FARMINGTON — Tuesday UMF President Dr. Edward Serna gave selectmen several updates, including one on the strategic plan.

Enrollment has decreased about 25% over the last decade, which is in step with a decline in Maine high school students graduating, Serna said.

“We’re a tuition driven institution. That has really hurt. We’ve been operating at a deficit the last couple of years,” he said.

UMF has retained outside consultants to help with the strategic plan which will be delivered in December.

They have been impressed at the level of community involvement in the process, Serna said.

“UMF needs to be more engaged with the community, economic development and the region on what UMF should be,” he said. “We need to do a better job at branding, how we are going to distinguish ourselves, our role in the UMaine system.”

Consulting firms have been brought in to increase data, look at how the academic programs match up, bring in best practices, Serna said.

“The trustees want UMF to be ambitious. If we are, they’ll invest in us,” he said.

It was noted nothing was done with UMF’s 2014 strategic plan.

“We can’t afford that misstep this time. We want something that’s actionable,” Serna said.

“In the last few years, the college hasn’t seemed that open to us,” Selectman Chairman Matthew Smith said.

“Something happened a few years ago. We’re looking at what we can do to get back with the community,” Serna said.

The plan will include academics, better leveraging of its location and investing in infrastructure.

“You’re a community within our community,” Selectman Stephan Bunker said.

The footprint changed a few years ago. I’m always interested in the physical plant side, infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks, sewer and lighting, he said.

The consultants have made it very clear UMF needs to make investments in infrastructure, Serna said.

Farmington plans a renovation project for High Street next year, similar to that done on Front Street, Smith said.

“High Street is such a critical roadway. When I see parents unloading the cars there, to have something like the lights and sidewalks on Front Street, that makes such a big difference,” Serna said.

The number one item to invest in is the fitness and recreation center, Serna said.

“That would bring more people to campus,” he added.

“People in the community use that,” Bell said.

A meeting with the board in January to review the new plan was suggested by Serna.

Regarding the fall 2020 safe return to campus plan, Serna said he wanted it to be not just taking care of UMF but the community as well.

“That really resonated with students and staff. They’ve done everything they could to make this successful. The students miss this place. They want to be here,” Serna said. “Farmington has always been about the classroom experience, really resisted going online, distance education.”

About one-third of faculty are still in the classroom, about a third are in a hybrid set up and a third completely online, Serna said.

UMF has made a significant investment in COVID-19 protocols such as changes in residence halls, technology and testing, he said.

“It cost about $100 per test. We administered 3,000 tests. All students were tested as soon as they stepped foot on campus, were locked down until a negative test came back,” Serna said. “Since then, about 10% of the population has been tested randomly.”

There were three positive cases after students had a three-day break in October, Serna said.

“The next week more than 1,000 tests were done. Anyone living within 25 miles of campus, all students living in residence halls, faculty and staff. There were zero hits (positives),” Serna said. “This week there was one asymptomatic case. The four positive cases were all asymptomatic.”

Students will be on campus through Nov. 25, leave for Thanksgiving and finish the rest of the semester remotely, Serna said.

“We can’t have students coming back to Farmington. We can’t control that variable,” he said.

UMF is collaborating with other campuses to offer new degree programs and is adding more graduate programs, Serna said.

“The years I particularly liked were when students, faculty and town government collaborated,” Bunker said. “Students were getting academic credit, we were getting their useful energy.”

In other business, selectmen appointed ten people to the police chief search committee.

Police Chief Jack Peck recently announced his retirement to take a position at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

Peck’s last day in Farmington is Nov. 12.

Deputy Chief Shane Cote will serve as interim police chief.

On Friday, a list of eight names was sent to board members with a recommendation of limiting the committee’s size to maintain flexibility and meet COVID-19 restrictions.

Tom Jones was added to the list during the board meeting. Executive Secretary Nancy Martin said Jones was a former Sanford Police Chief. He had also been police chief in Farmington.

Town Manager Richard Davis would serve on the committee too.

Some board members expressed surprise that representatives from area victims’ advocacy organizations had not asked to serve.

“I would have liked to see a business person,” Selectman Joshua Bell said.

This is a good representation, Smith said.

“If we have to shut down again, go to Zoom meetings, I think it will work,” Smith added.

Appointed to the search committee were Davis, Jones, Smith, Selectman Michael Fogg, District Attorney Andrew Robinson, UMF President Dr. Edward Serna, pastor/banker Ryan Goding, Wilton Police Chief Heidi Wilcox, MCJA Director (retired) John Rogers and citizen Pamela Poisson.

The police chief position has been advertised in-house and will be published in newspapers Nov. 16 – Dec. 31.

Two in-house applications have been received, Davis texted. He did not attend the board meeting.

 

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