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Chancellor Richard Pattenaude highlighted the University of Maine System’s benefit to the state, as well as the financial problems the system faces and the solutions his task force and the universities’ administrations are pursuing, during his State of the University Address before state legislators last week.
Pattenaude said UMS calculated the year’s budget gap at $42.8 million and expects to reduce operating costs by $34.2 million by July 2010. He said more than 150 positions will be eliminated – or already have been – throughout 2009 and 2010 by layoffs and attrition. Pattenaude focused on the research the University of Maine and the University of Southern Maine invest in and the benefit it has for Maine by attracting grant money to the state and informing different public service programs.
“The university system has experienced the same challenges that you, as policy makers and as everyday citizens, are facing – rising costs, dramatic declines in the values of assets, falling revenues and few attractive options for increasing our revenues,” Pattenaude said.
Pattenaude said his 12-person task force has held 18 public hearings and received testimony from 228 individuals.
“His whole message of ‘we’re in it together’ really resonated with me,” said Emily Cain, D-Orono.
Pattenaude said his restructuring plan, “New Challenges, New Directions,” is essential to UMS future and that his next state of the university address in two years will highlight a university system that has increased its value to Maine.
