Page 4 - The Bell Tower - Summer/Fall 2015

President Wilson G. Hess to Retire
President Wilson G. Hess announced in May that he will retire as the president of the University of Maine at Fort Kent in September, after over five years in office.
“Having been appointed with the express charge of leading a turnaround at an institution with declining enrollment,” said Hess, “I leave with a sense of comple- tion.” 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 universities. During Hess’ 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 been named by U.S. News and World Report to its national “Short List of 10 Colleges Where Graduates Have the Least Debt.”
In concert with the UMFK Foundation, the University has also completed a com- prehensive campaign to develop a more
diverse and sustainable revenue base — raising over $5.7 million in gifts and pledges, increasing Foundation scholarship endowment by over 50 percent, and con- verting 95 percent of the campus footprint to biomass-based, alternative energy.
Hess leaves with the satisfaction that
UMFK has developed a five year vision for the future that is “aspirational” and “buck- ing the trend” of declining demographics which are creating challenges in public higher education throughout Maine and the Northeast. Hess foresees a university that will continue to grow in numbers and reputation.
“It has been an honor to be part of
the heritage of Maine’s public universities, of which I am an alumnus, and specifi- cally to serve as the 10th president of the University of Maine at Fort Kent,” said Hess in a press release on May 5.
“President Hess has provided his cam- pus and the entire St. John Valley with innovative and strong, community-focused leadership,” said University of Maine System Chancellor James Page. “From one of Maine’s northern-most points, Wilson has extended the reach and influence
of the University of Maine at Fort Kent throughout Maine and well beyond. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and our colleagues at each of Maine’s universities, I want to thank Wilson for his many accom- plishments, his leadership, and the friend- ship that will persist long after he leaves office.”
UMFK Offers New Programs
UMFK has added two vital degree programs to its diverse pathways to advanced education. The Bachelor of Cybersecurity and the Bachelor of Science in Conservation Law Enforcement are now available for students interested in these high- demand fields.
The Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, available through a partner- ship between the university campuses of Augusta, Fort Kent, Orono and Machias, will incorporate a multidisciplinary perspec- tive through a combination of computer science, communications, and ethics cours- es, with a post-baccalaureate option.
The program prepares students for career opportunities or advanced education in
the growing cybersecurity field including positions in security analysis, information assurance, digital forensics, intelligence, and cyber defense to name a few.
With billions of dollars in global losses due to cybersecurity exploits, the need for trained experts is growing at an astonish- ing rate. The degree program prepares students to better understand, prevent, detect, react, and recover from threats to cybersecurity.
Students will be able to take required courses completely online, or through a combination of live, online and ITV classes. The Bachelor of Science in Conservation Law Enforcement prepares students with both the technical skills and knowledge base for natural resources and law enforce- ment professionals. Graduates with these skills and knowledge find careers in the Maine Department of conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and other related agencies.
The program has two interrelated professional specializations, wildlife con- servation and law enforcement. Graduates of the wildlife conservation professional
specialization will be ready for employ- ment in natural resource professions within private, federal, or state wildlife sectors. Additionally, the curriculum ensures that students receive the academic background many organizations require for further post-graduate studies. The university pre- pares graduates of the law enforcement professional specialization for employment in law enforcement professions at the fed- eral, state, local and nonprofit sectors. The university specifically designed the curricu- lum to provide students with a strong aca- demic background in public administration and management.
The program addresses the need for conservationists and law enforcement pro- fessionals in Maine and beyond. The goal is to raise awareness and student interests in sustainability and protection of the coun- try’s valuable natural resources.
Persons interested in these programs should visit http://www.umfk.edu/
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