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UMA faculty ask UMS trustees to halt sale of Handley Hall, citing accreditation risk
Summary
Faculty from UMA’s architecture and art programs told trustees that an administration decision to vacate and likely sell Handley Hall was made without adequate shared governance and could jeopardize NAAB accreditation; they urged the board to suspend plans, require NAAB review with faculty participation, and conduct a feasibility study.
Tenured faculty representing the University of Maine at Augusta’s architecture and art programs urged the University of Maine System trustees to intervene and halt plans to vacate and potentially sell Handley Hall, saying the change was made unilaterally, risks accreditation and lacks viable replacement space.
"Unilateral decision to vacate and presumably sell Handley Hall has been made," read a statement presented by a UMA faculty representative. Faculty said Handley Hall was gifted to the campus and renovated to meet the specific teaching needs of the architecture and art programs and that moving the programs threatens compliance with National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB) standards.
The faculty statement, presented to trustees, said UMA Faculty Senate had unanimously passed a resolution opposing the administration’s decision and asked the board to direct the UMA administration to "halt, suspend all plans for the sale of Handley Hall and the relocation of the architecture and art programs immediately," require NAAB review with faculty participation, and commission a professional feasibility study. The statement warned that inadequate replacement facilities could invite accreditation citations and potential probation and cited an initial estimate of more than $1.6 million to replicate the specialized spaces.
President Cushman, who spoke later in the meeting, said the administration is "following system guidance" and offered to talk with anyone who wanted further conversation; she did not accept the faculty request on the record during the meeting.
Why it matters: Faculty contend the planned relocation affects program accreditation and the pedagogical integrity of studio‑based education that relies on specialized fabrication and critique spaces. Trustees noted the item raises facilities questions that likely belong in campus‑level planning discussions and asked the system office to review the concerns and report back to the board with recommendations.
Next steps: Trustees asked the system office to review the petition and provide a recommendation to the board at an appropriate future meeting; no formal board action was taken at this ASA session.
