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University of New England (United States)

(Redirected from St. Francis College (Maine))
Not to be confused with New England College or University of New England (Australia).

The University of New England (UNE) is a private research university in Portland and Biddeford, Maine, United States. It traces it historical origins to 1831 when Westbrook Seminary opened on what is now the UNE Portland Campus.

University of New England
Former names
As St. Francis College:
College Séraphique (1939–1952)
St. Francis College (1952–1978)
As New England College of Osteopathic Medicine:
New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (1978)
As Westbrook College:
Westbrook Seminary (1831–1933)
Westbrook Junior College (1933–1973)
Westbrook College (1973–1996)
MottoLucens et ardens (Latin)
Motto in English
"Ardor for light"
More loosely translated the motto means "passion for learning or enlightenment". The significance of the motto is incorporated symbolically in the lighted lamp of knowledge in the top right quadrant of the university's seal.
TypePrivate research university
Established1831; 193 years ago (1831)[1]
AccreditationNECHE
Academic affiliations
Endowment$39.2 million (2020)[2]
PresidentJames D. Herbert
ProvostJoshua Hamilton
Academic staff
275 full-time,[3] 298 part-time
Administrative staff
704
Students6,642[4]
Undergraduates2,582
Postgraduates3,095
1,850
Location
Biddeford
,
Maine
,
United States

43°27′30″N 70°23′15″W / 43.45833°N 70.38750°W / 43.45833; -70.38750
CampusMidsize Suburb, 540 acres (2.2 km2)
Other campuses
NewspaperNor'easter News
Colors  Black
  Blue
  Gray[5]
NicknameNor'easters
Sporting affiliations
MascotStormin' Norman[6]
Websitewww.une.edu

The university offers a study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco. During the 2020 academic year, 7,208 students were enrolled in UNE's campus-based and online programs.[7] UNE is the largest private university in the state of Maine[8] and the largest educator of healthcare professionals for Maine.[9] It is organized into five colleges that combine to offer more than 70 undergraduate, graduate, online, and professional degrees. The university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity."[10]

History

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In 1939, a boys-only high school and junior college called the College Séraphique was founded in Biddeford by Father Decary and the Franciscan friar of St. Andre's parish.[1]

In 1952, the school changed its name to St. Francis College and began granting bachelor's degrees with state approval in 1953.[1] The high school program was phased out by 1961, and the college was first accredited in 1966.[1][11]

The school became co-educational for the first time in 1967, and the Franciscans withdrew from the administration of the college in 1974.[1]

To survive dropping enrollment, St. Francis College entered into an agreement with the New England Foundation for Osteopathic Medicine in 1978 to establish the New England College of Osteopathic Medicine on the same campus, and in 1979 the two together became the University of New England (the merger would not be fully complete until a 1987 vote by the College of Osteopathic Medicine corporation).[1][12]

In 1996, Westbrook College merged with the University of New England. The merger took place under the terms of the original 1831 Westbrook charter, and the combined institutions became Westbrook College before changing the name back to the University of New England.[13]

In October 2020, the University of New England received a gift of $30 million from the Harold Alfond Foundation as part of a major investment in eight Maine institutions for the purpose of growing the state’s workforce and economy and supporting quality health care. The grant will support the construction of a new facility for the relocation of the University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine from the Biddeford Campus to the Portland Campus, the establishment of a new Institute for Interprofessional Education and Practice, and the acceleration of high-growth undergraduate and graduate programs on the Biddeford Campus to meet student demand and workforce needs, such as aquaculture, entrepreneurship, criminal justice, sports media communication, and others.[14]

James D. Herbert, Ph.D., serves as UNE's sixth president. His tenure began on July 1, 2017, immediately following the 11-year tenure of Danielle N. Ripich.[15]

Campuses

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UNE offers three campuses that provide students with a range of learning environments. The university's two campuses in coastal Maine, USA, house undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, while its Tangier Campus provides a semester-abroad opportunity in Morocco.[16]

Biddeford Campus

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The Biddeford Campus covers 540 acres (220 ha), with 0.75 miles (1.21 km) of ocean frontage where the Saco River flows into the Atlantic Ocean.[17] The 26 buildings on the campus include the Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences, the Pickus Center for Biomedical Research, and the Marine Science Center.

The Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences houses Maine's only medical school: The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.[18]

UNE's Biddeford Campus is also home to the George and Barbara Bush Center, which houses material chronicling the Bush legacy in Maine, including memorabilia on loan from the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library at Texas A & M University. The Center includes a replica of the Oval Office during Bush's term in the White House and a statue of the former president. Each year, UNE hosts an annual lecture at its Biddeford Campus that is often attended by the former president and his family.[19] In September 2017, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell visited UNE's Biddeford Campus to deliver the Bush Lecture.[20]

The UNE Biddeford Campus also includes the Harold Alfond Forum, which offers 105,000 square-feet (9,800 m2) of athletic and learning space, including: an NHL-size ice hockey rink with 900 seats, a basketball court with 1,200 seats, classrooms, a fitness center, and multi-purpose indoor practice courts that are also used for performances and lectures.[21] A $10 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation facilitated the building's construction and the development of associated programming.[22]

UNE also owns Ram Island, off the coast of the Biddeford Campus, which serves as a field station for student and faculty researchers.[23]

Portland Campus

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Main article: Westbrook College Historic District
 
Ludcke Auditorium, Portland Campus

The UNE Portland Campus, located on Stevens Avenue, houses the university's Westbrook College of Health Professions and the College of Dental Medicine. The College of Dental Medicine, which is housed in the $14.5 million Oral Health Center, graduated its first class in 2017.[24] It is Maine's only dental college.[25]

Other features of the UNE Portland Campus include the Art Gallery, the Maine Women Writers Collection, Alumni Hall, and the Center for Global Humanities. Alumni Hall is the oldest building on campus, dating to an original opening in 1834; its most recent renovation was completed in 2016.[26] The Center for Global Humanities hosts scholars from around the globe for public lectures. Past lectures have featured Noam Chomsky,[27] Sherwin Nuland,[28] and Bill McKibben[29] as speakers.

Tangier Campus

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In January 2014, UNE opened a campus in Tangier, Morocco, within the campus of the American School of Tangier. The UNE campus consists of two buildings—one for academic programming and the other for student and staff housing. It also includes an outdoor court colored UNE blue.[30]

While studying in Morocco, UNE students take excursions to Casablanca, Fez, Marrakesh, and a UNE satellite program in Seville, Spain.[31]

The UNE Tangier Campus also hosts the Tangier Global Forum, a public lecture series designed to facilitate discussion of issues facing the global community. On May 12, 2017, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell visited the UNE Tangier Campus to present a lecture titled "Is Peace Possible in the Middle East?"[32]

Academics

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UNE offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs.[33] The university also has Maine's only medical school and Maine's only dental school.[34]

Westbrook College of Health Professions

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The UNE Westbrook College of Health Professions prepares students for careers in the healthcare fields. Students participate in clinical simulations, inter-professional learning experiences, service learning, and other experiences that enable them to transition smoothly into the workforce upon graduation. Programs included are Pharmacy, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, and Nurse Anesthesia.[35] The Westbrook College of Health Professions confers undergraduate degrees including a B.S. in Applied Exercise Science, B.S. in Dental Hygiene, and B.S. in Nursing; as well as graduate and doctorate degrees such as Master of Science in Athletic Training (M.S.A.T.), Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.S.O.T.), Master of Science in Physician Assistant (M.S.P.A.), Master of Science in Social Work (M.S.W.), Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), and Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.).[36]

College of Osteopathic Medicine

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The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine is the only medical school in the state of Maine. Its graduates constitute 25 percent of primary care physicians practicing in rural parts of Maine, and 10 percent of practicing physicians in the state.[18][37] Founded in 1978, it is accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) and the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.[38]

College of Dental Medicine

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The UNE College of Dental Medicine is the only dental school in northern New England.[39]

College of Graduate and Professional Studies: Online Learning

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The UNE College of Graduate and Professional Studies is 100% online, offering graduate degrees and certificate programs. In 2015, the college enrolled students from all 50 U.S. states and 27 countries.[40]

Research and Centers of Excellence

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The University of New England is categorized as an R2 University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which indicates that the institution engages in "High Research Activity.”[41] UNE has several centers of excellence for research and scholarship.[42]

Rankings

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UNE's programs have received national and international recognition in recent years:

Athletics

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See also: New England Nor'easters football

University of New England teams participate as members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III.[49] The Nor'easters are a member of the Conference of New England for thirteen of the school's current varsity sports; for women's ice hockey, the Nor'easters belong to the New England Hockey Conference.[49] Men's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, softball, swimming, and volleyball. In 2017, UNE fielded a sub-varsity football team in preparation for 2018 when it became a varsity football member of the CCC's football-only arm of Commonwealth Coast Football.[50]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Alumni & Friends Home". www.alumni.une.edu.
  2. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  3. ^ "Office of Institutional Research and Assessment - University of New England in Maine, Tangier and Online". www.une.edu. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  4. ^ "University of New England - Profile". www.une.edu. 2021. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  5. ^ "Brand Manual".
  6. ^ "Stormin' Norman voted Maine's No. 1 mascot -". athletics.une.edu. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  7. ^ "About".
  8. ^ "CMCC partners with UNE to expand students' access to science degrees". Twin City Times. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  9. ^ "University of New England". GPACU. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  10. ^ "Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup". carnegieclassifications.iu.edu. Center for Postsecondary Education. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  11. ^ "University of New England". Colleges & Universities (CIHE) / Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  12. ^ Haney, Eleanor (1989-01-01). "Shaping A Future: The Founding Of The University Of New England". Shaping a Future.
  13. ^ "Alumni & Friends Home". www.alumni.une.edu.
  14. ^ "UNE receives Alfond Foundation gift to support quality health care and workforce needs in Maine". 6 October 2020.
  15. ^ "University of New England announces James Herbert of Drexel University as next UNE president - News - University of New England in Maine, Tangier and Online". www.une.edu. 21 February 2017.
  16. ^ "UNE Tangier, Morocco - University of New England in Maine, Tangier and Online".
  17. ^ "Campuses - About UNE - University of New England in Maine, Tangier and Online". www.une.edu. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  18. ^ a b "College of Osteopathic Medicine | University of New England in Maine, Tangier and Online". www.une.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  19. ^ "George H.W., Barbara Bush attend lecture – on presidents: Photo - The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". 24 September 2015.
  20. ^ "Former Sen. Mitchell outlines some ways to fix a broken political system". pressherald.com. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  21. ^ "University of New England - Harold Alfond Forum".
  22. ^ "The Harold Alfond Foundation commits $10 million to UNE". University of New England Athletics.
  23. ^ "University of New England says donated island will become 'living laboratory' - The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". 30 November 2015.
  24. ^ "UNE graduates its first class of dentists". mainebiz.biz. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  25. ^ Koenig, Seth; Staff, B. D. N. (10 January 2014). "University of New England appoints new dean for Maine's only dental college".
  26. ^ "University of New England celebrates reopening of renovated 182 year-old iconic Alumni Hall on Portland Campus - News - University of New England in Maine, Tangier and Online". www.une.edu. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  27. ^ "Chomsky urges change in U.S. policy on Middle East - The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". 13 December 2011.
  28. ^ UNE Center for Global Humanities (5 November 2013). "Sherwin Nuland, M.D.: How We Die". Archived from the original on 2021-12-12 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ Olmstead, Kathryn; BDN, Special to the (2 February 2012). "Global warming forum moves some participants to action".
  30. ^ Tingis Redux (25 February 2016). "UNE dedicates first blue court in Tangier". Archived from the original on 2021-12-12 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ "UNE Tangier, Morocco | University of New England in Maine, Tangier and Online". www.une.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  32. ^ "George Mitchell shares views on Middle East peace prospects during age of Trump". bangordailynews.com. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  33. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2016-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  34. ^ "About UNE | University of New England in Maine, Tangier and Online". www.une.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  35. ^ "Welcome to the Westbrook College of Health Professions". University of New England. 6 December 2023.
  36. ^ "Academic Programs". University of New England.
  37. ^ "National Center for the Analysis of Healthcare Data: Customized Maps and Data". ncahd.org. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  38. ^ "About the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine". University of New England. 6 December 2023.
  39. ^ Keithley, Jim (28 August 2013). "UNE dental school opens Wednesday".
  40. ^ "Info" (PDF). www.une.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  41. ^ "Carnegie Classifications | Home Page".
  42. ^ "Centers and Institutes | Research | University of New England in Maine, Tangier and Online". www.une.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  43. ^ "Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition". www.princetonreview.com.
  44. ^ "University of New England". www.usnews.com.
  45. ^ "Forbes America's Top Colleges List 2021". Forbes.
  46. ^ "Times Higher Education College Rankings for 2017 –". Times Higher Education (The). timeshighereducation.com/The Wall Street Journal. 12 October 2016.
  47. ^ "Using earnings data to rank colleges: A value-added approach updated with College Scorecard data". Brookings Institution. 29 October 2015.
  48. ^ Maine Institutions – NECHE, New England Commission of Higher Education, retrieved May 26, 2021
  49. ^ a b "About UNE Athletics". University of New England Athletics. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  50. ^ "Football becomes a reality for UNE". pressherald.com. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
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