PORTLAND — University of Maine System Chancellor James Page will visit the University of Southern Maine next week to address concerns of students, faculty members and administrators in the wake of recent controversy.

Page announced his plan to visit today, after USM faculty members held a no-confidence vote Wednesday on the leadership of President Selma Botman.

Leadership, hiring and spending practices at USM and across the system have come under scrutiny since Page became chancellor in March.

A majority of USM faculty members who cast ballots in Wednesday’s vote supported a resolution expressing no confidence in Botman. However, the measure failed because it needed the support of at least two-thirds of the entire faculty.

“This vote reflects the divided sentiment of USM’s faculty and I take the viewpoints expressed very seriously,” Page said in a news release. “My first priority is to engage with all of the parties to move USM forward in a unified way to serve our students and our state.”

The vote was 194 to 88 to show no confidence in Botman, according to the university’s public affairs office. USM has 377 full-time faculty members on three campuses – Portland, Gorham and Lewiston – so at least 251 votes were needed for the resolution to pass.

Page said he will meet with Botman, the executive committee of the USM Faculty Senate and others in the campus community to learn more about their concerns.


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