UMPI's largest grant ever will jumpstart training in IT and health care

Courtesy / University of Maine System All seven campuses of the University of Maine System, including in Presque Isle, will participate in an initiative that offers a free course to struggling first-year students.

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By Renee Cordes

The University of Maine at Presque Isle has been awarded a federal grant of nearly $2.2 million to expand career pathways for students. The grant is the largest in UMPI's history, the school said.

It will use the funds to prepare students for jobs in the fast-growing, high-paying fields of computer science and health administration, and to develop stronger career-readiness and experiential learning offerings, according to a news release.

The grant is awarded through the U.S. Department of Education's Title III Strengthening Institutions Program. The program provides discretionary grants to higher-education institutions to help them become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students, by bolstering academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability.

UMPI's grant project, "Expanding Access, Investing Success," will receive close to $450,000 for the first year, and the school expects the total for five years will come to $2,249,710.

In its announcement Thursday, UMPI said the work involved in the grant project will allow it to better serve the student population and meet several goals as part of its 2020 strategic plan, as well as University of Maine System priorities.

“UMPI’s commitment to serving students and preparing work-ready graduates for careers in high-demand fields is bringing new resources and opportunities to Maine,” said Dannel P. Malloy, chancellor of the University of Maine System, in the release. “Student-focused innovation attracts investment and is one of the reasons why Maine’s public universities deliver unmatched quality and affordability."

Specific plans

Over the next five years, UMPI plans to hire new faculty to create the two new bachelor’s degree programs, with two concentration areas in each program: Software Development and Information & Data Management within the Computer Science degree program, and Community Health and Health Informatics within the Health Administration program.

Other plans for the grant include funding a new computer lab for each of the new academic programs; the introduction of "University Experience" courses that include life, career and financial literacy modules; the hiring of a university experience/experiential learning coordinator; and an increase in the number of online courses offered by UMPI.

The grant will also fund professional development for faculty and staff.

In a recent "On the Record" interview with Mainebiz, UMPI President Raymond Rice said his top priorities for this year include working with the University of Maine at Fort Kent and with Northern Maine Community College to ensure they are meeting workforce needs and keeping the community vibrant.

He also said this year's incoming class would probably be the largest since 2008.