University of Maine System

The University of Maine Graduate Workers Union rallied again at the Orono campus, calling on the University of Maine system to negotiate a fair contract.

The system rescinded a sale offer earlier this month, agreeing with another local group that the bid process did not fully account for the financial impact of transferring the property.

It's the first time in three years the university system has seen year-to-year growth, though enrollment is still down compared to where it was five years ago.

The sale of the Hutchinson Center to a Belfast church has generated two appeals and at least 135 comments from members of the public, the University of Maine System said this week.

The system said it's working with Missouri-based consulting firm Tripp Umbach to determine whether a public medical school is needed in Penobscot County to help address a workforce shortage.

On Thursday, the system announced that it had chosen to negotiate with Calvary Chapel Belfast on the purchase, because the organization produced the "top-scoring response."

Under the new partnership, the systems will be more proactive and reach out to eligible community college students about halfway through their associate degree, with information on how to continue their education at one of Maine's public universities.

Degree-seeking students haven't taken classes at the Hutchinson Center since the pandemic, and university officials say enrollment has mostly shifted online. A group of Belfast residents, however, want to see the facility preserved and kept in local hands.

Graduate student workers are calling on the University of Maine system to negotiate a fair contract with the newly formed union.

The University of Maine, along with the Universities of Maine at Machias and at Fort Kent, will launch the "Finish Strong" program next spring to incentivize those with a pending associate's or bachelor's degree to finish their studies.