Off Campus: USM late in responding to changing world - David Flanagan, Portland Press Herald

In appointing me the new president of the University of Southern Maine, the University of Maine System board of trustees has charged me with the task of reshaping the university to balance its budget and better serve the people of southern Maine. USM should have come to grips with the changing world a decade ago – and certainly when the University of Maine System issued its report on the university’s finances and structure five years ago. Instead, USM kicked the can down the road for far too long, ignoring the outside forces that have made its business model unsustainable. But with all its strengths and with the good will of its faculty, staff and students and a supportive community, USM can transform itself to ensure its future value to the people of Maine. http://www.pressherald.com/2014/07/28/off-campus-usm-late-in-responding-to-changing-world/