October 2019

UMPI was pleased to host U.S. Senator Angus King on campus for a visit to tour the new Zillman Family Greenhouse, learn about Ag research to be conducted there, and visit with UMPI’s first class of Cybersecurity students. An action-packed day, the visit ended with UMPI hosting a live remote interview between Senator King and CNN’s Chris Cuomo in the South Hall Faculty Lounge.

Photos courtesy of Deb Roark

The University of Maine at Presque Isle held a ceremony this fall to celebrate the rededication of its Democracy Wall, which was moved to a more central location on campus, in the Center for Innovative Learning. The Democracy Wall was established in the spring of 2018 to promote diversity, inclusion, and civil discourse on campus by providing a democratic free speech area. Questions are posted on the wall and everyone—students, faculty, staff, and community members—are welcome to add their own responses. Members of the UMPI community taking part in the rededication event are, from left, Don Gibson, Dr. Lea Allen, Rachel Rice, Dr. Debbie Roark, Ashley Morton, Roger Getz, Hannah Harmon, President Ray Rice, Mary Ndukwe, Barbara Blackstone, and Violet Hurlburt.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle, along with the City of Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, Maine Humanities Council, and Wintergreen Arts Center, will be hosting various events Friday, Nov. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 3 at various locations. On Friday, Nov. 1, in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk, the Aroostook Band of Micmacs will have their museum exhibits open from 6 – 8 p.m. at 7 Northern Rd.; there will be a native American Basket Exhibit at Edmunds Library at NMCC from 6 – 8 p.m.; and UMPI’s Reed Art Gallery will present People of the Dawn: A Celebration of Mi’kmaq Art from 5 – 7 p.m. There will also be a showing of the film Wind River at 6 p.m. in the Auditorium in Wieden Hall, followed by a discussion led by the Wabanaki Women’s Coalition.

On Saturday, Nov. 2, Wintergreen Arts will be doing Native American Crafts from 9:30 a.m. to Noon; the Aroostook Band of Micmacs will have an Open House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library will have a genealogy workshop, Tracing Native American Roots from 9 to Noon; NMCC will have a basket exhibit from 11 – 2 p.m. in the Edmunds Library and a reading circle from Noon to 1 p.m.; and UMPI will have various exhibits, demonstrations, performances and lectures from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

On Sunday, Nov. 3 there will be a youth-led social honoring Native American Veterans from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Campus Center here at UMPI.

All of these events are free and open to the public. FMI, contact Kim Smith at 207-760-2722 or email ksmith@presqueisleme.us.

UMPI did various fund raisers and accepted donations for Danielle Boyles, an UMPI student who, along with her husband Eric and their children, recently experienced a house fire. In total, $1,248 was raised to help them replace some of the bare necessities that they lost in the fire. Thank you to everyone who donated.

Early College went to Houlton last month for a parent student night and shared a PowerPoint presentation on their new online registration portal called ExplorEC. During the event, David Murray, Director of Early College Partnerships, talked about the fundamentals (fee structure, credit breakdown, drops/withdrawals, etc.).

Former Presque Isle resident and philanthropist Mary Smith purchased a bus to be used on a bus loop of stops around Presque Isle. The Going Places Network says transportation is needed in the area and this bus will fill that need. The bus went into operation on Oct. 15 and, for the first two weeks, people can ride for free; after that, the cost is $1.75. The bus will run seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to Noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. This initial schedule will run through Oct. 31 and then will be reassessed so any adjustments in the schedule can be implemented starting Nov. 1.

The bus will make stops at 16 locations that run from UMPI on the south end of the city to the Aroostook Centre Mall on the north end. It will also stop in the Skyway Industrial Park, Northern Maine Community College, Walmart, and Northern Light A. R. Gould Memorial Hospital, among other places.

Riders will be able to purchase fares using cash (exact change only), credit card, debit, or EBT on the bus. Go Passes and Go Cards can be purchased at ARTS, ACAP, or the Presque Isle Housing Authority office, and also from one’s own computer or mobile device.

UMPI’s Student Activities Office will be hosting a Breast Cancer 5K Color event on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 1-4 p.m. Registration is $10 and $5 from each registration will be donated to help in the fight against breast cancer. Registration will take place in the Owl’s Nest in the Campus Center. This event will be held rain or shine. FMI, contact Violet Hurlburt at 207-768-9582 or email violet.hurlburt@maine.edu.

UMPI’s own Dick Howlett has been named to the Governor’s Task Force on All-Terrain Vehicle Trail Initiatives, which was established earlier this year. Howlett serves as the President of the Star City ATV Club and is one of 14 individuals serving on the statewide task force. The purpose of the task force is to recommend how best to address the social, economic, legal, and environmental problems caused by certain ATV operation.  Recommendations will be submitted to the Governor by Jan. 1, 2020. Congratulations to Dick on being selected to participate in this important work for the State of Maine!

Are you planning on completing your degree requirements in December of 2019?  If so, please be aware that the deadline to apply for graduation is Oct. 31.

If you are graduating in May 2020, the deadline to apply is Dec. 9.

If you have not already done so, it is strongly recommended that you contact your professional advisor to finalize your plan for degree completion. To make an appointment, you can visit the Advising Center on the first floor of South Hall, or call (207)768-9619.

This information goes out to all students, including those who are not close to graduation. The reason is that we believe it is helpful for all students to be aware of the process you will eventually follow to receive your degree! Not sure how close you are to graduating? Contact your Professional Academic Advisor and they will help you with a degree completion plan.

The application for degree is in your MaineStreet Student Center. Here is how to access it:

• Login to the UMPI Portal (umpi.edu), click on the MaineStreet icon, and go to your Student Center (Student Self-Service -> Student Center).
• From the ‘other academic…’ dropdown, select ‘Apply for Graduation’.
• Follow the on-screen prompts to complete your application.

There is no fee to apply to graduate. Some of your information will be loaded automatically. If your degree information looks incorrect, please contact your professional advisor.

Why Do I Need to Apply for a Degree?
Shouldn’t we just know that you’re done? We do have a pretty good idea of who is getting close to graduating, but there are a lot of variables to consider in determining degree status and the safest way to make sure that we are on the same page as you about when you plan to graduate is for you to notify us. For this reason, and because students are expected to remain in communication with their faculty and professional academic advisors throughout their academic careers and know where they are in terms of degree progress, the policy is that you must apply for graduation in order to receive your degree. You will also be unable to participate in Commencement if we do not have a graduation application on file.

Commencement and Degrees
Students who submit their Application for Degree by the deadline, and who meet the requirements listed will be allowed to participate in the May 2020 commencement ceremony. While we make every possible effort to review late applications, students who apply too close to the commencement ceremony risk being considered ineligible to participate.

Students will receive a diploma that will be dated August, December or May following the actual completion of degree requirements.  Diplomas are awarded only three times per year.

Commencement Participation Policy
Students lacking no more than 6 credit hours (or two courses, if the total number of credit hours is greater than 6) toward completion of all degree requirements OR who have a single internship or practicum remaining may participate in the commencement ceremony in May. Students may also participate if their academic advisor has approved a plan that shows that the student will have completed all remaining degree requirements by the end of the following fall semester (for this year, Fall 2020).

Students meeting the requirements of this policy must submit an Application for Degree by the Dec. 9, 2019 deadline.