On Feb 5, the University of Maine Student Government (UMSG) and dean’s suite collaborated in hosting an event called “Donuts with the Dean,” providing an open forum for students to voice concerns to the dean’s office. The event was led by Interim Dean of Students Andrea Gifford and Assistant Dean Lauri Sidelko, alongside UMSG president Keegan Tripp. Attendance consisted primarily of college student senators and UMSG members.
Gifford began the discussion touching on the low turnout of the event. To her, this emphasized the need for more consistent meetings between students and administration. Gifford expressed that creating an ongoing conversation between the dean’s office and general student population could enable administrators to understand and account for student perspectives.
“This is more of a dialogue, rather than me standing and doing a PowerPoint presentation about the definition of student life. You all are student life, and we’re interested,” said Gifford. The Dean made it clear feedback is not only welcomed, but greatly encouraged.
One key topic addressed during the event was ongoing mental health-related concerns on campus. Assistant Dean Sidelko laid out the current primary concerns and indicated that the issue they struggle the most to effectively tackle is student mental health.
“I have great concern about some of the drugs that are coming on campus from off campus, and some of the protections and harm reduction and tactics and things like that that we need to put in place,” said Sidelko.
The floor was then opened to the student attendees. The first to speak was Jon Guzman, a UMaine business student, who spoke about loneliness following the pandemic.
“There was a big disconnect when it came to engagement after COVID. We’ve all become solitary, and become less prone to interaction with one another. Statistically, we’re being called the loneliest generation,” said Guzman.
This sparked a multifaceted discussion about student involvement on campus, with attendees giving their personal experiences as new students at UMaine.
“Students are more prone to stay in university if — within their first year — they get involved in an extracurricular activity that they stay consistent with. The first year of a student’s involvement on campus or lack of involvement, it can make or break a student’s success. Absolutely, there is solid research that backs that,” said Gifford.
Another area of discussion was the role of tradition in fostering student engagement. Gifford and Sidelko emphasized that a strong sense of community on campus is built through shared experiences, and events that bring students together are essential in creating a lasting connection to the university.
One long-standing UMaine tradition, Maine Day, was originally a day dedicated to community service and campus-wide engagement. However, in recent years, safety concerns led to significant changes in how the day is observed. As a result, many students feel that a major piece of campus culture has been lost.
“There was so much pride and camaraderie in that event,” said Sidelko. “Now, we’re in a place where we need to figure out how to rebuild that sense of connection in a way that’s positive and sustainable.”
While administrators recognize the need for new traditions, they acknowledged that school pride can’t simply be mandated — it has to be cultivated by students themselves.
The event concluded with a discussion about the many ways the Dean’s office can support students beyond academics and campus policies. Sidelko shared a recent example of a student who had been in a serious car accident, whose professor reached out for help on their behalf.
“We have emergency funds. We can advocate for students. There’s a lot we can do to support them, but we have to know about it first. That’s how we bridge the gap. That’s how we engage. It all comes back to communication,” said Sidelko.
While the meeting didn’t provide immediate solutions to every concern, it could be seen as an important step in strengthening the connection between students and administration. Organizers ended the meeting by expressing hope that more students will take advantage of future events.
