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March 24, 2009

USM to cut enrichment classes

By The Mainebiz New Staff

The University of Southern Maine will eliminate its noncredit "personal enrichment" courses to free up money for additional online and professional development programs.

The cost to deliver the more than 130 enrichment courses, which include the performing arts, photography and languages, exceeds revenues by about $30,000 per year, according to a university press release. "In this fiscal environment it is responsible and fiscally prudent to reallocate funds so that we can invest in the growth areas of online education and professional development," USM Associate Provost for University Outreach Robert Hansen said in the release. The courses will be cut effective June 30.

Staff at the Center for Continuing Education, which delivers the noncredit courses, will now focus on building USM's online degree and professional development programming, including courses geared toward the business, nonprofit and health and human services communities. Over the last two years, the number of online courses USM offers each semester has increased from about a dozen to more than 100, the release states.

Reader comments

From Tony

Tough choices are being at USM that will likely pay long term dividends for the state's economy. By concentrating resources in areas of learning that support job growth and higher wages, the university is making a strategic investment in both its traditional and on-the-job students.

As the economy recovers and Maine's prosperity grows, perhaps the enrichment programs will once again become affordable but for now, we must put our resources to work growing that economy.

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