At a recent University of Maine Student Government (UMSG) meeting on Feb. 16, Vice President of UMSG Cynthia Shelmerdine mentioned in her executive report that the university aims to increase the number of available beds by 500, based on recent surveys of the residential population. In her address, Shelmerdine said the survey points to the need for several new dorms and at least one additional dining hall, which are projects that could also raise student costs. Construction plans remain preliminary, with no firm timeline in place.
The residential survey was conducted by the company Scion, which had about 1,014 student respondents, according to Shelmerdine. These past two years, some students have been turned away due to a lack of housing, leading students to temporarily live in Hotel Ursa while other arrangements were made by the university. Notably, this occurred in September 2024 when residential units in Estabrooke Hall were converted into office spaces, removing 96 beds from campus.
Despite shortages of beds for incoming students, there was actually a slight decline in enrollment at UMaine Orono, even with an overall increase in enrollment on other campuses across the UMS system.
When asked to provide a more defined timeline for when changes or construction projects may begin to occur, Shelmerdine indicated the situation is actively being discussed but nothing definite has been planned.
“The proposals I mentioned in my report on Tuesday are all very hypothetical, and they are not fleshed out on the admin’s side, so when it comes to a timeline and chain of events, I don’t know,” said Shelmerdine.
Shelmerdine also pointed to findings from a recent campus infrastructure report, noting that discussions about adding new residential or dining facilities are unfolding alongside ongoing concerns related to aging buildings.
“The Gordian report put the net asset value of all of the buildings on campus at 42%, when ‘passing’ is 50%. So, within the next five to ten years, many buildings are going to be torn down or gutted out, because we simply have not updated any of our infrastructure since the 1950’s,” said Shelmerdine.
In a Jan. 20 memo written this year by the UMS Chief External and Governmental Affairs Officer Samantha Warren, it was confirmed that there was an overall increase in enrollment across the UMS system. A large part of this enrollment was for online courses that the UMS system offers as part of its YourPace degree and certificate programs.
“YourPace allows busy working adults to access their courses entirely online and progress at their own pace when they demonstrate competency,” wrote Warren.
Shelmerdine outlined the specific housing needs, noting that the shortage of housing is not the only issue, but the quality of it as well. She noted the highest demands among students are cost and affordability, availability of private dorm rooms and kitchen access.
“The current portfolio on campus (89% traditional) does not meet this demand,” said Shelmerdine.
Plans for renovations, demolitions and increased bed numbers for students are not yet concrete. Shelmerdine indicated that UMaine will not be releasing any financial figures or estimates until there is a solid plan in hopes to prevent spreading any misinformation. Updates regarding specific impacts on student costs and future construction plans will be reported on as they come.
