Business Leaders: UNE president James Herbert ready to take on higher ed challenges

Photo / Tim Greenway James Herbert is the sixth president of the University of New England.

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James Herbert, who became president of the University of New England in 2017, has been instrumental in shaping the university and serving as a leader in Maine. Under his leadership, UNE has grown its academic and research programs and this year will consolidate its medical programs on one Portland campus. The new campus was a $93 million effort, with its first class of medical students expected this summer.

Mainebiz: Why consolidate in Portland?

James Herbert: Moving the medical school to the Portland campus simultaneously accomplishes three important goals. First, it allows us to address the physician shortage in Maine by increasing the number of medical students we educate in a unique, state-of-the-art facility. Second, by consolidating all of our health professions programs on one campus, we can expand our signature team-based clinical training model, which has been shown to produce better outcomes and reduce medical errors, as well as training in telemedicine, which is particularly relevant to a largely rural state like Maine. And third, it allows us to repurpose space vacated on the Biddeford campus to accommodate our growing programs there.

MB: Have you raised all the money you need for the new school?

JH: We are in the final phase of a comprehensive capital campaign and are on track to meet our fundraising goals. These include the cost of the new Harold and Bibby Alfond Center for Health Sciences and additional projects to renovate spaces vacated by the medical school in Biddeford for new and existing programs and scholarships to support students.

MB: What was it like raising money in that environment?

JH: As we have raised money for this campaign, we have found that people, including alumni, friends and the business community, are enthusiastic about UNE’s mission and our momentum. In a time when so many colleges and universities are financially struggling and even closing, UNE can continue to invest in market-aligned programs, to provide a great place to work for people in Maine and to prepare students, many of whom are first-generation college students like myself, for good jobs once they graduate.

MB: The health care shortage continues to be a problem for many hospitals. Do you see that changing?

JH: The workforce shortage for physicians, nurses and other health professionals is a significant challenge in Maine and across the country. We are educating as many professionals as possible, but a critical bottleneck here is the limited number of clinical training opportunities. Most of our students must leave the state to complete this training, which decreases their likelihood of returning to Maine to practice. The workforce shortage will only worsen if Maine does not address this issue.

MB: What is UNE’s current focus?

JH: We are focusing on finalizing the medical school’s move to the Portland Campus for the Health Sciences and then reimagining the Biddeford campus to accommodate growth and new programs in business, sciences, computer science and the humanities. For example, we have invested in expanding our Communications major with a brand-new production studio in Biddeford. We are also building an innovation maker space in the Girard Marine Science Center. We are also investing in athletic facilities and scientific laboratories.

MB: What has UNE planned for the future?

JH: There is no doubt that we are in a challenging time for higher education. We are facing a demographic cliff for college-age students, public confidence in higher education is at an all-time low, and higher education is also finding itself at the center of a highly politically charged climate. To position ourselves to continue thriving, it will be more important than ever for us to demonstrate our value proposition, showing prospective students and their parents how a UNE education will set them up for a great job and prepare them for a fulfilling life.

MB: Do you see enrollment increasing or decreasing in the coming years?

JH: With the many new programs in our College of Business, as well as new undergraduate, graduate and online programs, we are optimistic that our enrollment will continue to grow despite the challenges facing higher education.

University of New England

UNE.edu / 11 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford and 716 Stevens Ave., Portland

What it does: The University of New England educates undergraduate and graduate students on two campuses in Biddeford and Portland, as well as a study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco and online. It offers various health, science, business and humanities programs.

Founded: 1831

Employees: 3,178