FARMINGTON – The president of the University of Maine at Farmington sent an e-mail to faculty last week urging them to encourage some students with light schedules to add another course because it could generate an extra $250,000 for the school.

“This would be a significant help with the budget,” the e-mail said.

President Theodora J. Kalikow justified the note this week, saying it’s a good way to keep teachers and advisers apprised of the public university’s financial situation and to make them aware of students who may need to be nudged to work harder. She sends one out almost every semester.

The University of Southern Maine said it sends similar messages to its staff.

The University of Maine at Orono said it never has.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities said it’s not unusual for university presidents to discuss budget issues and course loads among deans and campus leaders, but it’s never heard of a facultywide e-mail.

“It kind of bothers me, to be completely honest,” said UMF junior Corey Oster. “But I’m torn.”

Sent last Thursday, Kalikow’s five-line e-mail informs faculty that about 310 returning in-state students are only taking 10, 11 or 12 credits this semester. Since the average UMF course is four credits, those students are taking about three classes. A full load would be four classes, or 16 credits.

The e-mail tells faculty that if those students added one more course, the school would earn another $250,000.

“As you are reviewing your advisees’ situations and meeting with them in the next couple of weeks, if it is appropriate for them to add another course, please work with them to make it so,” the e-mail said.

When asked about it this week, Kalikow emphasized the e-mail was meant to encourage the addition of courses where appropriate, not push extra classes on students who didn’t need them or didn’t want them. She said it was about money, but it was also about getting some idle students to challenge themselves.

When students don’t take a full course load, it can cost everyone, Kalikow said. The school misses out on tuition money, a large part of its funding. And students take longer to graduate, which adds semesters onto their college careers.

“It’s always good to nag the kids,” Kalikow said.

USM spokesman Bob Caswell said his college has sent similar e-mails to employees.

“It’s not at all uncommon this time of year, particularly for a public institution, to say to faculty and staff as we open the academic year it’s up to all of us to recruit students,” he said.

However, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, a national organization that represents more than 1,100 colleges and universities, had never heard of the practice.

“A letter to the entire faculty is a little unusual,” said spokeswoman Debra Humphreys.

Because Kalikow’s e-mail was sent to faculty, most UMF students were not aware that it existed. The Sun Journal showed it to Oster, a 20-year-old member of the Student Senate and president of the Political Science Club.

“They just raised our tuition,” he said. “If they’re still sending out e-mails like this, it gets me a little worried.”

But while Oster was bothered by the e-mail’s call to get students to add classes, he also was understanding.

“I guess they have to do it to make money,” he said.

Kalikow said money is always tight at UMF, which serves about 2,000 students and has a $25 million budget. An additional $250,000 would help the school pay for extras, she said, such as co-curricular activities, undergraduate research projects and student work opportunities.

So far, faculty members have received the e-mails well, she said.

“People like to know,” Kalikow said. “For instance, one of the e-mails I got back in response to this one was from a faculty member who said ‘You can count on me.'”