Maine Memo — Unified accreditation meetings for faculty, staff and students, Oct. 3–4

September 26, 2022 President's Messages

Dear University of Maine and University of Maine at Machias communities,

Next week, we will welcome a team from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) to the University of Maine campus. The team is participating in a comprehensive evaluation of the University of Maine System (UMS) as an institution with unified accreditation.

The University of Maine System (UMS), including the University of Maine and the University of Maine at Machias, was accredited by this regional body in 2020. This has allowed the academic programs at all seven universities and law school to be evaluated by the same set of standards.

The NECHE review team will be in Orono from October 2–5, 2022.

We will use what we learn through this evaluation process to adapt and improve how we grow, both as UMaine and UMaine Machias, and across UMS in the years to come. Their feedback will help us articulate our strengths and our priorities, and identify the areas in which we need to continue to improve in order to foster learner success.

To have a full and meaningful conversation about who we are as a university and a system, we need your voice. There are many opportunities for engagement while the team is here and I encourage you to participate in all the ways you are able. Your vision, ideas, questions, and concerns are critical to this discussion.

Forums open to our community will be held as follows and can be attended in person (in Wells Conference Center) or virtually (via Zoom):

  • Monday, October 3 (1:00–1:45 p.m.)   Staff

  • Monday, October 3 (4:00–4:45 p.m.)   UMaine, UMaine Machias, and UMA faculty

  • Monday, October 3 (5:00–5:45 p.m.)   Graduate students

  • Tuesday, October 4 (2:00–2:45 p.m.)  Undergraduate students

The full event schedule and zoom links can be found on the University of Maine System website.

I am looking forward to rich and productive discussions across the university and the system, and I thank you for your willingness to participate openly in the spirit of a student-centered, R1 community and a vital component of the University of Maine System.

Sincerely,

Joan Ferrini-Mundy
President