January 12, 2009     Reported By: Josie Huang

Officials with the University of Maine system decided this week that they will use the next six months to decide how to make the biggest budget cuts in the system's 40-year history.  And that's stirring up uncertainty across the seven campuses.

"Students pretty much know that there are problems -- pretty large," says 19-year-old Rolland Wolland, a student representative for the flagship Orono campus.  Wolland has heard what ails the university system:  cutbacks in state funding and a reduction in investment income because of the national fiscal crisis. Maine, with its miniscule population growth, has the added problem of flat enrollments.

Burt Jacobs, a psychology professor at the Farmington campus, sums up the mood of faculty members in two words:  "Depressed and nervous, to be really honest with you, speaking as a psychologist." he says. "It's a tough time when an insitution is constricting."

Chancellor Richard Pattenaude has said the university system has reached a point where it must undergo what he calls "tranformational change" to be financially sustainable. What exactly that change will look like will be hammered out over the next six months. That's how long university officials have given themselves to find nearly $43 million in savings and revenue to balance the budget over the next four years.

"This is about becoming a 21st century university," Pattenaude said at the board of trustees meeting Sunday. "We have to take a look at our academic programs for viability.  Do we have programs which are too small to survive? Do we have duplicate programs? Are we doing it as efficiently as we can?"

The board unanimously approved Pattenaude's six-month review process. Ideas include centralizing back-office services among the seven campuses, and allowing greater work flexibility among staff.  "Here, we're talking about alternative work schedules. Early retirement, more thoughtful ways to use our resources.  Shorter work years for those who choose to do so."  And, there will also be a greater emphasis on using the Internet to support academic activities and student services like creating a centralized computer help desk.

But Jacobs, the psychology professor who is also a faculty representative to the board, says he is worried about the effect of a reduced staff on education quality.  "If you have a program with so many professors and if you lose a number of those professors, you're also going to lose a corresponding number of courses.  And that can affect what people can learn because of the fact that courses won't be available to them."

Ross Wolland, the student representative, has different concerns.  "I think students are mostly just worried tuition increases as opposed to losing education, so to speak."  Tutition is about $7,000 a year.  Wolland says he gets about $1,000 in financial aid.  "I mean, there's no knowing when it goes up and how much it goes up by, and that's a problem for students--not knowing year by year."
 
University officials say that amid all the difficult decisions that need to be made, they are committed to keeping a UMaine education as affordable as possible.

It's already a challenge. Maine's tutition is mid-range compared to other states, but is ranked fifth highest, in terms of tuition as a percentage of the average state income.

This school year, tuition rose by 9 percent, a concern of the board chair, Joe Wishcamper.  "Every year that we raise rates at that kind of a level or anywhere near that kind of a level we are pricing families out of access to our system. "

Under Pattenaude's plan, tuition increases would average 6 percent over the next four years.  The board also approved the creation of a task force proposed by Pattenaude that would look at how the university system is structured and governed. For example, one area of interest would be looking at the size and role of the chancellor's office.

The chancellor and presidents of the different campuses will submit their recommendations to the board in July.