On May 22, 2022, the Maine Sunday Telegram ran a story by Kay Neufeld detailing the devastation of the University of Maine at Farmington’s campus. The first cut, the unimaginable firing of tenured professor Jonathan Cohen, remains visceral today. A pillar of the humanities department and a beloved mentor to many students, he was also a vital force responsible for welcoming and involving the area community in many offerings at the college.

Now, after numerous cuts and the deletion of entire departments, the faculty and staff I know whose jobs have not been cut yet literally go to work each day expecting it to be their last. Many are retraining for other careers or applying elsewhere. Education students tell me they didn’t pay for a four-year college campus experience only to find that they have to take core requirements via Zoom.

I can’t say if the University of Southern Maine plays the same type of vital role to the financial, social and intellectual health of Portland as UMF does to the Farmington area. UMF has been synonymous with Farmington for generations. But if students don’t see the value in attending what has been an award-winning school, and quality professors now know that tenure is meaningless here, I am certain I am not the only community member who continues to vote “no confidence” in University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy.

So much for freedom and opportunity for rural Mainers.

Nancy Walters
Wilton

Copy the Story Link