of funds must be revamped by the Board of Trustees in a way that reflects the potential and importance of USM to the region and the citizens of Maine.
USM has received the same 24 percent of the appropriation since the 1970 despite having nearly doubled in size.
The report also discusses the possibility of forming “programs of distinction” at USM. In theory, a nationally recognized program could attract out-of-state students (and their out-of-state dollars).
These marquee programs can bring a school like USM to the attention of a student who might not otherwise consider attending the university.
Interim Provost Mark Lapping is similarly intrigued by the ideas of such programs. Pointing to the growing reputation of the school’s music program, Lapping recognizes the positive effects a nationally known program could generate.
“We just need to make sure other programs don’t suffer as a result,” Lapping said.
The Board has also tasked themselves with trying to figure out where USM ranks among peer universities, hoping to parlay high ratings from the U.S. News and World Report into local investment as a means to build the reputation and quality of the school.
The report recognizes that finding an appropriate and comprisable set of similar universities can be difficult; they suggest the 90 schools of the Coalition of Urban & Metropolitan Universities (CUMU), of which USM is a member, as a starting point.
Board Chairman and USM alumnus Bob Blackwood presented the report to the USM community in late March.
“The Board of Visitors acts as the eyes and ears of the community, telling USM want the southern Maine community wants,” said Blackwood, “we act as a sounding board for program changes.” They do not, however, have the power to create them – actual decisions and implementation are reserved for the Board of Trustees.
The original Imperative in 2000, called “A Southern Maine Imperative: Meeting the Region’s Higher Education Needs in the 21st Century,” suggested the ambitious goal of making USM a top-ranked public university by 2010.
This time around, worsening budget concerns and lower enrollment have shifted the focus of the Board’s recommendations. However, the lofty goals of the first report have not been completely dismissed; the Board sees national recognition of USM’s quality as a goal that might help address current fiscal and enrollment issues.
The report also recommends fully implementing the newly designed core-curriculum, and seeks to “improve student persistence in completing degree programs.”
For USM to be comparable to similar institutions, the Board insists, it must address graduation rates, a serious issue at a school where fewer than 34 percent of students graduate within six years.
The Imperative II was jointly financed by The Davis Educational Foundation and Clark Associates Insurance.
The Board of Visitors is currently working with USM and the University of Maine System to develop a system to measure success in implementation of the recommendations.
The board aims to provide progress reports every academic year.