State lawmakers should control their urges when it comes to the University of Maine System.
Plans to close the system’s $100 million budget shortfall by consolidating some campuses have drawn the ire of legislators, particularly some from the Augusta area where the University of Maine at Augusta would become part of the University of Southern Maine.
Legislation has been proposed to scuttle the plan.
The UMaine System receives public money and support. But direct oversight is best left in the hands of the nonpartisan board of trustees, who are responsible for the professional staff that manages day-to-day operations. Trustees are confirmed by the Legislature.
The university system is in a bind. The state contributes about $180 million a year to the system’s $420 million operating budget, but funding has not been keeping pace with needs. Chancellor Joseph Westphal says the consolidation plan could save $12 million a year, freeing money to be reinvested in educational programs and infrastructure. But those savings alone wouldn’t solve the system’s money crunch. Major investment is needed, Westphal says, if the universities in the system are going to continue to attract students.
Given that it’s unlikely that the state will be able to find significant new funding in its budget – the state faces a $733 million budget shortfall of its own for next year – the university system must make changes to ensure its financial health. That could translate into less autonomy for some campuses, programs shifted from one school to another and the elimination of some disciplines. Options, like state funding, are limited.
Much of the concern over Westphal’s plans could have been avoided with a more open process and more early input on the consolidation plan. Leaked details and rumors forced Westphal to go public with his intentions earlier than he might have liked. A more inclusive process – and a more comprehensive outline of planned changes – also could have put to rest the fears and opposition of some lawmakers and faculty members.
The UMaine System is an important part of the communities in which it has campuses. It’s natural that community leaders would be concerned about changes. Change, however, is necessary, and the sooner the specifics of the changes are put forward, the better.
Lawmakers should avoid the temptation to seize more control over the university system. A partisan, parochial, elected body is ill-suited to micromanage the state’s universities.
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