LEWISTON — The University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College will host an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 19, at 51 Westminster St. Faculty, staff and students will be on hand to provide information on programs, admissions and financial aid. Guides will be available for tours and to answer questions.

“We are very pleased to announce this open house,” said Dan Philbrick, director of communications at USM LAC. “We strongly encourage everyone who has an interest in pursuing their education to attend, be they new or transfer students. Many people do not realize that a complete University education is available locally. We invite everyone to come and see us, explore our various programs and bring along a friend or your family.”

The Lewiston?Auburn Campus of USM opened its doors in the fall of 1988 to serve the higher education needs of citizens of the Androscoggin County area. The campus now serves more than 1100 students.

USM LAC offers the following baccalaureate degree programs: arts and humanities, leadership and organizational studies, natural and applied sciences, and social and behavioral sciences. Programs in K-12 teacher education and nursing are also available. In addition, graduate programs are also available in leadership studies and occupational therapy.

We have quite a mix of students on our campus,” said Philbrick. “Many attend part-time, some are undeclared majors, and some take classes with us while they are enrolled at other campuses. Most students find that our convenient class schedule really meets their needs.” Most classes meet once a week and many are available in “blended” format, which meet 50 percent online and 50 percent face-to-face.

The open house will include make-your-own ice cream sundaes and door prizes. Directions are available online at www.usm.maine.edu/lac. For more information, call the campus at 753-6536 or email at [email protected].