The Next Chapter of USM is Here

The past, present and future: what happened this year and what will be next for USM

Doug Banks News Editor

This past school year saw changes that we will not see the results of until next semester and beyond. To borrow an overused metaphor, this semester was spent planting the seeds for the flowers that will bloom in the future. It was an interesting endeavor to sit back and watch all of these changes occur over the last seven to eight months - watching people within the Student Government and USM community who were driven by school pride and ambition trying to make a difference knowing next year will be a new and unknown chapter in USM’s history. Whether this new chapter will be the start of new adventures, or the last page before the back cover, the outcome will rely solely on you.

It would be delusional of me to believe this past school year was different from the rest. I only gave myself time to think upon that belief because I actually paid attention to what was happening outside of my own life. If I actually did pay attention to what was around me, I’d say the school year we all had to go home because of COVID would be the most extreme version of “different.” Because in 2020 I was a person who took pride in being an outcast, an anomaly, an enigma, as opposed to the person I am now who actually cares about the people here at USM, all I can do is wish I hadn’t waited so long to pay attention. With that in mind, what facts I can write about are the events that transpired from September, 2022 to April, 2023, and why those events had to happen, how these things will affect the future of USM, and about the people who are behind these changes meant to set USM apart from the rest of Maine’s institutions.

When you decide to read this, whether it’s April of 2023 or September of next semester, understand that even if 2022-2023 brought back what college used to be before the pandemic, this past school year was in fact some form of “different” whether you recognized it or not. For the ones who know this already, then allow this to be a recap for you. For the ones who are unaware then let this serve as a time-capsule of a time when USM students were riddled with the contradictions of hope and uncertainty while the students who were graduating were jealous they couldn’t stick around to see what happens.

Let’s start with the Student Activity Fees. Back in March, two changes were made to the structure of how those fees are applied to students. One was changing how much a student is charged. The original structure of $40 for 0-5.99 credits, $60 for 6-11.99 credits, and $80 for 12+ credits was changed to $5 per credit hour. The other change was including all undergraduate students who are on-campus, commuter, online, and everyone in between to be represented by the Student Government Association (SGA) and pay the student activity fee when originally the fee only applied to students who took classes in-person. It’s important to note that these two proposals were created by the SGA and brought to the attention of students by email from Director of Student Engagement & Leadership David Lewis. From there, USM students voted via Google Forms on whether or not they wanted this to happen. Did both referendums pass unanimously? No. Was it a close call? Not really.

The reason for these changes may not be a direct result of the lowering enrollment numbers over the past few years, but instead were designed for students who found it better to live off-campus after COVID. Over 50% of students enrolled at USM commute to their classes or are strictly on-line students; they originally didn’t have to pay the student activity fee which prohibited them from joining clubs. Now that they will be paying the student activity fee, they won’t be turned away. “We are going to be able to support all of our undergraduate students, and not say yes to a few and no to others,” said Lewis. “We are going to be that ultimate resource for all students. That has been the goal for several years for SGA, and it definitely takes time. With the successful referendum, there is a good platform for next year and a new student leadership to truly support all of our undergraduate students.”

When it comes to the decreasing enrollment numbers, this is not an issue that is happening uniquely to USM, it is happening to all four-year universities across Maine–except for the University of Presque Isle, for some reason. There are many speculations as to why this is happening. One of the beliefs is the “2025 Enrollment Cliff,” a domino effect of the Great Recession of late 2007 to 2009 and how there will be fewer college-age students in 2025. The other potential cause for low enrollment in four-year universities is the fact that community colleges in Maine offer free tuition for students. Because of this, students in Maine now see the possibility of attending a community college like Central Maine or Southern Maine Community College for two years to get all of their core classes out of the way and get an Associates Degree, then transfer to a school like USM and spend two years taking classes for their major and only pay the price for two years of school.

This route is becoming the most cost effective way to go to school. With growing inflation and the bill for student loan relief going nowhere in Washington, why would a student pass this up? Even though USM can’t change their financial structure to offer free tuition, what USM can offer is a student-focused experience with a multitude of educational platforms. I attended Central Maine Community College (CMCC) before coming to USM and for me personally, USM is more connected with and compassionate for the students than at CMCC. During my time at CMCC, I found it difficult to connect with faculty and tutoring services, and if it wasn’t for their TRIO program, I most likely would’ve been stuck there for much longer then I wanted to be. Even with CMCC being a much smaller school in terms of enrollment, USM offers far better services for students that need help in school or finding a place for community and connection.

In order for USM to not fall into the same rut that other universities have found themselves in when it comes to enrollment, they have been campaigning with a “Student Focused Every Day” promise for students. USM President Jacqueline Edmondson says that this promise has and will situate USM in a direction that will see the school succeed for years to come. “The University of Southern Maine has a service commitment of Student Focused Every Day and that is evident in the high experiences students can access here,whether it is through our advising offices, our student life experiences, or the many other clubs, sports, and activities they can engage in,” said President Edmondson. “But one of the most important reasons students should choose USM is because of the excellent academic programs we offer and the broad array of majors and minors that will help them realize their goals. We have extraordinary fac- ulty who are committed to student success and faculty who are here because they care about the students we serve.”

Aside from enrollment, during the SGA meetings this past school year a common trend was a lack of funds for the SGA as a whole and the clubs under the SGA and the Board of Student Organizations (BSO). The BSO is the organization that governs the student clubs and groups while also reporting to the SGA when it comes to big decisions with their constitution and money. One instance in particular was back in January when American Sign Language (ASL) Club President Maia DeRosear came to a Student Senate meeting asking for $2,625 from the SGA to help fund their 19th annual Maine Deaf Film Festival. In the past the ASL Club received $5,000 from the SGA for the festival, but with the lack of funds the SGA could give out she asked for $2,625 from the SGA. After long deliberation between the SGA, DeRosear, and the BSO’s Vice President, the SGA could only give the festival $500. I might be terrible at math but $500 is severely less than $2,625, let alone $5,000. The SGA stressed to DeRosear that they are not ignoring the importance of this festival, but that the SGA and BSO have a lack of money to give out at this time and that every club should make room for the adjustments that are coming with this lack of funds.

Nevertheless, the 19th annual Maine Deaf Film Festival took place on April 22nd. Four days after the festival, DeRosear spoke about the adjustments that had to be made. “We had to think a lot more critically about our resources, where we could seek additional funding, and we had to cut certain costs to allocate money to other aspects of the festival. When seeking funding, we found that like USM, every organization is lacking funding. We were able to get lots of food donations, and interpreters will volunteer their time to make MDFF accessible to everyone. We made some really cool connections with the Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) and reached out to the Deaf community, but we only received a few small donations. Many organizations were shocked at USM’s lack of funding for the Maine Deaf Film Festival,” DeRosear said. “In addition to this, later in the semester, when BSO had already minimized the amount of funds allocated to different organizations (including myself, and a few other campus groups), their budget suddenly jumped from $8,000 for the semester to over $15,000. No clubs were told there was additional funding and instead we continued to use our own funding instead of the USM money allocated towards BSO. I don’t know what happened or how they got this money, but I would have liked to see BSO reach out to clubs and see if they were still seeking more funds.” momentary high isn’t worth the debt.

The cause behind both the lack of funding and the miscommunication on what funding is available is the faceless villain USM is battling. Maybe it’s not a faceless villain, but instead they just don’t want to tell me what’s actually going on. On the surface, USM is thriving with new buildings and celebrity funding from Tony Shaloub, but when I talk to students and go to these senate meetings, on some level they’re fighting to keep USM afloat for the students. While these individuals are overwhelmed by this anxiety, on the surface they’re all cool, calm, and collected about the new direction USM is heading.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)

You don’t need to act tough to get what you want. Allow yourself to be a little vulnerable to get what you truly need.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

You’re ready to be the best person you can be, so brainstorm how you can show yourself in the best light.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)

You’ll have a tough time speaking up when a friend crosses an emotional line. Set stronger boundaries, Cancer.

Level of difficulty: Medium

The object of a sudoku is to fill in the remaining squares so that every row, every every 3 × 3 box of the numbers

Sudoku

You might have a hard time keeping emotions and personal feelings out of the office, especially when you have to hear some tough criticism.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22)

Private emotions could have you feeling isolated from others. You’ll need a lot of time to sort out your feelings before putting them into words.

Libra (September 23 - October 22)

You’re ready to follow your goals and dreams. This is a great day to change careers, switch jobs, or even start your own business.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)

You’re in a battle between your heart and your head about what you really want and where you want to be. Don’t make any hasty decisions today.

Word Search

flowers bees beach surfing camping waterpark ice cream lemonade sun beach ball sandcastle boating swimming shark fishies flipflops bonfire

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)

You’ll have a hard time staying focused with all your big feelings. Allow yourself to sit with your emotions and take a mental health day.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)

Take charge today, Capricorn, and take a stand for what you believe in even if others may disagree.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)

Spend the weekend getting your home in order by creating better habits. Invest in your home and make some needed repairs.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20)

You’ll have everything going for you if you just use your voice. Speaking your truth will give you a big reward later.