Rising Tide Center

Rising Tide Center Partners and Affiliates

Thank you to these UMaine, UMS, and external partners who supported the work of the Rising Tide Center. 

Provost’s Advisory Council on Equity (PACE): The Advance Initiatives Council, or AIC, was formed in 2009 to serve as the internal advisory committee for the ADVANCE project at UMaine. This group was invaluable in focusing the efforts of the Rising Tide Center, particularly by supporting discussion of broader issues that affect the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty at UMaine.

In 2016 the AIC evolved into the Provost’s Council on the Advancement of Women Faculty (PCAWF). The council, rebranded as PACE in Sept. 2019, served in an advisory role to the Provost as she sought to advance equity and inclusion by enhancing faculty diversity at UMaine.

Rising Tide Advocates & Allies: Male faculty are critical to fostering gender equity in academia, including at UMaine where the Rising Tide Advocates and Allies know that everyone has a role to play in advancing gender equity. These partners recognize and respond to unconscious biases that negatively impact diversity and retention. As individuals, the Advocates and Allies stand ready to question practices that result in disparate impact due to gender, and to recommend equitable practices that foster a fair and positive climate for all. The Rising Tide Advocates and Allies remain active at the University of Maine.

Rising Tide Professors: Representatives from UMaine’s colleges served as ambassadors to the Rising Tide Center, working to achieve mutual equity goals within their academic units. Rising Tide professors were appointed based on review of competitive proposals for transformative initiatives within their college. Faculty currently appointed as Rising Tide Professors will continue their work, adhering to the timelines in their previously approved projects.

WiSTEMM: This collaborative group, which remains active at UMaine, works to enhance diversity by giving voice to women in STEM and medical-related disciplines at UMaine. All members of the UMaine community are invited to participate with WiSTEMM as members work to foster a supportive climate that benefits all.

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: WGS partnered effectively with the Rising Tide Center to advance equity at UMaine by informing activism with scholarship that motivates positive social change. WGS continues to serve UMaine students, staff and faculty as an academic department in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Rising Tide Affiliates

Maine Career Connect: Research has shown that a lack of professional employment opportunities for trailing partners negatively impacts faculty recruitment and retention at UMaine. With NSF funding, the Rising Tide Center established a consortium of employers committed to recruiting and retaining employee talent across Maine. Maine Career Connect worked with employers and potential employees throughout the hiring process, meeting with tenure track candidates and their families to mitigate concerns regarding a move to Maine, and assisting newly relocated professionals by offering career support and community integration services. Maine Career Connect, which most recently partnered with the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, ceased operations on July 1, 2020, in part due to the economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.