Declining enrollment means changes for USM

Maine K-12 schools aren't the only ones dealing with consolidation driven by fewer students and rising costs.

Declining enrollment at the University of Southern Maine is prompting its administration to consolidate and rebuild a university for fewer students.

How USM will consolidate hasn't been decided, but no changes are expected at the Lewiston-Auburn College, a USM campus, university spokesman Bob Caswell said Thursday.

One of the biggest reasons for USM's enrollment losses are more students going to the Maine Community College System instead of USM. The Southern Maine Community College in South Portland has had especially high student growth, while overall the community college system is experiencing record enrollment numbers.

In the past two years, USM has graduated record-breaking classes, but in the past two years the number of entering students also has been fewer.

In 2002, USM's fall enrollment topped out at 11,382. This fall enrollment is below 10,500 for the second consecutive year, Caswell said. USM officials don't expect the enrollment numbers will go back, and say they need to build a system to teach 10,000 students, Caswell said.

Possible ways USM could reorganize, according to a plan proposed by USM interim Provost Mark Lapping, include:

Combine the School of Business with the School of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology to create a new College of Management, Innovation and Technology. Schools of business and engineering and technology would be a part of it.

Create a new College of Education, Nursing and Health Studies with separate schools of education and nursing and health sciences. That would happen by combining the College of Education and Human Development with the College of Nursing and Health Professions.

Restructure the Muskie School of Public Service to include other academic, research and public service entities. Or, eliminate the school's administration and redistribute some or all of its programs and institutes to other university departments.

Under the College of Arts and Sciences, combine some departments and programs. Those could include criminology and sociology, physics and chemistry, linguistics, modern languages and literature. Within the college there'd be four schools. Those would be fine and performing arts, humanities, science and mathematics and social sciences.

Spin off some of the university's research and public service entities as nonprofit organizations. They could be affiliated with USM, or independent of it.

Savings from the proposed changes would happen by reducing personnel and overhead costs. It's not known what impact the changes could have on students, but if it's determined the changes don't make sense educationally, they won't be pursued, Caswell said. The goal is to maintain quality teaching.

The proposals are not firm, nor do they have savings projections yet, Caswell said. "What interim President Joseph Wood has said is, 'Here are ideas worthy of further consideration.'"

Decisions on how consolidation could happen will likely happen in early 2008, Caswell said.

Most of the USM enrollment losses have been part-time students, Caswell said, adding that those students may be a better fit with the mission of the community college system built by Gov. John Baldacci five years ago.

But the changes have impacted USM's revenue. For the past two years USM has endured deficits. If no changes are made this year, there'll be a $3.6 million deficit out of an overall budget of $110 million. Change is needed so that USM can sustain itself fiscally, Caswell said.

For more information, go to http://www.usm.maine.edu/mcr/update.