Page 2 - The Bell Tower - Summer/Fall 2015

A letter from our President
Dear Alumni and Friends,
This will be my last introduction to “The Bell Tower,” having an- nounced in May that I will be retiring later this year. I leave with
a sense of completion. During the past five years UMFK has led Maine’s public universities in growth (24 percent from fall 2010 to fall 2014). It currently has record enrollment and is home to the largest undergraduate nursing program among Maine’s public uni- versities. During my tenure UMFK has instituted highly successful online degree program offerings, created Maine’s signature early college high school program (RuralUTM), introduced model strategic enrollment management strategies, and U.S. News & World Report named UMFK to its national “Short List of 10 Colleges Where Graduates Have the Least Debt.”
In concert with the UMFK Foundation we have completed a comprehensive campaign to develop a more diverse and sustain- able revenue base — raising over $5.7 million in gifts and grants, increasing Foundation scholarship endowment by over 50 percent, and converting 95 percent of the campus footprint to biomass- based, alternative energy.
It has been an honor to be part of the heritage of Maine’s public universities, of which I am an alumnus, and specifically to serve
as the 10th president of the University of Maine at Fort Kent. I am just the latest in a long, venerable line that began with Vetal Cyr in 1878.
Let this issue of “The Bell Tower” serve as a reminder that our University is based upon the work, contributions, and legacy of many individuals.
We have the story of our newest lichen expert, Dr. Peter Nelson, who went to the South American country of Chile to study the unique organisms in the driest place on the planet. His work, which National Geographic funded, allowed him to explore a “fog oasis” in a stark landscape more reminiscent of Mars than of any place on Earth.
Another article tells of an alum who leveraged his UMFK experi- ence into a world-hopping journey stretching from Maine to Asia to Great Britain.
President Wilson G. Hess and Honorary Degree recipient Dr. Susan Hassmiller, Ph.D., RN, FAAN.
And there is a story about three dedicated student-athletes who show how they took teamwork and a community of support “on the road for college” as they balance their academic commitments with the star sportsmanship that has become a hallmark of the UMFK Bengals.
Dr. Seuss once wrote, “You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you are in.” While health may have played its part in my retire- ment, I’m in pretty good shape. More importantly though, is that UMFK is in great shape with prospects for an even greater future. I leave with the satisfaction of knowing that UMFK has developed a five year vision for the future that is aspirational — “bucking the trend” of declining enrollment in public universities across Maine. It foresees a university that will continue to grow in numbers and reputation.
With your help and support I cannot wait to see where how far UMFK will go!
Wilson G. Hess, UMFK President