Maine Studies and the COVID-19 Pandemic
As you know, the COVID-19 situation has proven highly disruptive to communities around the globe. The University of Maine has not been spared, as all on-campus classes and most events, including athletics and performing arts, for Spring semester have now been cancelled.
The Maine Studies Program is an exception, in that most of our classes are already online, and most of our students take their classes from their homes around the state. So with the exception of one or two classes, our schedule has not been affected.
That said, we were looking forward to several events this spring, including the visit of Puerto Rican artist Allan Jeffs Ulloa as the University of Maine’s spring Libra Diversity Professor. Allan’s visit has been postponed until the fall, with dates to be announced.
Fortunately, we did not have a Framing Maine event planned for this spring. We do plan to have FM#5 next year, but will probably schedule that for Spring 2021 so as not to overlap with Allan’s eventual visit. The topic is still under discussion.
Applications to the Maine Studies Program through the MA in Interdisciplinary Studies will still be accepted for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 as usual. If you would like more information about that program, please reach us directly through our Contact page, or contact the Division of Lifelong Learning’s Advising
Please note that our physical office in South Stevens Hall is currently closed and will remain so until further notice. We invite you to contact us through email or by phone.
Thank you for your interest, and be well.
– Kreg Ettenger, Coordinator, Maine Studies Program
About Maine Studies
The Maine Studies (MES) Program explores the places, people, culture, history and stories of Maine. The program offers undergraduate and graduate options, including tracks in the Bachelor of University Studies (BUS) and Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) degrees, as well as a Minor in Maine Studies.
Our courses cover a wide range of topics and are taught by faculty from several departments, including Anthropology, History, English, Political Science, and others. Many courses are available through UMaineOnline, helping students throughout Maine and beyond explore the richness of the Pine Tree State.
The Program also sponsors and organizes events related to the study of Maine from a broad perspective. This includes the series Framing Maine: Conversations with Storytellers and Imagemakers from the Pine Tree State. We are also connected with the Maine Folklife Center, which conducts research and training in areas such as oral history, digital storytelling, and the vernacular arts and crafts of northern New England and the Maritimes.
We welcome you to explore this site to learn more about our programs, courses, faculty and students. To ask us questions, please use the Contact Us page.
