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University of Maine

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
168 College Ave
Orono, Maine 04469
Phone
(207) 581-1865
School Information
"The University of Maine was established as the Maine College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts under the provisions of the Morrill Act, approved by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. In 1897, the original name changed to the University of Maine. The institution opened Sept. 21, 1868 with 12 students admitted that fall. Today, the university is home to 11,741 undergraduate and graduate students." The university enrolls over 11,700 students, has a 16:1 student-faculty ratio, and offers more than 100 degree programs. (Source: https://umaine.edu/about/quick-facts/)
General Information
The University of Maine has taken steps to host and create anti-racist trainings and events. No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, see developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • The university's Strategic Enrollment and Retention Action Plan states that it "must broaden our enrollment management strategies with an emphasis on growing and diversifying our population of learners and commit to an environment that supports all learners to succeed and graduate."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • The university's Hutchinson Center will provide a professional development program titled "Racial Equity, Implicit Bias, and Diversity Training".
  • The Office for Diversity and Inclusion provides training sessions titled "Intro to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion," "Transforming Self for Racial Equity," and "Response Language as a Professional Competency."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • The Department of Anthropology at UM lists all of the courses that satisfy its "cultural diversity requirements."
Disciplinary Measures
  • The university outlines its bias incident reporting protocols and states that a "bias incident is an intentional or unintentional conduct that discriminates, stereotypes, excludes, harasses, or harms anyone in our community based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, including transgender status and gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, or veteran status." 
Political Actions and Support for Anti-Racism
  • The Black Lives Matter flag will be raised in front of Folger Library.
  • The school held an event for "George Floyd, Anti-Black Racism and #BlackLivesMatter" in 2020.
  • The university's library hosts the "Racial Justice Challenge" which is comprised of five-day action steps in order to encourage anti-racism education at the university. The library states, "This week is intended to provide a supportive space to learn, share information, and take action toward racial justice."
Program and Research Funding
  • The Multicultural Center at the University of Maine is a "resource and an advocate for traditionally underrepresented populations" and provides "Educational, Cultural and Social Programs." Additionally, the center "explores critical issues on campus about race, class, ethnicity, nationality, culture, gender, and how to best support the success of students from marginalized communities and cultures."
Re-Imagining Policing
  • The UMPD issued a Diversity and Inclusion Statement which reads in part as follows: "We thoroughly review our policies and procedures, and apply best practices in all that we do. We pledge to maintain strict standards for hiring and training. The University deserves professional police officers who understand and appreciate the diverse nature of our community. We commit to remaining transparent and eliminating police cultures that condone any social injustices." 
Resources
  • The university has organized a series of Black History month events and challenges centering around "anti-racism" and "social change".
  • The school implemented a First Year Student Success Initiative, a 2019 program that involves "establishing a Living, Learning Community working group to increase the number of CSJ/DEI themed housing units on campus."
  • In 2019, the school set a goal to "hire a Director of Diversity and Inclusion to organize, manage, and expand diversity and inclusion initiatives."
  • In 2019, the school set a goal to create the Provost's Advisory Committee on Equity.
  • The school set a goal in 2020 to assemble a "President's Advisory Roundtable on Race" in addition to a "President's Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
  • In 2020, the school created the Student Roundtable on Race, which involved objectives of hiring minorities.
  • The College of Education and Human Development has a "Diversity and Difference Standing Committee" which "enhances communication, scholarship collaboration, coordination of professional developments and sharing of resources among those engaged in learning about diversity and difference." One of the goals of the committee is to educate students and faculty in order to "[c]omprehend the impacts of privilege and difference in his/her own life and educational experience."
  • In January 2023, the University of Maine System's Office of Equal Opportunity published a document titled "Search Committee Briefing: Implicit Bias, Diversity, and Inclusive Hiring Practices," which "[discusses] best practices for maximizing inclusion and minimizing bias."
Symbolic Actions
  • The university's Department of Anthropology released the following statement on racism: "Raising our Voices on Race and Racism is the result of a collaborative grassroots effort among faculty, students and community members at the University of Maine. Outraged by deeply rooted, systemic and recently resurgent forms of racism and racialized violence, we felt compelled to raise our voices on race and racism. While we recognize that we all have a lot more work to do, we hope that this series of publicly available mini lectures and community discussions might help to move the needle towards active anti-racist practice and pedagogy on campus and beyond."
Last updated July 1st, 2024
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