Bond Question #6
Fact Sheet
How the $9 Million Higher Education Bond
Funds Would be Used
$5 million for Maine’s Community Colleges
$2 million for a new Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USM
$2 million for five of Maine’s public Universities
Central Maine Community College, Auburn
CMCC would receive $715,767 in bond funds. The College will use those funds to renovate facilities to accommodate a fast-growing student body and upgrade its technological infrastructure to support contemporary instructional modes. Classrooms and science and technology labs will be expanded and updated to remain competitive and meet the needs of a changing student population. A portion of the Bond funds will also be used to upgrade the College’s heating plants to improve energy efficiency.
Eastern Maine Community College, Bangor
To deal with the pressures of rising enrollment (27 percent in five years), EMCC will direct its $1,153,886 in bond funds to update classrooms and improve energy efficiency. The first priority is to renovate Maine Hall, the main instructional building that houses nursing, radiography, building construction, electrical and automation, as well as general education and evening classes. Other priorities include: renovation of Schoodic Auditorium; completion of the third floor of the Campus Center; rehabilitation of the maintenance building; re-facing the front of Acadia Hall; repairing the roof at the Katahdin Region Higher Education Center; and building an entrance to Johnston Gym.
Kennebec Valley Community College, Fairfield
KVCC will use its $935,571 to update and enhance two of its main academic buildings, improve campus safety and increase energy efficiency. Projects include upgrading King Hall, which houses the Student Center, support services, and nursing and allied health programs. Frye Building, which hosts the trades & technology programs, as well as administrative offices, continuing education, and the College's Professional Development Center, will also be updated (allowing the College to increase access and expand course offerings in the Trades & Technology classroom/laboratory). To increase safety, walkways will be installed between Frye and Carter Hall.
Northern Maine Community College, Presque Isle
NMCC will use its $427,878 to make many needed improvements to increase both energy efficiency and safety and security on campus. To reduce energy costs, the College will add insulation and replace old windows in both the Mailman Building (home to four trade programs) and the Christie Complex (which houses the majority of the College’s classroom and lab space, and offices for faculty and various student support services). Heating and ventilation upgrades are also needed in both the Christie Complex and Andrews Hall (the College’s oldest residence hall). Bond funds will also be used to upgrade the campus’ network infrastructure, which is used for building control functions, including security and heating and ventilation systems. This upgrade will also benefit the academic area, since the computer labs, residence halls and campus offices are all connected through the network. Campus lighting and security systems will also be improved as a result of this bond money.
Southern Maine Community College, South Portland
SMCC has experienced unprecedented enrollment growth since its transition to a true community college three years ago; well over 2,000 more students (more than double the enrollment of 2002) are now using campus facilities. The $1,288,813 in bond funds would be targeted to a major renovation of one of the key buildings on campus: the Health Science Building. The building houses the College’s twelve health science programs and classes, (including nursing and radiation therapy), which serve over 1,000 students each year. Major repairs must be undertaken to ensure the physical integrity of the building, including removing the exterior walls of the building, repairing rusted steel joints and constructing a new exterior. The consequences are significant; if the rusted steel joints are not replaced soon the structure may be beyond repair and the College will lose a critical building.
Washington County Community College, Calais
WCCC would receive $299,214 for critical repairs and improvements if Question #6 passes. A portion of the funds would be used to upgrade residential housing facilities, which would greatly enhance living conditions for nearly 150 students who reside in two residential halls that are over thirty years of age. Other priorities include improving air and ventilation systems in various common areas such as the college library, classrooms and technology laboratories.
York County Community College, Wells
YCCC will direct its $178,872 share of the bond money towards the overall improvement of energy efficiency and the learning environment in classrooms. The first priority is computer labs and classrooms that support technical programs in computer-aided drafting and design, computer technology and digital media as well as academic classes. Needed enhancements include ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant workstations, ergonomically correct lab arrangements and other classroom improvements. These renovations and enhancements will ensure that students have a safe, comfortable, energy-efficient learning environment. Additional areas of need include renovation of some existing heating and cooling systems and projects to enhance campus security.
$2 million for a new Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USM
USM's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) provides courses and other educational opportunities for hundreds of citizens, ages 55 and older, throughout southern Maine , and reaches 4,000 other citizens through its work with the statewide Maine Senior College Network. The Osher Foundation has named the USM institute, which is based on USM's Portland campus, the resource center for a nationwide network of more than 70 such programs. Passage of Question 6 will fund a $2 million facility for a program that is fast becoming a valuable resource for a vital and growing segment of Maine 's population. The bond, if passed, also will attract an additional $4 million in private funds.
$2 million for five of Maine’s public Universities
University of Maine at Augusta
A total of $295,000 will be invested to upgrade existing laboratory space for both science and nursing programs. Of the total, $165,000 will replace outdated cabinets, benches, and general work areas in our science labs and $130,000 will be invested to improve our nursing labs to present day standards. Both initiatives are necessary to improve the quality of the educational experience for our students.
University of Maine at Farmington
The $850,000 earmarked for UMF would be used to renovate Preble and Ricker Halls including updated laboratories, lecture hall and alterations to improve energy consumption. Preble/Ricker Halls, constructed as one facility in 1963, now serve as UMF's primary science classroom/laboratory facility. The teaching spaces have remained virtually unchanged since originally constructed. Upgrading this facility is long overdue. Currently the science labs do not measure up to the standards found at many high schools. This is affecting the quality of the experience UMF is able to offer students, both science and science education majors and all students via the general education curriculum. Our ability to produce graduates who are scientifically literate will be enhanced by needed investments in our laboratories. This is particularly important, given the large number of these graduates who become public school teachers.
University of Maine at Fort Kent
UMFK will use its share of the bond funds ($290,000) to address deterioration and safety issues involving three buildings. Powell Hall needs $50,000 for masonry parapet and roof repairs to preserve it from continuing damage caused by freezing and thawing of water infiltration. A new $70,000 fire alarm system is needed to replace the original 1969 system in Fox Auditorium. Fox Auditorium serves as the cultural events facility for the entire St John Valley. In order to address deterioration, strength, and insulation $170,000 will be used to complete the re-roofing of the Sports Center. This section of the roofing is 30 years old.
University of Maine at Machias
The $250,000 the University of Maine at Machias will receive from Question 6 will be used as follows: $40,000 in Kilburn Commons to update the fire alarm system to current code; $75,000 in the Reynolds Gymnasium and Center for Lifelong Learning to replace and upsize the boiler and hot water storage tank capacity to meet heating needs and improve efficiency; $85,000 in the Reynolds Gymnasium to install an elevator for handicap access to all floors; and $50,000 in the Reynolds Gym to install a fire alarm replacement and tie-in to the Lifelong Learning Center.
University of Maine at Presque Isle
UMPI would receive $300,000 that would be used to further enhance its science laboratories—classrooms that accommodate over 600 students per year. The university would use $205,000 to replace laboratory windows to improve energy efficiency. The remaining $95,000 would be used to replace outdated exhaust fans and controls to improve lab air quality. These upgrades will improve energy efficiency and provide a more healthy and comfortable learning environment for students.