The General Student Senate of the University of Maine Student Government, Inc. (UMSG) held its 13th meeting of the semester on Dec. 9, led by President Keegan Tripp and chaired by Vice President Cynthia Shelmerdine. Key moments from the session included a presentation on the status of the Crossland Hall demolition by Director of Facilities Management Joe Farley and Director of Space Management Ryan Ward, as well as the passage of an act to delay the building’s destruction due to compounded administrative miscommunications and community concerns.
Club Maintenance
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was the first club to request preliminary recognition from GSS. The Senate granted the club preliminary recognition with a clear majority vote. The Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Club also received preliminary recognition with a clear majority vote.
Five clubs received final approval as well — those being the Political Science Student Association, the Storied Creative Writing Club, the Girls’ Water Polo Club, Turning Point USA UMaine and the Muslim Students Association. All clubs were approved with a clear majority vote.
Guest Speakers
The meeting first welcomed Director of Auxiliary Services Dick Young as a guest speaker, followed by Director of Facilities Management Joe Farley and Director of Space Management Ryan Ward.
Young spoke first, focusing on the success of recent additions like Starbucks and highlighted the upcoming installation of a Buffalo Wild Wings Go at the Wells Central Pub.
Farley addressed the Senate next, and soon after taking to the podium opened the floor for questions about ongoing projects on campus linked to Facilities Management. The first question was from Representative Alex Emery, who asked for an update regarding the pending demolition of Crossland Hall. Farley responded by saying “we’re committed to the Franco-American community” and expressed a desire that students involved in efforts to save Crossland Hall acknowledge their efforts to meet the needs of the soon to be relocated program.
When asked about the value in preserving historical buildings, Farley said that Facilities Management is “committed to saving what we can” and he said “there’s value in history,” but then asked Director of Space Management Ryan Ward to clarify more.
Ward began by sharing that Crossland itself is an old building that has gone through many renovations over the years — and that Space Management has done their “due diligence” by having the Maine Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC) look at the building. MHPC found “there was no historical value in the building, even though it is whole” given historical valuable elements from when it was built in 1833 had already been renovated. Ward said the building was identified for removal years ago due to current conditions, noting that the university does have a historical district for buildings that can be maintained.
Following this, President Tripp said that further conversation could be saved for later in the meeting, given UMSG would “likely be passing a resolution that is urging the immediate delay of this whole process, until these people who have come to us — faculty, staff, and students alike — dismayed and asking us to do something, are accounted for.”
Executive Reports
Tripp provided an update on the ongoing syllabus bank project, where course syllabi would be located for easy student access. He said that the Graduate Student Senate recently passed a resolution in support of the project, which means the only remaining step to establish a task force to explore the idea further is a similar resolution being passed by the Faculty Senate.
VP Shelmerdine said that in a recent senior admin meeting, she brought up issues identified at the Nov. 19 ‘Night Walk’ event hosted by UMSG, in which a group of students walked together and identified accessibility issues on campus. During the walk, over 150 hazards were identified — with issues ranging from broken lights, faded parking lines and lack of walkway accessibility for handicapped individuals. Shelmerdine said she presented the map of broken lights compiled by UMSG’s Services Committee and progress is underway.
VP of Financial Affairs (VPFA) Joshua Bohm reported that $124, 626.32 remained in the unallocated portion of UMSG’s budget for the remainder of the year.
New Business
Representative Emery introduced an act to “urge to delay and reconsider the relocation of the Franco-American Centre and Spruce Budworm Lab.” This act was authored by President Tripp, Representative Emery and VP Shelmerdine. It lists several reasons for a delay — one being Crossland’s status as a ‘Tier One’ historical building. Related to this point, the act notes that in a Sept. 26, letter, the Maine Historic Preservation Council recognized that Crossland Hall holds historical significance within the University’s legacy and the State of Maine.
The act also raises concerns about the planned relocation of the Spruce Budworm Lab (SBL), noting discrepancies between the lab’s current size and the square footage listed in the university’s Crossland Hall Removal Fact Sheet. According to the resolution, the lab currently occupies approximately 2,450 square feet in the Environmental Science Laboratory, while its proposed space in Deering Hall is listed as roughly 2,200 square feet, representing a reduction rather than the stated increase. The act further notes that the lab’s director indicated in a Dec. 3 email that the original goal was to expand the lab’s capacity by 50 to 100 percent, meaning even the current space is insufficient for projected needs.
Additionally, the act points to recent financial investments made into the lab’s current location, including $25,000 in upgrades during 2025 alone, as well as the lab’s receipt of $600,000 in Congressional Directed funds, which the resolution says is emblematic of its growing statewide role in monitoring invasive spruce budworm populations. The act argues that relocating the lab to a smaller facility could impact its ability to process samples from its 700 statewide monitoring sites and its ability to meet increasing research demands.
The resolution also focused on student impact, noting that the SBL employs 11 undergraduate students and that the Franco-American Centre houses the Franco-American Student Association and supports programs such as Franco-Femmes and the “Fun With French” after-school immersion program. It further states that students, faculty leadership and community partners were not consulted prior to the announcement of the relocation plan, which was shared with students in an Oct. 6 email from the Dean of Students.
Finally, Representative Emery noted that the act questions claims that the Franco-American Centre’s relocation would improve accessibility, given the proposed new locations are farther from campus entrances than Crossland Hall and that separating the Centre from its archives and libraries would reduce ease of access.
The act generated some notable discussion, including a point raised by VPFA Bohm about differentiating cultural and historical significance when discussing Crossland Hall’s value to the community. He finished by suggesting an amendment be made to change the acts wording.
In response, Representative Emery pushed back on the distinction raised by Bohm by saying it’s been clearly outlined that by nature of being the oldest building on campus alone, Crossland Hall is worth preserving — and features elements like Greek Revival architecture that the Historical Society deemed unique.
Following debate, the act to delay the demolition passed with a clear majority — but so did an amendment to change wording within the act for “historical” to “cultural” significance after much back and forth.
UMSG will reconvene for the first meeting of the spring season on Jan. 20, 2026. Those interested in watching a recording of any meeting can visit their YouTube channel here.
