In a recent Bangor Daily News blog, Education: Future Imperfect, University of Maine professor of history Howard Segal discussed compensation for presidents of colleges and universities and some of the responsibilities of top leadership positions.
In her Bangor Daily news blog Pollways, University of Maine professor of political science Amy Fried discussed the issue of gun control in the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn. elementary school shootings, and heroism of teachers shown during the massacre.
The Bangor Daily News has published an essay by University of Maine history professor Howard Segal about the original intentions of the Morrill Act of 1862, which provided for the creation of land grant universities in the United States.
An opinion column in the Bangor Daily News by Robert Glover, a University of Maine College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Honors Preceptor of Political Science, discusses healthcare changes the Maine Legislature made last year, which made immigrants living in Maine for less than five years ineligible for MaineCare, the state’s low-income healthcare program. Glover argues the changes make for unfair and bad policy, which the newly elected 126th Maine Legislature should consider reversing.
Contact: George Manlove, 207.581.3756
University of Maine professor of political science Amy Fried discussed in her Bangor Daily News blog Pollways her recent trip to Montenegro as a guest consultant invited by the United States Embassy there to explain the American electoral system during recent presidential elections.
Contact: George Manlove, 207.581.3756
In an opinion column in the Bangor Daily News, University of Maine economics and political science major Justin Lynch of Sarasota, N.Y. commented on the Israel-Hamas conflict and current cease-fire. In spite of the aggression by military factions, Lynch, who discussed his own recent visit to Lebanon, said the people in the streets he spoke with clearly want an end to the fighting.
Contact: George Manlove, 207.581.3756
In his inaugural Bangor Daily News blog, University of Maine professor of history Howard Segal discusses well-intentioned initiatives to improve education in the United States through the introduction of high-tech hardware and software. Citing filmmaker George Lucas’s Edutopia Foundation and former Maine Gov. Angus King’s school laptop initiative, Segal said that pre-existing cultural values, traditional political institutions and human nature also play a role in educational reform “that even the most powerful tools and machines cannot readily transcend.”
Contact: George Manlove, 207.581.3756
An opinion piece in the Portland Press Herald called for increased participation between the city of Portland and UMaine researchers.
The op-ed noted UMaine research in science and engineering, which could provide commercial opportunities for the city.
Contact: Jessica Bloch, (207) 581-3777
A Bangor Daily News editorialabout last week’s rejection of Question 2, which would have provided funding for a new animal, plant and insect diagnostic lab at UMaine, noted voters approved infrastructure-related bond questions but turned down the bond question that supports investments in higher education. The rejection of the bond shows voters still need more evidence that borrowing for higher education will yield economic benefits, the editorial writer added.
Contact: Jessica Bloch, (207) 581-3777
A tuition variation at the University of Maine and at many other universities was cited in an opinion piece in the University of California, San Diego newspaper, The Guardian about a Florida recommendation that a task force should study whether that state should reduce tuition for strategic areas of interest, including STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and health-related majors. The editorial noted that many institutions, including UMaine, place a surcharge on some engineering courses to cover extra program and equipment costs. The editorial suggests lowering the costs of technology or health-related courses would affect an institution’s bottom line, which could cause tuition increases for other majors, while not necessarily increasing student interest in those strategic courses.
Contact: George Manlove, 207.581.3756