The university system is offering a one-year contract extension with a 3% raise. The union says that's not enough and has requested third-party mediation.
Educators and advocates urged the Legislature's education and cultural affairs committee to support 50% tuition vouchers for UMaine System schools for some Maine residents.
Some learners chafe at lost in-class experiences; others appreciate remote flexibility. For now, the university system doesn't seem ready to reverse its pandemic-era shift.
A systemwide college for engineering and computer science aims to address the state’s shortage of skilled workers. But the effort has some faculty worried about the autonomy of their programs.
The turmoil comes in the wake of layoffs and a mismanaged presidential search process at the University of Maine at Augusta that could cost the system more than $600,000 in future years.