U.S. News conducted vigorous, in-depth evaluations of U.S. based degree programs designed to be administered online. 鈥淗ighly ranked programs have strong traditional academic foundations based on student-instructor access, graduation rates, and instructor credentials. They also excel at educating distance learners while offering robust career and financial support鈥� proclaims the U.S. News website. With a student to faculty ratio of 16:1; 29 degrees available fully online; tutoring; academic advising; career advising; job search resources; and numerous financial aid options, the 天美传媒 continues to prove itself worthy of this honor.

In line with 天美传媒 mission to provide high-quality distance education and innovative professional programs, these outstanding rankings underscore 天美传媒 dedication to academic excellence and commitment to U.S. veterans. Jennifer Cushman, UMA President, shared, “天美传媒 is honored to be recognized both for our long-time expertise in online education and our strong support of veterans. We are proud of the relevance of our approach to higher education in the twenty-first century. Our historic mission to meet all populations of students where they are, to get them where they want to be, is achieved through providing workforce training for today’s economy, in multiple locations and modes, and cultivating bachelor’s and master’s level essential skills for tomorrow’s economy, like problem solving and communication.”

In addition to the Best Online Bachelor鈥檚 criteria, schools rated best for veterans have, 鈥渢he best online bachelor’s degree programs that help veterans reduce the cost of school,鈥� announced U.S. News. Vice President of Enrollment Management, Jonathan Henry, stated, 鈥淯MA is proud to again be recognized for our continued support of veterans and our strength in delivering quality higher education that is both accessible and affordable.鈥�

UMA helps all students find ways to fund their education. Utilizing the broad range of financial aid resources available, such as federal grants, the Pine Tree Pledge and the UMA 10K programs, over 80 different scholarships, and more, many students end up paying zero tuition. Qualifying active and veteran students can apply for all the financial aid options above, as well as the Montgomery G.I. Bill庐 or Post 9/11 G.I. Bill庐. Jamie Santiago, Director of Financial Aid at UMA advises,鈥渢o be considered for the maximum amount of financial aid possible, it is important to submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at as early as you can.鈥� To learn more about financial aid options, please visit Financial Aid.

Since its founding in 1965 when a simple 鈥淲elcome Veterans鈥� sign encouraged Vietnam-era Veterans to enroll, UMA has continued a rich tradition of supporting military-experienced students. Amy Line, UMA Director of Military and Veterans鈥� Services expressed, 鈥渨e are pleased to receive the Best Online Bachelor鈥檚 Programs for Veterans again this year. 天美传媒 commitment to educating and providing opportunities to our military, veterans, and families continues to be a priority and it shows!鈥� Hundreds of veterans, active military personnel, and members of the national guard now study at UMA, and all of 天美传媒 Admissions staff members are trained to work with the unique needs of veteran and military students. More information about military and veteran services.

With its multiple locations and long-term expertise in online and distance learning, affordability, and dedication to student success, UMA is widely considered the university of choice for Mainers of all ages who want to attend college without uprooting their lives.

Pictured left to right: Dan Philbrick, UMA Saco Center Director, Laurie Grant, UMA Saco Student Services Coordinator, Andrei Strukov, UMA Faculty Development & Support Services Director, Jonathan Church, UMA Learning Design Support Specialist, Roman Blyzniuk, UMA Learning Technology Development & Support Specialist and Vaclav Bernt.

UMA Saco recently welcomed Vaclav Bernt, Academic Technical Support specialist from UMA’s partner institution – Technical University of Liberec (TUL), Czech Republic. UMA and TUL have a very rich and long history of relationships with student, faculty, and staff exchanges and visits, joint courses, and ongoing collaboration. Vaclav visited several UMA Centers as part of his visit, learning how UMA promotes and supports distance learning.

String Trio – Fall 2020

The 天美传媒 (UMA) Contemporary & Popular Music Program will present its annual Fall 2020 Concert via YouTube this year, due to the pandemic restrictions on large gatherings. The public is invited to view the program via YouTube. The event will provide live introductions of pre-recorded performances. The program will include UMA students from around the world performing a variety of music genres. Each ensemble will perform two pieces. Participating in the program will be the following ensembles:

• Tour Band – Jazz, Rock, and Fusion
  Directed by Duane Edwards
• Studio Ensemble – Rock
  Directed by Noah Cole
• Envok- vocal ensemble
  Directed by Marcia Gallagher
• Vintage Steel – steel drum ensemble
  Directed by Christine Letcher
• String Trio (pictured)
  Directed by Linda Theriault

Additionally, the program will include Senior Recitals with students performing two pieces. The UMA students performing are:

• Nhyla Reid – violin – piano – songwriter
• Jayde Courturier – voice
• Olin Moody – voice – guitar – songwriter

The approval process included an extensive self-study by 天美传媒 Education Program and a rigorous application process to the Maine Department of Education (MDOE). Additionally, UMA hosted a site review team from the MDOE in December 2019 resulting in the site team鈥檚 recommendation for approval to the State Board of Education. Due to the pandemic, the final vote by the State Board of Education was delayed from April to July. On July 15, the Board voted unanimously for approval.

State approval allows UMA graduates of the Education Program to be certified through institution recommendation rather than transcript analysis. State approval also eliminates the requirement for the Principles of Learning and Teaching exam and provides greater reciprocity for those graduates seeking to teach in other states.

The endorsements approved by the Board of Education are in undergraduate minors and post-baccalaureate certificates of study for Early Elementary Education and Elementary Education, as well as minors in Secondary Education in the areas of English, Life, Physical Science, Social Studies and Mathematics.

鈥淲e are very excited for our graduates and the opportunities this approval by the Maine Board of Education will provide,鈥� stated Cindy Dean, Associate Professor of Education and Coordinator of Teacher Education at UMA. 鈥淭his certification allows our students to move more quickly into much-needed teaching positions upon graduation.鈥�

鈥淭his approval would not have happened without the dedication of our faculty and staff in the Education Program,鈥� said UMA President Rebecca Wyke. 鈥淚 am grateful for their efforts to provide our students with this opportunity.鈥�

UMA transforms the lives of students of every age and background across the State of Maine and beyond through access to high-quality distance and on-site education, excellence in student support, civic engagement, and professional and liberal arts programs.

天美传媒 Education Department prepares students for a career in education by completing one of several degree plans through courses, fieldwork, service learning, and student teaching. Embedded in each teacher education pathway are robust courses, field experiences, service learning, and collaboration with peers and faculty that help provide the necessary competencies of Maine鈥檚 Common Core Teaching Standards.

UMA is unique in offering distance learning for aspiring teachers. Students can earn their degree in a range of places, times, and circumstances by taking classes on-site, online, and/or at UMA Centers located across the state. Upon successful completion of all program and state requirements, graduates are eligible to apply for Maine Teacher Certification.

We’re here to help you set yourself up for success in the fall semester. The new Tech Hub is your place to find:

• Student support, tutorials and documentation for Brightspace;
• Resources to help with internet connections from off-campus; and
• Basic information about device requirements and how to purchase devices at educational pricing.

We plan to grow the UMA Tech Hub!

While testing version 1.0 we received excellent suggestions from many students and student support staff. We will be using those recommendations to design and develop version 2.0 and beyond! Suggestions future features include but are not limited to:

• Student Tech FAQs
• Robust documentation and tutorials for Zoom, Kaltura and other tech used in courses.
• Mainestreet how-to’s;
• EAB Navigate on-boarding;
• and more!

July 17, 2019 | 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. | All UMA Locations

天美传媒 President Rebecca Wyke announces UMA will mark 30 years of distance education and welcome those who helped develop Maine鈥檚 largest distance education network to a .

UMA students, faculty, alumni, friends, and supporters will gather at locations across the state to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of this revolutionary educational concept.听 Attendees will also learn how the technologies for distance education have evolved and how UMA is again leading the way in fulfilling its mission of making education accessible to all.

Joining the celebration at the Augusta Campus will be Dr. George Connick, former UMA President and pioneer of distance education in Maine and Pam MacBrayne, former UMA Executive Director of Distance Education.

鈥淲e are pleased that Dr. Connick will be joining us to celebrate this milestone,鈥� stated UMA President Wyke. 鈥淯MA takes its mission of providing access to education very seriously. Dr. Connick was instrumental in setting this standard and UMA continues to be an institution transforming the lives of students of every age and background across the State of Maine. As the technology has evolved, UMA has also evolved to provide the highest quality distance education.鈥�

For many, it is hard to remember a time when information could not be accessed, literally, in the palm of your hand. A time before smartphones and PCs, when YouTube videos, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram were not part of a World Wide Web connected citizenry. Thirty years ago, UMA, with University of Maine System (UMS) support, was on the cusp of this technological movement with a goal of reshaping access to higher education across the state of Maine and beyond.

Currently, UMA offers 20 different baccalaureate programs, select associate degrees in 11 different programs, and 44 certificate programs.听 In 1985, however, its focus was on two-year degrees and developing and hosting a telecommunications system to expand educational programming through links with existing UMS campuses, the Vocational-Technical Institutes (now the Maine Community College System), Maine Maritime Academy, numerous off-campus centers, and high schools.

From the start, the complex concept, design, and construction of a pioneering technological system put UMA on the fast track of an emerging educational delivery system. Deborah Meehan, Executive Director of UMA Centers, who oversees all of 天美传媒 Centers across the state now, was part of the original team. She recalled, 鈥淎t that time, the race for distance education was a national race and UMA was way out in front.鈥�

鈥淎t that time, the race for distance education was a national race and UMA was way out in front.鈥�

Connick reflected on the initial implementation of electronic education, 鈥淚 think most people thought of it as only technology (i.e., television classrooms, TV cameras, microwave towers, etc.). However, what was created in 1989 was the first statewide comprehensive distance-learning network in the United States. Educators came from all over the country to learn first-hand what we were doing.”

The face of ITV has certainly changed from its inception yet remains an integral part of 天美传媒 distance learning. Today, learning venue options include onsite, online, through video conference, Interactive Television, and at UMA Centers. UMA is again leading the way with its innovate use of web-based interactive classrooms, which improve upon the original ITV design.

鈥淚TV is migrating actively to technician assisted Web conferencing which enables real-time collaboration between professors and students at various locations on web-enabled devices (PCs, laptops, tablets, etc.) through the use of audio, video, and content sharing (e.g., Zoom),鈥� offered Justin Hafford, UMA Director of听 Advanced Media & Instructional Technologies.

鈥淪oftware technologies, such as Zoom, continue 天美传媒 mission of providing an accessible education throughout Maine and beyond,鈥� explained President Wyke. 鈥淲hile video conference improves the interaction between professors and students, the need for video conferencing equipment limits access to certain locations.听 By moving to web-based conferencing, classes can be accessed anywhere someone has a computer or smartphone and an internet connection.鈥�

A web conferencing model also allows for immediate interaction by all participants during class. With this technology, students can click a box to virtually raise their hand or communicate during class in chat boxes. An added benefit, students can work on class projects outside of class time using the same technology. For those students that still need to view the class at a time more convenient to them, it is automatically recorded and available 15 minutes after the class ends.

Through a process developed with UMS, UMA provides web conferencing licenses to distance education students. This innovative approach was recently highlighted at the in Orlando, FL.

Last year, UMA delivered 47,119 credit hours (representing 73% of its total credit hours) via distance learning modalities, more than any other UMS campus. This includes classes delivered via ITV, online, onsite at UMA Centers, and through video conferencing.

UMA offers 13 degree programs that are available completely online, including a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Information and Library Science (ILS) which is available only online.听 天美传媒 Provost Joseph Szakas touted, the ranked the ILS program as number one in terms of student engagement. 鈥淢odality does not determine quality. UMA allows you to obtain quality degrees, in a flexible format regardless of location,鈥� added Szakas. 鈥淒istance education allows the students to find balance with competing demands on time while being able to achieve their educational goals. It was true in 1989 and it is still true today, we bring our classrooms to the students where they are.鈥�

30^th Anniversary Event Program

July 17, 2019 – 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听Guests arrive at locations statewide

4:30 p.m. – 4:35 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听 听 Statewide Welcome from UMA President Rebecca Wyke – via Zoom to all locations

4:35 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 30 years of Distance Education video – via Zoom to all locations

4:45 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 3 UMA Centers will share Distance Education Memories

4:55 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 Conclusion of Statewide program – via Zoom to all locations

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 Local Programs at Campuses and Centers*

6:00 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听Conclusion of Program at all locations

*Center and Campus locations will have programs specific to their locations. Local programming may include local personal reflections and distance education memories, Center or Campus tours, raffles, door prizes, etc.

UMA 30^th Anniversary Celebration Locations

Augusta Campus听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 Fireplace Lounge, Randall Student Center

Bangor Campus听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听Huskins Lounge, Eastport Hall

Brunswick Center听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 12 Sewall Street, Orion Hall, Room 101, The Brunswick Landing, Brunswick

East Millinocket Center听 听 听 听 听 Katahdin Higher Education Center, 1 Dirigo Drive, Suite 1, East Millinocket

Ellsworth Center听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 248 State Street, Mill Mall, Suite 1, Ellsworth

Houlton Center听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Houlton Higher Education Center, 18 Military Street, Houlton

Lewiston Site听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听51 Westminister Street, Lewiston

Rockland Center听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 91 Camden Street, Breakwater Building 4th Floor, Room 403, Rockland

Rumford Center听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 60 Lowell Street, Rumford

Saco Center听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 4 Scamman Street, Suite 18, Saco Valley Shopping Center, Saco

South Paris Center听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听232 Main Street, South Paris