 I would also like to recognize
 and wek yowm student residence
 assistants, orientation 
leaders, IDAC fellows and ed
 tor of the Free Press, who
received a special invitation
 to join us this morning.
They are exceptional leaders.
 Our students are what we are
 all about.
 Thank you for getting up early
 on an August day to be here to
 help the university.
Join me thanking the students
 for being here.
[Applause]
Also, in attendance today is
 our new Board of Visitors 
chair, we are delighted.
 A graduate of our programs.
He will be leading us for the
 next two years as heads of our
 Board of Visitors.
 Luc Nya would you please stand
 up and be recognized by the
 team?
Thank you for your work.
[Applause]
 Final group to recognize is our
 new staff.
I welcome you to the fastest
 growing, most exciting
university in Maine.
 Every one of you can make a
real difference in our future.
 Starting now at this minute.
 Most importantly, we will have
 you deeply involved, I hope
always, with the success of our
 students.
If you were hired in the last
 year, since last Opening
Breakfast, would you please
stand up and get recognized by
 the crowd?
[cheers and applause]
 As my friend says, you matter,
 you belong, and welcome home.
 You will love being here and we
 are honored to have you.
At this time, I'm going to
 introduce our impressive
Provost, full of energy in any
 single day than I have in a
lifetime.
 She will talk to you about some
 exciting things we are doing in
 academic affairs.
Join me in welcoming Provost
 Uzzi.
[cheers and applause]
 JEANNINE UZZI:  Lot of energy,
 but not for a bike ride in the
 rain this morning!
 Good morning.
It is my first happy task this
 morning to give a special
introduction and welcome to all
 of our new faculty members.
This is their first Opening
 Breakfast.
This is a fresh, new start to
 our academic year.
I'm delighted to report that we
 have 24 new tenure-track
faculty joining us this fall.
  [cheers and applause].
 At this moment in our history
 that is pretty darn good but I
 would like to read names of all
 our faculty joining us this
fall.
 Because it is an impressive
list.
We welcome this year
 Rebecca Gibbons,
Political Science.
 Hannah Barnes,
Assistant Professor of Art,
 Brendan McQuade,
Jennifer McCutchen,
SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal,
 Nihar Kumthekar,
Jennifer First,
 Assistant Professor of Social
 Work.
 Melinda Butler,
Assistant Professor of
 Literacy, Language & Culture.
we'll give them a round of
applause at the end, I promise.
 Nikki Correa,
Lecturer in Counselor
 Education.
Kathryn Hawes,
 Assistant Professor of
Educational Leadership.
 Angela Atkinson Duina,
Assistant Professor of
 Educational Leadership.
Rachel Brown-Chidsey,
 Assistant Professor of Special
 Education.
 Richard Arend,
Professor of Business
 Administration and
LLBean/Lee Surace Chair in
 Strategic Management.
Stephen Firsing,
 Assistant Professor of Public
 Health.
 Deborah Van Langen,
Assistant Professor of
 Exercise, Health and Sport
Sciences.
 Christopher Austin,
Lecturer in Mathematics
 Education.
Asheesh Lanba,
 Assistant Professor of
Mechanical Engineering.
 Catherine Miller-Hunt,
 Assistant Professor of
Microbiology.
 Jeffrey Hutchins,
Assistant Professor of Nursing.
 Sonya Lachance,
Assistant Professor of Nursing.
 Rikki Miller,
Assistant Professor of
 Psychology.
 Brandon Stewart,
 Assistant Professor of
Psychology and Honors.
 Lori Sussman,
 Lecturer in Information
Technology.
 Heather Shattuck-Heidorn,
Assistant Professor of Women &
 Gender Studies.
Ivan Velasquez-Garzon,
 Lecturer in Economics.
Ryan Meeks,
 Lecturer in Music Education.
 Carrie Kancilia,
 Lecturer in English,
Composition.
 Colleen Yasenchock,
Lecturer in Teacher Education.
 Clara Howard,
Lecturer in Literacy, Language,
 and Culture.
Sheryl DeMik,
 Lecturer in Special Education.
 Andrew Amorelli,
 Lecturer in Computer Science.
 Alexander Generali,
 Lecturer in Exercise, Health,
 and Sport Sciences.
 Yelena Shvets,
Lecturer in Mathematics.
 Christina Harris,
Lecturer in Nursing.
 William Pooler,
Lecturer in Technology.
 Michael Cote,
Lecturer in Economics.
 Sharon Timberlake,
Lecturer in Leadership and
 Organizational Studies.
Leslie Yetter,
 Clinical Associate Faculty,
Nursing.
 Sarah Jessen,
Assistant Research Professor of
 Educational Research and
Policy.
 And now we can welcome them 
 all.
[Applause]
 You may recognize names.
 Some people have played
different roles at USM, they
 are new to their roles, this
 particular role at USM but I
 personally would like to thank
all new employees for 
 dedicating time and energy.
As I have said to anyone I
 interviewed there are probably
 easier places to work but no
 better place to work.
Thank you for being here.
() the first of aur faculty --
of our post Guard fellow is
Emmanuel Kayembe, our fellow in
the
 Fellow in the Franco-American
 Collection,
 Research Interest in Global
Francophone Literature,
 PhD in French Lang and Lit from
 University of Cape Town.
 Taught at the University of
 Botswana.
[Applause]
 I'd also like to reintroduce to
 many of you Dr.
Lance Gibbs,
 Talbot Fellow in the African
 American and Talbot
Collections.
  Research Interest in Family
 Studies, Race/Ethnicity,
 Gender, and Identity
Construction.
 . PhD in American Culture
Studies from Bowling Green.
 Taught at University of Dayton
 and University of the West
Indies in Jamaica.
Join me in welcoming back 
 Dr. Gibbs.
I'll mention briefly we have
 another post-doctoral fellow
joining us this year, the
 Intercultural and Diversity
Fellow in the Department of
 Geography-Anthropology.Dr. 
Adrienne Benally.
  PhD Cultural Studies from
Claremont Graduate University.
 I'll read her dissertation
 title.
. Dissertation Title "On
 Contentious Ground: The Navajo
 Nation's Controversial 2013
 Decision to Purchase and
Operate a Coal Mine on the
 Navajo Reservation."
So Dr. Benally is driving
 cross-country as we speak to be
 here for Tuesday, we can all
 look forward to her arrival.
 Welcome.
 These new positions represent
an increasement in special
 collections, research and
scholarship, developing new
 scholars, in areas of research
 and interest that are of
 particular importance to the
university right now.
They represent investment in
 perspectives at USM.
I'm delighted to share this
 with you, to bring
post-doctoral and research
 Fellows to the institution.
So welcome.
[Applause]
 Speaker:  Now I want to give a
 brief reminder and update about
 USM's new academic vision.
We are now in year two of USM's
 academic vision.
You will see a slide and table
 top materials.
As a reminder that this vision
 is very much active and we are
very much in its development.
 Last May I delivered a report,
 baseline report, on the 
 pillars.
Grant proposals for pillars are
 rolling in.
You all should have received my
 call for pillar proposals last
 year.
 The deadline is September 23.
 If you have an idea for how to
move the university closer to
 delivering these pillars please
 let me know before 
 September 23.
pillars of the AIG vision
 represent the promise we make
to students about what they can
 expect from their academic
experience at USM but do not 
 embody the full plan for
academic excellence.
 And they don't get us to the
 full realization of goal one.
 In light of U sment H. state of
 Maine's first goal -- in light
 of the first goal of excellence
it's clear we have to increase
 investment.
Faculty who teach full-time and
 working hard to be student
focused every day are also 
called upon to creative
 activity and only when faculty
 are research active can the
 university create new 
knowledge, drive prosperity,
 address social and schrl needs
 and allow students the
 opportunity themselves to
engage in research, scholarship
 and creative activity.
This is what students expect
 and what they deserve.
So the following new supports
 will be in place effective
immediately for faculty
 research and scholarship.
Faculty members who receive new
 e term grant also have 25% of
the indirect cost [audio
 difficulty].
Up to a total of $25,000.
 Tenure-track or tenured faculty
 members may now allow external
 granting agencies to buy out
 any portion of research block
 up to 100% and the college
department or school will
receive 50% of that buyout.
 Tenure-track or tun yyourd
faculty may use existing course
 [audio difficulty] process to
 apply for release time to
 complete a major project.
Full-time faculty members may
 apply for summer salary to
write a new grant.
 I would ask, I think we would
all expect, that faculty
 departments, schools, colleges,
 will especially focus these
recovered funds on supporting
 students in their research
programs.
 These initiatives are designed
to increase USM's research
 productivity.
They are not the final step but
 they are a step in the right
 direction.
 As we begin to see the positive
 impacts of the -- this initial
 step, we will explore other
ways to expand support for
 research further.
I'm looking forward to working
 with faculty to, you know,
winding their way through
 exactly how to access these
funds.
 But this is a new day for USM. 
 I have never known the
 university to offer these
supports before.
take advantage and see it as a
 new commitment of USM to 
research, scholarship and
 creative activity.
[Applause]
 Then finally in the brief time
remaining before Bob Stein gets
 the hook I'm delighted to
announce we have another huge
chunk of work ahead of us.
NECHE, not Nietzsche.
 It's NECHE!
NECHE, formerly as NEAST is the
 accrediting body and may shock
 you to know if you have been
 here more than ten years, we
 are at another reaccreditation
 cycle.
The biggy, the tep-year visit.
 It will happen in spring 2021.
 In fall 2019 before the new
 semester, spring 2021 can sound
 far away.
 It is not.
[chuckling]
Our self-study is due in the
 fall of 2020.
Not that we don't have enough
 time.
It is that we have the perfect
 amount of time.
We have to be very efficient to
 get everything done that needs
 to be done in preparation for
 the visit.
Everything else we do at this
 university rests on our
reaccreditation.
We all do -- crew shall work
 and non-of it happens without
 reaccreditation.
 I know we are busy.
I ask we focus this year on 
 getting the best self-study we
 can to accreditors for a smooth
 and successful reaccreditation.
 While I'm at it, I'm pleased to
announce we have a new NECHE
 liaison at USM.
Many remember Sally Meredith,
 the former liaison.
This year, we if a national
 search and hired our first ever
at USM
vice Provost, 
 Dr. Dominic Barraclough.
If you would stand, we can
 welcome you.
[Applause]
 He comes from the University of
Wis was at
ville, -- 
Platteville, you know, he
 happens tob a Professor in
counselor education as well.
 He has a Ph.D. from the
University of North Dakota in
 counseling psychology.
So he will be lead our
 reaccreditation efforts this
 year with a steering committee
 that volunteered to help.
These members of the steering
 committee are.
John Barker,
 Meghan Cadwallader,
Susan McWilliams,
 David Nutty,
Lisa Walker,
 Blake Whitaker
Your faculty Senate chair and
 Keva Wright-Berry.
when you get a call from one of
 them to help renew our
reaccreditation in 2021 I hope
 you will say yes.
Thank you, have a wonderful
 academic year and enjoy the 
 pie.
[Applause]
 I lom forgot.
I would like to call to the
stage now Nancy Griffin, chief
 operating officer to update us
 on our master plan.
 Thank you.
Speaker:  Good morning!
 What a great morning and day.
 My job this morning is actually
one of just to give you a brief
 update of some work that 
happened on campus this summer.
 Work of facilities management
 teams, the work of capital 
 planning and proinl management
 folks.
 So I want to give a brief 
update.
 First, in Gorham on this 
campus, we had a lot of
 activity.
In Woodard Hall, a residence
 hall, we put $1.8 million into
 that hall.
 It has brand new bathrooms, a
 brand new lounge.
It has an updated apartment for
 our staff members.
And so we are really pleased to
 have that building that will be
 open for our students as we
 welcome them this coming
weekend.
 We put $2.5 million into Brook
 ses dining hall.
 And it is an amazing 
transformation in that hall.
 We hope you take an 
opportunity.
 You should have received an A
Lis email from Christina Smith
 inviting you to tour both
Brooks dining hall as well as
 Woodard Hall after this Opening
 Breakfast today.
 I believe tours will leave
right from this facility.
 We want you to see what we have
 done in the halls and what we
 have done, most importantly,
 for our students.
 In Brooks dining hall we have
 increased the seating capacity
 because, as you all know, we
 have increased bed spaces and
we are at max capacity in our
 residence halls on the Gorham
 campus this fall, 2019.
 That is significant.
In four years we have grown ...
 [Applause]
So, we are thrilled.
I would like to thank David R.
 and Tadd Stone for their
leadership in the project.
 Bailey Hall.
We had an asbestos abatement
 project that is completed.
Faculty and staff are back in
 office.
I thank them for their patience
 this summer.
I know it is not fancy, not
 like we are whoohoo, but it was
 important to complete as we get
 ready for next summer's project
 which will be a sprinkler
 project in that building.
Also under the leadership of
 Aaron Witham and his team, we
have an ESCO happening on the
Gorham campus, an energy saving
 project which will start with
 anderson and Bailey hall and we
 are conducting an audit of
those buildings.
 We are moving in the right
direction on energy savings to
 help us meet and hopefully
surpass our sustainability
 goals.
On the Portland campus, we had
 a lot of work that went on this
 summer.
 First and foremost, we had the
 renovation of science 165.
 That is a lek ter hall that
will be -- a lecture hall, a
 dedicated area.
The dedication of that facility
 will happen September 12 in the
 morning.
 You will get an email about
that facility.
 We have a brand new lecture
hall in the science room and
 are very excited about that.
In Pei son Smith, room 305,
 305-A, it's an old -- it was an
 old chemistry lab and we have
 transformed it into a brand new
facility for the Maine center
 vent turs for the MBA program
 we are partnering with the
 University of Maine on.
That classroom is a high-tech
 classroom with blue screens and
 the project has been finalized.
 First class will be there next
 week.
 Again, that is primarily used
 for the MBA classes.
 But after that, it is the
University of Southern Maine.
 Please see Diane Berry if you
 would like to book it.
 It is a gorgeous room, high
tech.
 The center for the arts project
 is moving along.
 There have been meetings.
Right now we are starting the
 stakeholder group meetings.
Many will be tapped to come
 together to talk about that
work and what we want to have
 in that brand new facility that
 will happen on the Portland
 campus.
So we did hire, go through an 
RFQ process and
Pfeiffer
 company will be leading that.
 The kickoff was August 20.
 Now we will do more stakeholder
 meeting now that faculty and
 staff are back at the end of
 summer.
 The next project is one near
 and dear to my heart.
 This is the career and student
 center and residence hall
 project for the Portland 
campus.
 I am very pleased to tell you
 we had a successful RFQ process
 this summer.
We had six absolutely
 spectacular national submittals
 and proposals sent to us.
 And the core building committee
 selected five to move on.
They are in the RFP process 
 now.
Those proposals are due
September 13.
 We hope to have the buildings
 open in the fall of 2022.
 Which means next summer we have
 a lot of construction and lot
 of planning to do.
That is really great.
 Also want to give a shoutout to
 folks that worked on the
 parking garage entry system.
 That is up and running.
 You have seen the emails on
that.
We also did work in the parking
 garages cleaning it, getting it
 prepped and prepared for where
 it will go next.
If you have any questions about
 that please see our parking
team.
 They would be happy to help.
 I know you have probably 
inundated with the A list 
 emails about that facility.
These are just a few of the
 projects that our facilities
 management and capital planning
 and projects teams did this
summer.
 Could everyone who is on
capital plannings and project
 and facilities please stand to
 be recognized for the 
 outstanding you have done for
 our community this summer.
[Applause]
 Custodians, grounds crew,
everyone is busy getting ready
 for start of school.
I give a shoutout in a new
 program.
This year we will have building
 Stewards.
A building Steward is a person
 who will partner with 
facilities management on the 
 upkeep and ongoing work in a
 certain building.
 Many who have already stepped
 forward to say I will be a
 building Steward you will see
 announcement from me over the
 next two weeks as we finalize
 folks that will be Stewards.
 This is, again, our commitment
 to making sure our brick and
 mortar match what we are
presenting to students and all
 of the work that we are doing.
 I want to end by giving a
 special shoutout to somebody.
 Adam Thibodeau will leave us
 September 6.
Adam is our assistant director
 for capital planning and
projects management.
 He dedicated over ten years to
 this institution and has done a
 great deal for us.
His work as well as his team's
work often goes behind -- you
 don't get to see it.
It is usually behind closed
 doors but he's been a great
partner to us and will be
 deeply missed.
I would like to give a special
 thank you to Adam for
everything he has done for USM.
 Thank you, Adam.
[Applause]
 Again, I hope you will go on
 the tours this morning and see
 the Brooks dining hall as well
 as Woodard residence hall.
Take advantage of that
 opportunity to see this campus.
 Now I would like to bring up to
 the podium our president, Glenn
 Cummings.
[cheers and applause]
 PRES. CUMMINGS:  Thank you.
 Please join me in thanking
these two hard workers who have
 made this university move
forward in a variety of areas
 and in enrollment, capital 
planning, AIG affairs.
Please join me in thanking 
 them.
[Applause]
  I have a two-fold job today
 which I am delighted to do.
 First I have the honor of being
able to talk to you about some
 celebratory things that we
believe are really kind of
 reflect the essence of what it
 means to be at USM.
 I will talk a little about that
 and what we did is asked people
 to tell us what have you been
 doing the last few months.
 We got so many positive things.
 This is really pretty much
 since graduation, maybe a
little before in some cases.
 Amazing things.
I will talk about them.
 Before we do that, I have a
really exciting announcement.
Just five weeks ago, we were
awarded for USM's foundation
 $1 million for scholarships
from the Peter and Paula Lunder
 foundation.
They will go into effect
 immediately.
What a great endorsement.
[Applause]
 This extraordinary gift will
 expand the Lunder scholars
 program to provide needed aid
 to both graduate and
 undergraduate students here.
 Last year, 83 outstanding
 students received these Lunder
 scholarships.
 This is just some of the work
 our USM Foundation is doing.
 Please join me thanking Ainsley
 Wallace and her team at the USM
 Foundation for raising this
year a record amount of money.
 We appreciate everything that
 comes in, in support of our
 students and our university.
 Please join me in thanking the
 foundation.
 We have a little video just to
 show you what the foundation
 has been up to and some success
Z, as you will see.
(Video).
 Speaker:  This is a really
important gift.
 I think we will stop.
Dubyck million dollars, all
 right!
So let me just skip to move
 forward.
Thank you to the foundation.
 I can del you personally they
 work extremely hard in the work
 they do.
I will walk through examples.
 We asked people from faculty
 and staff.
 Tell us what you have done the
last four or five months.
 Julie Ziffer, Professor of
Physics, spent 2 weeks in India
 this summer, teaching astronomy
 to Tibetan Buddhist monks and
 nuns as part of the Emory-Tibet
 Science Institute at Emory
 University.
How cool is it.
 " Meanwhile, Rebecca Gibbons, a
 new Assistant Professor of
 Political Science here,
recently just returned from
 Hiroshima where she was invited
 to speak at a remembrance of
the dropping of the first
 atomic bomb there 74 years ago.
 She had a bizarre road trip
with a guy from ang us from
 Washington D.C.
Our increasingly famous Nicolas
Dosman, director of coral
 shouldies led choir members to
 perform on the 6th Vietnam
 Vietnam competition and won
awards on behalf of the
 university for their work in
 the music department.
[cheers and applause]
 Malinda Haslett, Assistant
 Professor of music, performed
 last March at the Royal Opera
 House in London.
They never asked me to do that!
 That was amazing.
[Applause]
 Closer to home, Rachel
Lasley-Rasher,
 Assistant Professor of Biology,
 worked this summer with
 undergraduate and graduate
students to pursue a wide range
 of research.
 They studied scallop
 aquaculture, molting behavior
 in green crabs, nitrogen
 pollution in Casco Bay, and
much more.
 Dr. Karen Wilson and Dr. Theo
 Willis from the Department of
 Environmental Science and
Policy also collaborated on
 parts of this work.
In early August, Rachel and
 four students presented their
 work at the SEA Fellows
 Symposium at the Darling Marine
 Center.
 In Damariscotta.
In Nursing,
 The Organization of Maine Nurse
 Executives awarded its 2019
 Nursing Leadership Award to
Susan Sepples.
 Thank you, congratulations.
[Applause]
 Our new Associate Nursing Dean.
Brenda Petersen,
 been accepted for publication
 in the Journal for Nurses in
 Professional Development.
we welcome her to our program.
 Speaking about publishing, we
 can boast about some new  books
 on the shelves.
Daniel Martinez,
 Associate Research Professor in
 the Department of Environmental
 Science and Policy, published
 his third book, Energy
 Efficiency: Concepts and
Calculations.
 Coauthors included Travis
Wagner, Professor of
 Environmental Policy.
 Matthew Edney
 Congratulations ...
[Applause]
 Matthew Edney,
Osher Professor in the History
 of Cartography, had published
 Limits to Mapping.
 In July, Matt's book was
credited as "book of the week"
 in a Times Higher Education
review.
As the book of the week.
 Congratulations.
[Applause]
 A little surprise.
And two days ago, Nick Mancuso
from the USM Foundation, had
 Published
 It's a mystery thriller called
 Fever.
 I know Nick is leaving today's
 breakfast early to do a reading
 in Connecticut.
he said first $2 million will
go to us, LAC,
 A new Doctorate in Occupational
 Therapy and a PhD in Leadership
 and Organizational Studies was
 approved by the UMS Board ofin 
this fall.
Congratulations to them.
 [Applause]
Also, at LAC,
 Mary Anne-Peabody,
Associate Professor and
 Chairperson of LAC's Social and
 Behavioral Studies Department,
received notice she is being
 awarded with the Association of
 Play Therapy's Service Award.
 Presented annually to mental
 health therapists who have
volunteered time and service at
 the state, regional, and
national level, Mary-Anne will
be receiving her award inDallas 
this fall.
Congratulations, Mary Anne.
 [Applause]
" Back in Portland, the Career &
 Employment Hub partnered with
 the American Marketing
 Association student group to
 host USM's first Professional
 Networking Dinner.
This phenomenal event brought
 nearly 100 students together
 with 26 representatives from 22
 different companies.
 The event won the USM Event of
 the Year Award at the Student
 Leadership awards Gala for its
 significant impact on th.
Congratulations on a great
 performance.
 " The School of Social Work
 launched its first blended, low
 residency masters cohort this
 summer.
Specifically designed to
 support working students with
 busy schedules, the courses are
 8 weeks long.
Meanwhile, our School of
 Education and Human Development
 launched a new K-12 ESL
 certification program offered
 in blended format.
 The only ESL certification
program in the state, the
 program began admitting
students for the fall.
 Working with Academic
Partnerships, the School of
 Education and Human Development
 is also launching this fall
 fully online master degree
programs in Special Ed,
 Educational Leadership, and
Teaching English to Speakers of
 Other Languages.
Thank you and congratulations
 for moving quickly.
We hope the online program
 begins to pull people in from
 around the world to our
 university.
[Applause]
 " The Office of Sustainability
 won the EPA's regional food
 recovery award this year.
This is the eighth award USM
 has won from the EPA in the
last five years.
 For excellence in 
sustainability and 
 environmental leadership.
Well done.
[Applause]
Also hosted the
 hosted the annual Northeast
Campus Sustainability
consortium.
 USM Facilities completed 9,653
 work orders in Fiscal Year '19,
 while our Mail
Services Department received
 and delivered almost 5,000
packages in addition t
  --
[cheers and applause]
 Speaker:  Thank you!
[Applause]
 I publicly apologize to Johnny
 of mail services for
occasionally stealing his
 parking space.
Just throw that in!
My congratulations to
  Jessica Picard
In Facilities Management, who
 became a Certified Educational
 Facilities Professional.
this summer.
 Our coaches and staff in
Athletics continue to do a
 great job supporting our
student-athletes, not just on
the playing fields, but also in
 212 student-athletes earned
recognition as William B. Wise
 Scholar-Athletes, and 17 of 22
intercollegiate teams earned a
 3.
0 or higher average grade
 Average on their teams.
[Applause]
 TRIO is working this year with
 150 eligible students at USM,
 while this past spring, Jobs
 for Maine Graduates graduated
 their first USM students from
 their first 2015 cohort.
 And congratulations to Upward
 Bound's new STEM advisor,
 Doris Juarez, who was the
keynote speaker at the Bowdoin
 summer college fair and
organized a two-day STEM event
 for students across the state.
 For students across the state.
 A lot happens in the Upward
Bound, TRiO programs.
 Congratulations to the work you
 do with our students.
[Applause]
 Sergeant Russ Swann and Dean of
 Students, Rodney Mondor, were
Recognized for their lifesaving.
Action in Luther Bonny,
 Recognized for their lifesaving
 actions in rendering assistance
 to a student suffering from a
 cardiac event.
Rod any got a
Rodney got a
 medical degree ... no, they
didn't.
 Congratulations, they saved a
 life.
 Congratulations.
[Applause]
 Lorrie Spaulding,
Director of Veteran's Services,
 was honored at the
Maine Military and Community
 Network annual conference with
 a Certificate of Achievement
 and challenge coin.
For the  6th consecutive year,
 our Health Services received
 the Gold Star
 Award from the Maine
Tobacco-Free College Network
 for advancing
Tobacco-free policies on
 campus.
Tadd Stone,
 Sodexo General Manager, was
selected to participate in
 Sodexo's
"LEADERS" program, a
prestigious program that only
.
  --
To give you a sense of the
 magnitude of this honor, Sodexo
 has 420,000 employees around
 the globe.
and only two dozen were chosen.
 Congratulations.
[Applause]
 This just in from Public
Affairs.
 USM was mentioned favorably a
 total of 622 times in the media
 during the first six months of
 2019.
 That's 103 times per month of
 good news!
 And on the social media front,
 we now have over 65,500
followers across our Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin.
  I don't know what any of those
 are, I think it is a good 
 thing -- no, I do!
A little bit.
 Our Marketing folks continued
 to build on its well-received
 spring spots, and earlier this
 week began running this new
 spot on TV.
I hope it goes better than the
 last video we tried to run.
 PRES. CUMMINGS:  All right.
 [Applause]
Want to say thank you to our
 admissions team, par nerring
 with marketing, launched a
website, USM virt wall tour.
 Do check it out.
That was only a part of the
 work.
The team generated this year in
 admissions a 13% more
undergraduate applications for
 this fall than last year and 8%
 more in graduate applications.
 That is pore than any year
measured in recent history.
 Thank you to admissions tor
their hard work.
[Applause]
 Folks in financial aid have
 been busy.
They have received financial
 aid applications from 370 more
 students than they received
 last year.
That is great news, because we
 know that students stay if they
 have the right finances.
crucial to our survival as the
 university.
Thank you to student financial
 services.
Fantastic job.
 [Applause]
Should also add that this fall
 36% of our new in-state 
students are arriving with
 financial aid packages to
include federal, state,
 institutional grants and
scholarships to completely
 cover tuition.
Congratulations for great work.
 [Applause]
That is better than one in
 three new Maine students who
are starting at USM with no out
 of pocket expense costs or 
loans needed to pay tuition and
 fees.
We are reducing student debt
 and increasing access to high
 quality education, that -- as
 good as any place for me to
mention that we know that the
 affordability of an institution
 is a major component.
 Not the major component, there
 are others, but a major
 component of whether somebody
 chooses our university so that
 work we have done started with
 Nancy Griffin's leadership in
 the last few years we have 
given over $16.5 million worth
 of scholarship to bring 
students like the ones you see
 here in to the university.
That is a good place to stop on
 celebrations.
Join me in congratulating
 everybody who sent something in
 to tell us what they have been
 doing over the summer.
[Applause]
 Now I would like to shift to
 just to finish up really a
 piece that I want to talk to
 you about.
 Kind of where we are as a
university.
 Where we are going.
I want to talk -- finish by
 talking about goal pin.
I just have one thing to tell
you that you are sitting in a
 university that five years ago
would have been unrecognizable.
 Five years ago, if you were
with us, we didn't have our
 bills paid.
We didn't have strong
 enrollment.
Our alumni were at an all time
 low in participation.
Our donors were not robust.
 Our reputation was not strong.
 Our retention was sagging.
 I can tell you today our bills
 are paid.
 Our enrollment is strong.
Our alumni are with us in the
 best numbers we have had in the
 recent past.
 Our donors are coming back in
 big numbers and often with big
 checks.
Our reputation strengthens
 every day.
Our retention surges forward.
 In the last five years we have
 been financially in the black
 all five years.
Today we are honored to begin a
 new budget year starting on
July 1 which we plan to be in
 the black again.
We must, however, be fiscally
 sober.
Our legislature has given money
 this year, a 3% increase and
 nothing the following year.
 That is a sobering fact.
They may change some of that
 but it is disturbing.
So we have to keep our feet on
 the ground and our eyes on the
 sky.
 As we go forward, we can say we
 have $7 million worth of 
 reserves.
We just paid off
 $2 million worth of debt over
 the summer to loosen the cinder
 blocks on our shoulders for
years.
 We are fiscally improving and
 getting stronger on the
leadership of aye lek Portious.
 Thank you for your work.
[Applause]
 We have five years of 
enrollment improvement.
 Head count this year is up
2.78, best in the UMaine 
 System.
Congratulations to everybody
 who made it happen, and that's
 everybody.
[Applause]
 We have five years of
increasing level of donor
 support.
As you saw.
 People are coming back and they
 believe in us.
 If they know we are fiscally
 sound, believe in our mission,
 we have the best mission in the
 world, if they believe in the
 mission they will continue to
 give us funds.
 We are honored.
Again thank you to the
 foundation.
Five years of improved 
 commitment to students that
hold them lovingly in place to
 complete their academic dream.
 We have had in the last five
years a 7.4% increase in
 student retention and we plan
 to keep growing that number.
 We want our students to be
successful and we are making
 that happen together.
Thank you for everybody who
 makes that happen on a single
 and every day.
 [Applause]
 What do you say in the face of
 such accomplishments.
 There are only really two 
words.
 Thank you.
You, every time that you say 
 "yes" to a student you find a
way to go over bureaucracy and
 sometimes stupidity in order to
serve the best interests of our
 students you're helping.
Every time you take a moment to
ask somebody do they need help,
 you are helping our students.
 Every time you find a place in
 your work that students can be
 involved in your research,
 where students who are 
struggling get a phone call or
 email to check in, where
students find we can find them
 financial aid we otherwise did
 not know we had, when you help
 them with mental health issues
 they might struggle with, when
 you help them find a home, a
 place, when you take that extra
 moment to know that they 
belong, they matter, and they
 are home, that is how we change
 everything.
 You're saying yes to students.
 You are paying attention to
 barriers that need to be
changed and keeping the grounds
 clean and attractive so they
 like being here and are proud
 of us.
You are building students into
 your research.
You are inviting students to
groups, fellowships,
 opportunities they might not
 otherwise have and it can
 change lives.
You are saying come here, you
 are welcome here.
Don't be afraid, if you see a
 college core, you are a staff
 or faculty, step in, say, come
 here, you are welcome here,
it's a great place.
 Those things make a huge
difference.
 You are telling our story
across New England, the 
 country, the world and finding
 ways to solve financial
 problems for our students.
You are counseling our students
 in academics and career at a
 new level and finding new
 teaching methods to reach
students across any participant
 of the world that need to have
 access but can't come here
 physically every day.
We know just in these two
 counties, York and Cumberland
 committee, 22,000 people have
 some college but they have not
 completed.
 Thank you for finding ways in
 your classroom, through your
 program, to try to reach them
 in ways they otherwise could
 not get to us.
You are making our campus safe
 from danger and making our
culture inclusive.
 More to talk about on that.
You are doing research on real
 world problems, making our
state and world better.
 You are helping us repair
buildings, build new structures
 to attract the student of the
future and raise funds and
 bring crucial resources to the
 campus.
 That is you that is doing that.
 You are changing a culture that
 used to take students for 
granted.
 And now we take them as the
center of everything we do.
 Our goal is to make our 
students successful.
 I have said here before and
will say it again:  USM is the
 most important university in
 America.
 The most important university
 in America.
 And I mean that.
I happen to believe we are not
 the only most important
university.
 The reason we are more
important in many ways than
 schools in waterville,
Brunswick, and Lewiston, we
 have to remember the reason
that we are more important is
 because we are changing more
 lives.
 We are not credentialing the
 privileged.
We are finding ways, students
 like me, whose parents didn't
 go to college, we're opening up
 a door that changes their 
lives, their children's lives,
 their grandchildren's lives.
 That is the mission you wake up
 to every day.
As I have often said, our HR
 director has never walked to my
 office and said we have people
 down in accounting that are
worried that they are being
 overpaid.
We have people in the sociology
 department that think they are
 getting too much.
 But what we do have is we have
 people all the time say:  I
 love to be here because
everything I do matters.
 Everything I do matters in
terms of changes the nature of
how this country expresses its
 true commitment to the American
 dream.
 That is why we are the most
important university in the
 country.
Among others.
 Because we believe in taking
 students where they are and
 making them better.
We are known by the students we
let in, not by 9 students we --
 not by the students we reject.
 That is our mission, that is
 our goal, and there is no
better thing to wake up to in
 the morning.
And you are making that happen.
 Thank you.
[Applause]
 What's next for us.
 I don't know if you remember
 five years ago, we built our
five-year plan on what is very
 difficult information to look
 at.
 We built our five-year plan on
 the students who rejected us.
 Students who either came here
 and left, or the students who
 took another college.
It was the best but most
 difficult information you could
 look at if you love this
 university.
They told us three things
 really clearly.
Number one, I cannot feel like
 a number.
Somebody has got to know me,
 like me, guide me, care about
 my career, care about my 
 future.
Number one, you are changing
 that.
Professors are changing that.
 staff, changing that.
Administration, changing that.
 Community members, changing
that.
 Number two.
I need financial help.
That is why we have given
 $16.5 million to students who
 are saying, please, make your
 university affordable.
And we're changing that.
 And the third thing they told
 us is I don't have the luxury
 of not having a job when I
leave here.
 Help me make my education
usable.
 Help me make myself prepared
 for the workforce.
 Help me unite with real-world
 experiences that will help me
 get a job.
Those are the three things they
 told us.
As a result we now have a
 vice-president of workforce
engagement working every day,
 today five years later all 54
 of our undergraduate programs
 have an internship built into
 them.
Thank you, faculty, for making
 the change.
We really appreciate that.
 [Applause]
So what is the next five years.
 I thought we would start with
 the same questions.
 What are the students who now
are rejecting us still.
 Foolishly, but they are.
So we went to that data.
 First of all, the ones 
rejecting us are much nicer.
 They are saying you have a lot
 of really good qualities.
 You are a great price point.
You have deep affordability.
 You are in a great location.
 You are connecting me more than
 ever with jobs, I can see that
 possibility.
 But they are still talking to
us about you need to strengthen
 your academic reputation.
And we're on it.
 We are pushing forward.
The research grants the Provost
 talked about.
We now have an academic vision.
 We want to push forward our
Honors Program.
 We want to get a name for that
 honors program in the next five
 years.
We want to give more
 scholarships.
We want to get deeper into the
 high school classes across New
 England.
 We are changing our name in
part because our name now
 connotes regional.
Not national level recognition.
 We are moving forward with a
 variety of changes that will
push our reputation, especially
 research with faculty between
 faculty and students.
 And we are helping to 
underwrite research agenda here
 in the university to improve
 our academic reputation every
 day.
It is decent and quite frankly
 I think in truth we beat all
 our competitors in academic
 reputation.
When you take the percentage,
 60% and above, who are
full-time tenure-track
 Professors, that is the post
 likely person you will get in a
 classroom, most of our
competitors don't come close do
 that but that is the work ahead
 of us.
 We will push that as we know
 the Chancellor -- excuse me,
 that the Provost said we will
absolutely need to continue our
 work in supporting faculty and
 their reputation.
 They will need to continue to
 do that research by bringing
 student intoos that experience.
 And with that, students will
 have absolute, I think, changes
 this their experience here at
 USM.
By the way, there's another
 part of the leg of the school.
 If you are going to win out
 there in the world of higher
 education, and quite frankly
 Northern New England is a tough
 place to win.
 Remember the 18-year-old
population is going down
 dramatically.
Another reason for the name
 change.
We do not have enough people
 who are 18 coming to our 
schools with that the Maine
 people said something that
really quite frankly disturbed
 me tremendously.
Wasn't they were saying
 something inappropriate.
But they said something that
 disturbed me.
Because as a first-generation
 Maine college graduate from my
 family, four-year graduate,
 they said two things.
61% of them during the polling
 we did on the bond package in
November 6th, they said
 higher education is a
questionable investment.
 Wow.
If there's anything that you
 ought to be worried about in
 the future of the state, it's
 61% of our citizens saying 
going to college is a
 questionable investment.
It portends very poorly.
 Then they specifically said two
 things.
 Why?
One, it is too expensive.
 And two, my kids may not get a
 job.
 We can win and we are already
 winning if those are the
 arguments.
You have got to add the third
 leg of the stool which is
academic reputation which we
 will build every day starting
 now, even stronger.
 But those two things we can win
 on.
 We are ideally located in
Lewiston, Auburn, and Portland
 and greater Portland, for us to
 be able to put every one of our
 students into internships, into
job experiences, ko ops, 
 clinicals that they would oiz
 not get -- would otherwise not
 get in New England.
We are uniquely positioned to
 do that.
We can answer that.
 With the three legs, academic
 reputation, affordability, and
 career oriented or corrected to
 real world experiences to help
 students get jobs they need
people will come to us in
 strong numbers.
We are not only going to be
 able to do -- be sustainable we
 will be able to do our mission
 of serving this state and New
 England and beyond, well.
 We have a magic formula.
We will do that.
 That is where we are going 
next.
 I'm proud to say you have 
helped significantly in making
 it happen.
So with that I shift over to
 finally, to finish up, with
something that's been much on
 my mind certainly over the last
 five or six months.
I sent out to you earlier this
 summer, after things happened
 over the course of this year
 that really brought me, once
 again, to be humbled on the
 issues of equity and social
justice.
 A sense of inclusiveness.
Really, the humility to
 recognize that it is very
difficult for us in higher
 education to sometimes think,
 wow, we don't always get it.
 We like to think of 
ourselves -- in fact there's a
 lot of research around implicit
 bias that higher education, in
 particular people with Ph.D.s,
 doctorates, have a hard time
 understanding their own biases.
 Lawyers too by the way got 
 that.
We won't talk about lawyers
 this morning.
It is hard for us.
 We think we are so enlightened
 that we are so expansive in our
thinking, that we are way too
 smart to have any sort of
missing elements of our 
 thinking.
But in truth, we do.
 Certainly that is the case with
 me.
 So today I want to invite you
 in to not just a structural
 organizational journey, I want
 to invite you to a personal
 journey.
A personal journey about what
 it means to really hear people.
 And really listen.
So I have used the analogy in
 my writing that this is -- we
 have done many, many things
 just in the last year that
would seemingly make us more
 inclusive.
More equitable.
 We have raised a considerable
 amount of money for asylum 
 seekers.
We have put in new bathrooms,
 to recognize religious
diversity.
 We have for the first time, an
 in-coming class of faculty that
 matches the percentage of
people of color here.
 We have done a number of
implicit bias trainings, et
 cetera.
But the truth is, those are
 sort of the checklists.
And people will say, well, that
 is good.
What else is there?
 And I have equated it, if you
 have ever had a partner and --
 you say to them, well, I'm
picking unthe kids at hockey
 practice and getting the
groceries and working 70 hours
 a week and I'm not playing golf
 this Sunday, so what is the
 problem?
And your partner says:  I just
 need you to hold my hand and
 listen to me.
 I just need you to know what
 I'm thinking.
 And what I feel.
And what I'm experiencing.
 That difference may sound
subtle.
 But it is everything.
Today we are going to embark on
 a deeper journey.
I asked my good friend raza to
 return to the university and he
 agreed to give us counsel as we
 go forward but I want to say
 IDAC and intercultural
 diversity, counsel that has
been for the president's
 purpose, I will rely more
heavily than I have this summer
 on your thinking.
As we go forward.
This is really the extension of
 the university to embrace and
engage what we call our promise
 values, service, promise values
 that we already said.
 Equity, responsiveness, respect
 and care, and integrity.
 As we go forward we will be
moving to really do a careful
 audit of where we are as a
university on this issue.
We will ask a formal auditor, a
 third-party to help us.
That decision will be made by
 IDAC and other members of the
 community.
 To come in and help us look at
 how do we allocate our
 resources.
What do we do around human
 resource allocations and
practices what does our
 curriculum tell us.
Has our curriculum been 
 colonized in a way that much of
 our thinking has been 
 colonized.
We will look at whether we will
 soon -- we will look at whether
 our student experience of staff
 and faculty, whether their
experience here is one of
 safety.
One of inclusiveness.
 Those questions will come up.
Are you safe to be whatever you
 are.
Are you safe to be.
 Here at the university.
And we will need to listen
 carefully about what the 
answers are.
We will also be announcing soon
an director for intercultural
 center with expansion of
resource in the area.
 We will hire a director of
equity, inclusion and social
 justice to work directly with
 academic affairs, human 
 resources, student life among
 others and will invig -- 
 reinvigorate required training
 for faculty and staff on search
 committees to do implicit bias
 training.
This year, 26 members, of of
USM community joined the race
 equity institute and began to
 deeply look at the issues of
the historic trends that make
 ourselves blind to sometimes
 our own whiteness, our own
privilege, and the structural
 inhibitions we are trying to
 face.
 We will institute a campus-wide
 read on the direction of the
 Provost and work with IDAC and
 members of the -- several
 departments to get
recommendations for a single
 book we will read together.
Anybody who wants to read this
 book as chosen will move
forward with us.
 We will require all members of
 the university council, a large
 supervision group, to take
implicit bias training or
 inventory assessment to look at
your views around diversity,
 inclusion and equity.
I want to say from my point of
 view there are a number of
things we have to learn from
 other places.
So I spent a lot of time this
 summer looking at and talking
 with some of the leaders in the
 Portland public schools on what
 they are doing.
 And they are moving forward.
 They are not egotistical about
 what they are doing.
They feel they are working best
 they can to commit to a more
 equitable school system K-12.
 I am honored they took the time
 and spent the hours with me
 that they did, work through
some of this stuff.
 I know the Provost has also
been working with them.
 So we have a journey in front
 of us.
 I ask you not to think about
 the journey as a checklist.
 I ask you to think about the
 journey as an internal
 experience of getting closer,
 deeper, more compassionate,
 more understanding about each
 other.
That is not as easy as it 
 seems.
Many of us live in our
 intellectual heads.
This is not an intellectual
 journey.
This is one where people can be
 very angry sometimes.
But they shouldn't be.
 And a place where sometimes you
 say the wrong things, sometimes
 we do.
Not intentionally.
 But if we are going to push up
 begins our implicit racism, 
 sexism, biases of all kinds
this is the journey ahead of 
 us.
It won't be easy.
 It is the only journey.
It is part of the mission of
 this great university that as
my friend Raiza said, every
student, staff, every faculty,
 every community member must
feel they matter, they belong,
 and they feel at home here.
That is a journey we will go
 deeper into.
We are at the cutting edge of
 Maine on these issues.
We are blessed.
 But every day is not easy.
We will learn.
 There will be humbling moments,
 joyous moments, but we will
 learn together.
I thank you all for everything
 you have done.
I wish you a fantastic academic
 year and I'm delighted to be
 here with you.
And I have to say we are almost
 hitting deadline.
Just nine minutes past the 9:30
 deadline.
Please remember there are tours
 for you.
We have the Metro buses in
 front of Bayley.
We have new faculty meeting,
 chairs will meet, I want to say
 most of all enjoy, thank you
 for being here, again thank you
 to Sodexo and facilities for
 making it happen.
Have a great school year.
 Look forward to seeing
everybody.
[Applause]
♫
¯
♫ ♫
