UMaine System mulls merger of graduate business programs
Some faculty members are criticizing the University of Maine System's proposal to merge graduate business programs at the University of Maine in Orono, UMaine School of Law and University of Southern Maine into one Portland-based program.
The Portland Press Herald reported the UMaine System has been working since January with representatives of the three programs and a Boston-based consulting group to develop the proposal. An analysis of the proposal, paid with a grant worth between $400,000 and $500,000 from the Alfond Foundation, is expected to be finished by late summer or early fall. The proposal was criticized by faculty at USM's business school, who said the planning has been too secretive with not enough input from faculty members. Bob Heiser, an associate professor speaking for the faculty, said there has been “no direct contact with the consultants and no written updates whatsoever.”
Vendean Vafiades, the law school's spokeswoman who is involved with the proposal, said all the meetings have been open to the public, and that no one has asked to attend.
The proposal comes in the midst of the UMaine System's efforts to close a projected $69 million budget gap by 2019, the Press Herald reported. The university system approved a $529 million budget for next year that includes 157 position cuts and use of emergency funds in an attempt to plug a $36 million shortfall from this year. But there still exists a $46 million gap for next year.
Read more
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments