Meeting Actions
Notification of Board of Trustees Actions
Additional meeting information is available by contacting the Board Office at ums.trustees@maine.edu.
November 17-18, 2019 Board of Trustees Meeting
At a Board of Trustees meeting on November 17-18, 2019 hosted by the University of Maine at Farmington, the Board approved the following action:
Acceptance of Minutes. The following meeting minutes were approved as presented:
September 15-16, 2019 – Board of Trustees Meeting
October 28, 2019 – Academic & Student Affairs Committee Meeting
October 28, 2019 – Human Resources & Labor Relations Committee Meeting
October 30, 2019 – Finance, Facilities, Technology Committee Meeting
October 30, 2019 – Audit & Finance, Facilities, Technology Joint Session
October 30, 2019 – Special Board Meeting
Confirmation of Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees approved the appointment of the following Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees:
Faculty Representative:
Kennedy Rubert-Nason, UMFK – appointed for a 2 year term – November 2019 to November 2021
Honorary Degree Nomination for 2020, USM.
The Board of Trustees approved the 2020 nomination for Honorary Degree at USM as presented.
Report on a Summary of Process Considerations & Framework for Pursing Unified Accreditation.
The Board of Trustees approved the following resolution:
- Receives and accepts the Chancellor’s Report on a Summary of Process Considerations and Framework for Pursuing Unified Accreditation and directs that it be transmitted to appropriate officials at NECHE and the U.S. Department of Education to enable further discussions to prepare for a potential transition to unified accreditation.
- Authorizes and directs the Chancellor to continue to visit and engage with all UMS campuses to obtain appropriate input from all UMS stakeholders, and to engage with NECHE and the U.S. Department of Education as necessary and appropriate, in further developing implementation plans that would be necessary for a successful transition to unified accreditation.
- Directs the Chancellor to prepare appropriate materials to bring to the Board for action at its January 2020 meeting the question of whether to initiate proceedings with NECHE, and as further appropriate with the U.S. Department of Education, to begin a transition to a unified institutional accreditation for the University of Maine System pursuant to the Guiding Principles already established.
- Authorizes and directs the Chancellor and UMS Presidents to take such preliminary actions as may be necessary before Board action in January 2020 to ensure that a proper unified accreditation substantive change application can be prepared if the Board authorizes such action at that meeting.
USM Name Change.
The Board of Trustees voted to support changing the name of the University of Southern Maine to the University of Maine at Portland.
Exception to Board Policy on Tenure.
The Board of Trustees authorized a one-time exception to the Tenure policy to allow two faculty members at UMF four years of tenure probation credit.
The Board of Trustees reviewed the following agenda items as forwarded by the Academic & Student Affairs Committee to the Consent Agenda from its meeting on October 28, 2019:
Awarding of Academic Degrees.
The Board of Trustees approved the recommendation of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee and authorized the awarding of degrees during Commencement ceremonies for the 2019-2020 academic year to those students fully recommended by the appropriate faculties and the presidents of the respective institutions of the University of Maine System.
Academic Program Proposal: M.S. in Athletic Training, USM.
The Board of Trustees authorized the creation of a collaborative Master of Science in Athletic Training for the University of Southern Maine and University of Maine at Presque Isle.
Academic Program Proposal: M.A. in Organizational Leadership, UMPI.
The Board of Trustees authorized the creation of the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership for the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
The Board of Trustees reviewed the following agenda items as forwarded by the Finance, Facilities, & Technology Committee to the Consent Agenda from its meeting on October 30, 2019:
Lease Authorization Request, UM.
The Board of Trustees approved the recommendation of the Finance, Facilities and Technology Committee and authorized the University of Maine System acting through the University of Maine to enter a ground lease for the land at 109 College Avenue, Orono for the term of as long as fifty years with all final terms and conditions subject to review and approval of the University of Maine System Treasurer and General Counsel.
UMS Energy Financing Addendum & Funding USM ESCO Project.
The Board of Trustees authorized the University of Maine System to add an Energy Addendum to its Master Equipment Lease/Purchase Agreement with Banc of America Public Capital Corp for the financing of energy improvements including those related to Energy Services Company (ESCO) projects. Further, the Board of Trustees authorized the University of Southern Maine to fund an ESCO project on its Gorham campus, for Bailey and Anderson Hall energy improvements, using this financing arrangement, for up to $1,900,000.
Erskine Hall Lease Extension, UMA.
The Board of Trustees approved the recommendation of the Finance, Facilities and Technology Committee and authorized the University of Maine System acting through the University of Maine at Augusta to enter into a lease amendment with Mastway Development, LLC or its successor organization to extend the existing lease from five years to seven years duration at a total cost over the seven year period of $2,709,110 subject to review of the final terms and conditions by the University General Counsel and Treasurer.
Date of Next Meeting.
The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held on January 26-27, 2020 at the University of Maine.
