Brian Berger

The board meeting included the welcome of four new trustees and a round-robin report from various university presidents. Discussion topics included enrollment growth and graduation updates at the University of Presque Isle; program expansions, fundraising, and accreditation at Maine Law; occupational therapy program updates and community partnerships at the University of Southern Maine; management team appointments and academic program successes at the University of Maine at Farmington; workforce-connected program growth and accreditation successes at the University of Maine at Augusta; student activities and community event involvement at the University of Maine at Fort Kent; and the introduction of a new facility dog at the University of Maine.

The committee discussed the FY2027 operating budget, highlighting structural pressures, personnel cost increases, and auxiliary occupancy challenges. The meeting covered state appropriation support, paid family medical leave, research funding, and the use of budget stabilization funds. Additionally, the presentation addressed trends in enrollment, credit hour shifts toward online modalities across campuses, and residence hall occupancy rates.

The committee held an executive session followed by a public session to discuss several key items. Authorization was granted for the University of Maine System to exercise a purchase option for a property at 304 Street in Portland, Maine, including the use of an internal loan and a reimbursement resolution. The committee also approved a sublease renewal with the University of Maine Foundation for office space within the Maine Center. Additionally, the committee discussed a construction project for a new art building on the Gorham campus, involving a maximum price guarantee for the project and a funding resolution to support its development.

The committee reviewed and approved several facility and infrastructure projects, including the modernization of Boardman Hall, the renovation of the Darling Marine Center Marine Culture Laboratory, and the construction of the Forest Biomaterials Innovation Center at the University of Maine. Lease agreements were authorized for the College of the Atlantic, the Eastport Port Authority, and an expansion of the lease with Orchard Trails Apartments. Additionally, the committee discussed and approved a 15-year lease agreement for a new residential and dining facility in Hallowell for the University of Maine at Augusta to address increasing student housing demand.

The board meeting featured public comments focused on the elimination of academic programs and faculty retrenchment at the University of Southern Maine. Speakers raised concerns regarding the violation of shared governance protocols, the negative impact on student morale, and the insufficient planning for affected students. Furthermore, several speakers called for the university system to divest from companies complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people, referencing previous institutional efforts regarding divestment from fossil fuels and apartheid South Africa.