UMA Rockland will expand nursing education resources with $85K gift

COURTESY / UNIVERSITY OF MAINE The University of Maine at Augusta Rockland Center will use an $85,000 gift to expand its teaching resources for nursing and lab technology students.

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By Staff

The University of Maine at Augusta Rockland Center has been awarded $85,000 to expand and upgrade its science teaching space in support of nursing and medical laboratory technology degree programs.

The gift came from the American Foundation, a private family foundation in Ohio. The money will support renovation of the Rockland Center's science classroom and adjacent lab space, and add new microscopes, slides, technology, and other equipment, including skeleton and bone models for teaching of anatomy and physiology, according to a news release.

As the midcoast area and the entire state face a serious shortage of nurses, UMA said it has recently renewed its commitment to educating students to enter the profession. This fall, UMA Rockland accepted 20 new students into its bachelor of science in nursing program. With clinical instruction planned at local hospitals, UMA’s program will educate students who intend to live and work locally in the health care field.

“This will allow us to dramatically improve our science education programming at the Rockland Center,” said its director, Deborah Meehan, in the release.

UMaine Augusta’s Rockland Center is one of nine sites in Maine where students can take courses, pursue degrees and receive support to earn a university degree while staying close to home. Courses are taught by faculty onsite, online, via interactive television, and through two-way videoconferencing.