Teams Writing to Address the Nine New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) Standards

In close coordination with the campuses and the Maine Law School, the University of Maine System formed nine writing teams—one to address each of the nine NECHE Standards For Accreditation—in February 2021.

The teams reflect broad faculty and administrative/staff representation from the campuses and the Maine Law, and each campus is represented in the leadership structure by one or more chairs or co-chairs. The teams range in size from eight to 14 members. Minor changes in the composition of some teams are likely as a few additional members are brought aboard.

Resources supporting the work of the writing teams include institutional profile data prepared by University of Maine System Institutional Research; historical documentation related to unified accreditation, including the June 2020 substantive change application to NECHE; and recent self studies prepared by individual campuses prior to July 2020. Chairs/co-chairs and team members also participated in a Zoom training session, and have been provided with a template for writing their drafts.

The writing teams will meet throughout the spring semester and will produce their respective drafts by the end of May 2021. The drafts will be woven into a single narrative in Summer 2021, and will form the foundation of the self study submitted to NECHE and to an external review team in advance of our Fall 2022 comprehensive evaluation.

The University of Maine System community will have the opportunity to review the self study in draft in Spring or Summer 2022 and share feedback.

The writing teams:

UMS Unified Accreditation NECHE self study writing teams as of February 22, 2021.

Chairs/co-chairs:

Karen Beeftink (University of Maine at Machias)

Barbara Blackstone (University of Maine at Presque Isle)

Writing team: 

Libby Bischof (University of Southern Maine)

Kristen Case (University of Maine at Farmington)

Jennifer Mascaro Davis (University of Maine at Augusta)

Donna Karno (University of Maine at Farmington)

Lisa Lavoie (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Mike Scott (University of Maine)

Meredith Swallow (University of Maine at Farmington)

Ellen Taylor (University of Maine at Augusta)

Chairs/co-chairs:

Deb Allen (University of Maine)

Jonathan Henry (University of Maine at Augusta)

Writing team: 

Marilyn Epp (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Lorne Gibson (University of Maine at Presque Isle)

Nathan Grant (University of Maine at Farmington)

Kim Lane (University of Maine at Farmington)

Susan McWilliams (University of Southern Maine)

Buster Neel (University of Maine at Augusta)

William Otto (University of Maine at Machias)

Scott Voisine (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Chair:

Lydia Savage (University of Southern Maine)

Writing team: 

Chris Bates (University of Maine at Augusta)

Gillian Jordan (University of Maine at Augusta)

Deborah Meehan (University of Maine at Augusta)

Jamie Moreira (University of Maine at Machias)

Debra Pelletier (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Deborah Roark (University of Maine at Presque Isle)

Joe Zubrick (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Chris Gerbi (University of Maine)

Chairs/co-chairs:

Ray Rice (University of Maine at Presque Isle)

Joe Szakas (University of Maine at Augusta)

Writing team: 

Heather Ball (University of Maine at Machias)

Mark Brewer (University of Maine)

Erin Connor (University of Maine at Farmington)

Tina Daigle (University of Maine at Augusta)

Matt Dube (University of Maine at Augusta)

Greg Fahy (University of Maine at Augusta)

Shaleen Jain (University of Maine)

Alex Myhre (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Jeremy Qualls (University of Southern Maine)

Erin Soucy (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Kathy Yardley (University of Maine at Farmington)

Jeff Thaler (University of Maine School of Law)

Chairs/co-chairs:

Sheri Fraser (University of Maine at Presque Isle)

Orlina Boteva (University of Maine)

Writing team: 

Nicole Achey (University of Maine at Farmington)

Susan Baker (University of Maine at Augusta)

Vicki Daigle (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Brandy Finck (University of Maine at Augusta)

Marnie Kaler (University of Maine at Machias)

Jacquelyn Lowman (University of Maine at Presque Isle)

Matthew Morrin (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Clarissa Thompson (University of Maine at Farmington)

Christine Wilson (University of Maine at Farmington)

Sherry Niang (University of Maine School of Law)

Lisa Hibl (University of Southern Maine)

Andra Bowen (University of Maine)

Chairs/co-chairs:

Brenda McAleer (University of Maine at Augusta)

Steve Quackenbush (University of Maine at Farmington)

Writing team: 

Dimitry Bam (University of Maine School of Law)

Karen Pelletreau (University of Maine)

Nicole Boudreau (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Saima Farooq (University of Maine)

Jason Johnston (University of Maine at Presque Isle)

Rob Kellerman (University of Maine at Augusta)

Lorien Lake-Corral (University of Maine at Augusta)

Lisa Walker (University of Southern Maine)

Brian Olsen (University of Maine)

Chairs/co-chairs:

Laurie Gardner (University of Maine at Farmington)

David Nutty (University of Southern Maine)

Writing team: 

Sofia Birden (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Diane Boone (University of Maine at Augusta)

Lauren DuBois (University of Maine at Augusta)

Aili Robinson (University of Maine at Augusta)

Nancy Pierce (University of Maine at Presque Isle)

Tanya Sleeper (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Marianne Thibodeau (University of Maine at Machias)

Niki Woodhouse (University of Maine at Farmington)

Stewart Harvey (University of Maine)

Chairs/co-chairs:

Ashley Montgomery (University of Maine at Farmington)

Mandy Barrington (University of Maine)

Writing team: 

Angela Arey (University of Maine School of Law)

Sam Hanes (University of Maine)

Hirosuke Honda (University of Maine at Augusta)

Tora Johnson (University of Maine at Machias)

Alana Margeson (University of Maine at Presque Isle)

Theresa Overall (University of Maine at Farmington)

Dan Panici (University of Southern Maine)

Denise Potvin (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Tim Surrette (University of Maine at Augusta)

Jeff Sychterz (University of Maine at Augusta)

Linda Beck (University of Maine at Farmington)

Chairs/co-chairs: 

Kerri Watson-Blaisdell (University of Maine at Fort Kent)

Meghan Cadwallader (University of Southern Maine)

Writing team: 

David Fiacco (University of Maine)

Cara Cushing (University of Maine at Machias)

Carla DeGraw (University of Maine at Farmington)

Shannon Gauvin (University of Maine at Augusta)

Domna Giatas (University of Maine at Augusta)

Anila Karunakar (University of Maine)

Amanda Lozier (University of Maine)

Rachel Rice (University of Maine at Presque Isle)

Laura Rodas (University of Maine at Augusta)

Mike Kirby (University of Maine)