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“Today marks the day of many new beginnings.” Alan Fernald, chair of the University of Maine board of visitors, said.
Though his words were closing the last hour of a two-day long annual meeting, they rang true for a greater significance of his visit: The first meeting of the minds between the board and Interim President Robert Kennedy.
Though the board typically meets for budget review and approval, as they are the final board the budget passes through before being presented to the chancellor and board of trustees, this visit was aimed at introducing two strong players involved with the strategizing of UMaine’s direction and future.
Collaboration was open and direct, as Kennedy relayed his goals and plans for the university to the board. He expressed his three primary concerns in which his plans would address: Nonuniversity community relations, UMaine’s role as a research power house and utilization of the University’s unique ability help jumpstart Maine economically.
“We are a land grant university. We owe it to the people of Maine to serve their needs,” Kennedy said.
He emphasized the university’s obligation to aid the state’s cultural, educational and economical needs. He cited examples of increasing nonuniversity community interaction, grant proposals for poverty level children and to upgrade the Hudson Museum, and most importantly, being a first-rate source for higher education.
Kennedy boasted of the recognitions UMaine has received as of late, and how the editor of the Princeton Review, a nationally recognized college-evaluation board, requested a visit to UMaine to “understand how we can do so well up here.”
This year, the Princeton Review listed the University of Maine as one of the top twenty schools for quality education at an affordable price.
“We rank next to the University of Texas and my alma mater, UC-Berkley. And we have, yet again, graced Kiplinger’s pages as a bargain school in the country,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy noted the achievements state the categorization of UMaine as part of 4 percent of national universities that can be classified as a doctorate extensive research university, the highest level tier for a university to achieve.
Furthermore, Kennedy believes that UMaine’s community and statewide obligations tie most with the fact that the university can, and has, been able to single-handedly contribute to the resolution of state issues.
He reminded the board of the past year when six spinoff companies were created from the technology center, four of which were started by the university’s own students.
“Now that is the way life should be,” Kennedy said.
Both the board and the new president have decided on the creation of specific strategic planning committees, each with strong board of visitors representation. Kennedy views the board as UMaine’s “strongest liason to many university constituents.”
The committees are set to study the following: Fogler Library, graduate education, UMaine’s role in the higher education park planned for Bangor and distance education-research centers.
In addition to welcoming the new president and welcoming new plans and ideas, the board also embraced the nominations of three new members to the board: Maria Fuentes, Catherine Scott-Craig Newell and Matthew Rodrigue.
“Yes, today is a day of new beginnings,” Kennedy said. “But these innovations are founded most importantly in continuity, and success over time.”
