— BY JESSICA BLOCH
Bangor Daily News
BANGOR — The University of Maine System board of trustees Monday unanimously approved a plan aimed at overcoming a projected $42.8 million shortfall in the next four years.
Included in the long-term report assembled by UMS Chancellor Richard L. Pattenaude is the introduction of a three-year baccalaureate program, an increase in online students, and other measures meant to raise revenue and cut costs.
Tuition increases totaling $3 million to $5 million were built into the plan, Pattenaude said.
"The tuition (increase) is not to exceed 6 percent per year, and hopefully it would be less," he said.
Pattenaude's report includes 37 steps designed to fill the gap, which system officials have said is the result of declining enrollment and state appropriations as well as the bad economy.
The report highlights several new initiatives that will be implemented as soon as next fall.
One of those is the three-year baccalaureate program, which the report claims will save students time and costs. The program will include regular courses, an expanded summer course schedule and online classes. The target date for implementation is next fall.
The report also calls for doubling to more than 1,000 the number of students enrolled in online programs, with a target start date of next fall.
Campus enrollment officers and chief financial officers will study markets, strategic pricing and financial aid, with recommendations expected by March.
Long-term goals include a plan to define the role and scope of each campus, which has a target end date of June 2011.
The report also calls for containing compensation and benefits to save $13.8 million in four years; examining academic programs with low enrollment -- an effort already under way systemwide -- to save an estimated $2 million over the next four years; and fine-tuning student-faculty ratios to save a projected $6 million to $8 million.
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