[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6464112,"mediaKeyId","5784421-541b369de0216ad9581e1e04a6ae9a26","parentId",5784421,"title","Trustees approve several new academic programs, capital projects and a renaming; votes at a glance","audioSeconds",3304,"startMs",10768000,"endMs",14072000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784421-541b369de0216ad9581e1e04a6ae9a26&start=10768&end=14072","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784421-541b369de0216ad9581e1e04a6ae9a26/thumbnail_10768000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6464112/Maine/Trustees-approve-several-new-academic-programs-capital-projects-and-a-renaming-votes-at-a-glance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6464112-a2de3b8434347a9b64c884112c918dad/orig.mp4?Expires=1770785193&Signature=LMphT7rgWTz3e6MAYNPcfpnktn~meZcljEhYikrbCF0vly8ZTRM~V9ulzGiWcv~cPA2BegbngCZ8pu0ztToknw8nb~236qHsJRoDhLo7nvy2hMI13xV4amQ5SpZ1gBzqQrBDsYi62TpHZH5zdBv-fu2G-Gs3i~oUZ5DY8EFdgWRAh3awabCD1yyzPiNqOYc-O5Nz24Y2AlBSwWloptpilWs86W4iVNU0445eOWeaJ4l544iQUT1COF0cjw9uMwI2HXns0BZ3cxVbTtiaOkLf7xZcm-TYTbbKL0cz6ktvmVeA2PArZ~y2T78D1aogGhCKaekQoPfHkMZtQ8sdr0OMRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Board of Trustees ME ","date","2025-09-16T04:30:16.02Z","article","At the September meeting the University of Maine System Board of Trustees approved multiple academic programs, authorized capital expenditures and approved a formal renaming for the Maine Center. The items below summarize each formal action recorded in the meeting record (motions, movers/second, and outcomes as read on the record). Where the transcript recorded opposition or abstentions those are noted.

Votes at a glance

- Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science (UMA & UMPI): The board \"accept[ed] the recommendation of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee and approves the bachelor of science in medical laboratory science at the University of Maine at Augusta and the University of Maine at Presque Isle.\" Motion: moved by Trustee Martin; seconded by Trustee Michaud. Outcome: Approved (voice vote recorded as \"Motion passes\").

- Master of Science in Homeland Security (UMFK): The board accepted the committee recommendation and approved the MS in Homeland Security at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. Motion: moved by Trustee Michaud; seconded by Trustee Martin. Outcome: Approved (voice vote recorded as \"Motion passes\").

- Associate of Arts in Human Services (UMPI, competency‑based): The board approved the program, after committee discussion. Motion: moved by Trustee Kane; seconded by Trustee Martin. Outcome: Approved; on the record the vote recorded \"4 opposed\" and \"1 abstention\" but the motion carried.

- Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education (UMPI): The board approved the proposed BS at UMPI. Motion: moved by Trustee Mitchell; seconded by Trustee Kane. Outcome: Approved; the transcript records \"2 opposed\" and \"1 abstention.\"

- Master of Arts in American Studies (UMPI): The board approved the MA in American Studies at UMPI (competency‑based). Motion: moved by Trustee Michel; seconded by Trustee Kane. Outcome: Approved.

- Lease renewal — Cellco Partnership (Verizon) at Alfond Stadium (University of Maine): The board authorized the University of Maine to enter a five‑year lease (with four optional five‑year renewals) with Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon for cellular infrastructure space at Alfond Stadium; final terms subject to system treasurer and general counsel review. Motion: moved by Trustee Michaud; seconded by Trustee Kane. Outcome: Authorized.

- Memorial Gym roof replacement (University of Maine): The board authorized spending up to $1,000,000 for replacement of two roof sections over Memorial Gym. Motion: moved by Trustee Michel; seconded by Trustee Kane. Outcome: Authorized.

- Powers Hall building envelope repairs (University of Maine at Machias): The board authorized spending up to $1,800,000 to repair masonry/water infiltration issues at Powers Hall; funding sources cited included the 2018 bond and state small campus appropriations. Motion: moved by Trustee Mushel; seconded by Trustee Kane. Outcome: Authorized.

- Maine Center (Portland) renovations: Trustees approved increasing the authorized renovation budget for the Maine Center (now the Alphonse Exchange) up to $9,600,000 (congressional directed spending, state funds, philanthropy and Maine Center operational funds). Motion: moved by Trustee Michaud; seconded by Trustee Kane. Outcome: Authorized.

- Renaming Maine Center to \"Alphonse Exchange\": The board granted an exception to the naming policy and authorized the renaming. Motion: moved by Trustee Michaud; seconded by Trustee Kane. Outcome: Approved.

- Consent agenda (meeting minutes and HR/Labor items): Motion to approve consent agenda carried.

Record, movers and procedure notes: Most motions were presented by committee chairs and moved and seconded by trustees as recorded on the transcript. The meeting used standard voice‑vote procedure (\"All those in favor? Opposed? Abstentions?\") and the clerk recorded outcomes; several academic items drew recorded opposition and abstentions but nonetheless passed by majority vote as reflected in the transcript.

Ending: Trustees approved the listed programs and authorizations; some items noted board debate and recorded opposition/abstentions on the record. Several trustees asked for a broader system discussion about online competency‑based education and cross‑campus coordination prior to future program proposals, and staff committed to providing earlier notice of forthcoming academic proposals to the Academic and Student Affairs committee.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","UMS Board of Trustees Meeting - September 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During the meeting trustees approved new degree programs (including a BS in Medical Laboratory Science and an MS in Homeland Security), authorized multiple capital expenditures and approved renaming the Maine Center as the Alphonse Exchange. The consent agenda passed; several academic approvals drew some opposition.","taxTitle","University of Maine System UMS Board of Trustees, 2025 Board of Trustees Meeting, School Districts, Maine","taxId",79506,"location","Maine","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6464117,"UMaine Machias leaders present enrollment, program and facilities updates to trustees",2644,2975000,5619000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784421-541b369de0216ad9581e1e04a6ae9a26&start=2975&end=5619","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784421-541b369de0216ad9581e1e04a6ae9a26/thumbnail_2975000.jpg","/articles/6464117/Maine/UMaine-Machias-leaders-present-enrollment-program-and-facilities-updates-to-trustees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6464117-e00abc926bda0584b3ef120f87120722/orig.mp4?Expires=1770785193&Signature=NWii0hgZbBAgf15JYiCcRiV81LEJV1T2ijVjmxfeXy1BrIyIhROuHSHwMf2Q~r7nci7h3Z5CkM4tQ4FE9KdsFqGKtJEfApWDPY3hukEGKtgIAo11wfBnmIQbYF9IK5II8TlPYhK~aJ-yvl7gHUuqL9J7I0e7tC15SKvsZUs3oR1EcfGu9RzgIGTWorCY7C-6Gog4vnG-y2Ji6G4Y6X9aozUyHvqjZ4FlLxcD8ufIQZPVjGmf~vckQCbD-Ybd7OkAMh7qFXemhoeoKZwMDIf~bn5vjre5mGb5U~elSzcjPKiJ2u9GlwgHVCyksZihem57BNlcCdXhtgJkkm6iwgZwnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","University of Maine at Machias leaders briefed the University of Maine System Board of Trustees on campus performance, student demographics, program growth and ongoing capital projects during a scheduled presentation.

Dean and Campus Director Megan Walsh and President Ferrani Mundy (presenting on behalf of the University of Maine leadership) described the campus as a regional hub with a diverse set of learners and programs. Among the statistics presented: Walsh said 67% of students enrolled in Machias programs are female, 53% are first‑generation college students, and 55% receive Pell grants. She reported that Machias delivers roughly 10,000 student credit hours annually — \"just under 10% of total undergraduate credit hours at the University of Maine,\" she said — and that the campus had a $420,000 surplus in FY25.

Walsh highlighted several academic and workforce initiatives: a new pre‑engineering pathway through the Maine College of Engineering and Computing; a flexible 90‑credit Bachelor of College Studies proposal under review; an expanded online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Community Studies; and the Downeast Nursing Partnership with the University of Maine at Augusta, which Walsh described as a low‑residency route allowing Washington County students to earn a UMA Bachelor of Science in Nursing while also receiving a University of Maine at Machias degree and campus support.

The campus’s Downeast Institute — presented by Kyle Pepperman, executive director — was described as a world‑class marine research station that supports undergraduates, local K‑12 education and applied aquaculture and shellfish projects. Walsh said the campus is spending down approximately $4.2 million in state funds allocated for deferred maintenance and capital projects and that the Reynolds Murdoch Fitness and Aquatic Center now operates at break‑even.

Students and faculty accomplishments were noted: Walsh said 86% of full‑time faculty hold PhDs and highlighted faculty grant activity and student internships (Walsh said 69% of students complete at least one internship or co‑op experience). Student speakers at the meeting described the value of small classes and field work; student representative Isabella (Izzy) Bouchard said the campus’s hands‑on instruction influenced her decision to stay. \"I really loved the hands‑on experience that I got and the small classroom sizes,\" Bouchard said.

Trustees asked questions about out‑of‑state enrollment, transfer pathways with community colleges, adult learners and internship participation. Walsh said 46% of incoming first‑time, full‑time fall 2025 students were from out of state and reported a 23% increase in retention and a 10% increase in four‑year graduation rate over the prior five years.

Ending: Trustees praised the presentation and asked staff to follow up on some performance metrics; no formal board action was recorded on the campus presentation.

","Campus leaders described enrollment gains, program development (including nursing and pre‑engineering), community partnerships and capital projects at the University of Maine at Machias, telling trustees the regional campus is increasing retention and expanding workforce connections.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6464122,"Students, alumni and community members urge UMaine System trustees to divest $1.6M from companies they say are complicit in Gaza violence",2251,661000,2912000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784421-541b369de0216ad9581e1e04a6ae9a26&start=661&end=2912","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784421-541b369de0216ad9581e1e04a6ae9a26/thumbnail_661000.jpg","/articles/6464122/Maine/Students-alumni-and-community-members-urge-UMaine-System-trustees-to-divest-16M-from-companies-they-say-are-complicit-in-Gaza-violence","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6464122-a0f87ada3b3bd7041862ed91dad61539/orig.mp4?Expires=1770785193&Signature=U0o88--yOzFtSwESm28tDgtKwcVai9Vt8xLPD21yAEZmNXWgK5Z03UiB5dp3jYFNz0fESQiMBL8AFr~tq3wps~8j6IzmfPeVGm5gIUfGKoGiAj3EnIGSVykP9EcMMJflvSqSGc015cAPTh3-Tdr~SudeiD~y9god0FLSQWxiTOuME0q1gV9q-hewS8NKb5NpJUdZynHZNMfc50gWRph~6TiQYQH4iUOY4gB2lSudtf0oE4tnv-r2Xlw-jZ4TpqUWmFGCB9OBk841PBv6rqEiKlIuM7~ls0hhdVk8iFJzEPgj~wicWB6WJ9m8o0QfyfwyjYu7aA6RGCxFa2KLJP-Sqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of students, alumni and community members used the public‑comment period at the University of Maine System Board of Trustees meeting to urge the board to divest roughly $1.6 million the system holds in companies the speakers said are \"complicit in\" or materially support Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

Speakers — including students who identified themselves as members of Here for the Kids, Jewish Voice for Peace and UMaine JVP — cited civilian death tolls, humanitarian conditions in Gaza, recent polling, and precedents including the system’s past divestment from apartheid‑era South Africa and more recent fossil‑fuel divestment decisions. Student speakers repeatedly said divestment is a moral and financial issue; several asked the board to reconsider a petition the trustees rejected last year.

\"Please divest from the complicit companies previously reported,\" said Megan Saborlich, a senior economics major who identified herself as a member of Here for the Kids and Jewish Voice for Peace. \"Inaction is still an active political choice,\" she told trustees, citing press reports and academic commentary.

Willow Cunningham, who identified herself as a UMaine alumnus, told trustees, \"Your silence and your failure to act on this issue is pathetic\" and argued that continued investment represents moral complicity. Gracie Gable, a political science junior, asked the trustees to divest specific funds she said the system holds: \"I am here to once again call the board of trustees to divest the $1,600,000 they have invested in companies complicit...\" Several speakers referenced increasingly unfavorable public opinion and reported institutional divestments elsewhere.

Other commenters grounded the appeal in professional and ethical arguments: Meredith Bruskin, a nurse and graduate of UMaine, said she was \"horrified that our tax money and the complicity of so many American corporations and our government actually are making this assault possible\" and urged trustees to act \"in the name of humanity.\" Lucas Bent, a recent alumnus, asked the trustees to reconsider a previous board statement that the board would only reconsider divestment after a substantial change in circumstances on the ground.

Speakers included student organizers and alumni; remarks were passionate and at times accusatory. The board received the comments but did not take an immediate vote or announce a new review of the system’s investment holdings during the meeting.

Ending: Trustees acknowledged receipt of the public comments. No formal board action on divestment was recorded in the meeting minutes; speakers said they planned continued advocacy.

","Multiple students, alumni and community members addressed the University of Maine System Board of Trustees during public comment, urging the board to divest approximately $1,600,000 from firms they said materially support Israel’s actions in Gaza and to follow precedents such as South Africa divestment.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":93,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6464127,"Family-housing residents tell trustees paid parking plan would threaten child safety and parking access",2659,253000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784421-541b369de0216ad9581e1e04a6ae9a26&start=253&end=2912","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784421-541b369de0216ad9581e1e04a6ae9a26/thumbnail_253000.jpg","/articles/6464127/Maine/Family-housing-residents-tell-trustees-paid-parking-plan-would-threaten-child-safety-and-parking-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6464127-ac64c7263d6a6ab14da699b15879ae9a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770785193&Signature=beWvz0xrfgVjvcYeFsJSuCiaWw7RSOxVSCwfXXYYW7pWZx7LUpejgCG6UhQAES1TwlqETWlgE72br~enVq2NQ-nuQ36UP4X20ZoHUG0SCc36Qg1T96oxadM8KqOlVKBSORQuTD6uq2Q2IzqH7QSBxaPUjsnwbZf4VEydR8AnW9DtwNMCBRwOKY~nwnDj1tq5SqDF9e0REFfwfkoY8WEsq9eBgwWAOM~xrm~OtoBejI2ZaXxFaOt8G9yz1ey26cIfHriIJ2ZPEf6qSeAnbXO4r39JdVCZ8dGDqQlGMmgAvUtRpxuYIdSzjUhc1Am0-nzh1FKpdiKbDH9w1SMHw3sIQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jessica Cassell, a bachelor of social work student who said she was speaking on behalf of the University Park (\"U Park\") family‑housing community, told the Board of Trustees that residents learned by email a plan had been developed to create paid parking near family housing without prior resident consultation.

Cassell said the community has a high concentration of children who \"run around family housing\" and that the former park manager, who helped coordinate traffic and snow removal, has retired. \"Our concern is child safety,\" she told trustees during the public‑comment period. \"We would like to oppose this plan. We are not okay with it.\" Cassell also described what she said are tight parking resources in the neighborhood: she said each housing unit is assigned one parking spot, five guest spots are shared across several units, and that although the site shows about \"47 available\" spaces, those spaces were already unavailable to residents under the current management arrangement.

Cassell said residents had asked university staff for details about how paid parking would work, how snow removal would be handled if guest spaces were converted to paid spaces, and what the security plan would be, but she said she had not received answers. \"We understand that there's a huge need for parking. We want to help with that, but we just don't want our family housing to be a space for that. Mostly for the safety of the children,\" she said.

Board chair Trish Riley acknowledged the comment and said the university would follow up; no formal board action or motion on the parking plan was recorded in the meeting minutes.

Ending: Trustees did not respond with a formal decision at the meeting; Cassell told the board she expected university staff to follow up with residents and the board to have the information available in coming weeks.","A resident spokesperson for University of Maine family housing told the Board of Trustees that a university plan to place paid parking near family housing was developed without resident consultation and raises safety, crime and snow‑removal concerns.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Trustees approve several new academic programs, capital projects and a renaming; votes at a glance

UMaine Machias leaders present enrollment, program and facilities updates to trustees

Students, alumni and community members urge UMaine System trustees to divest $1.6M from companies they say are complicit in Gaza violence

Family-housing residents tell trustees paid parking plan would threaten child safety and parking access