FARMINGTON — With the strong support of the campus and community, University of Maine System (UMS) Chancellor Dannel Malloy is appointing the University of Maine at Farmington’s (UMF) interim leader, Joseph McDonnell, to a two-year term as president.

McDonnell became UMF’s interim president on July 1, 2022, having most recently served as a faculty member, dean and provost at the University of Southern Maine. He was the fourth leader in as many years of the Farmington university, which had been roiled by the May 2022 retrenchments of nine faculty necessitated by a 25% drop in student enrollment in the five years prior.

“President McDonnell has worked tirelessly and collaboratively over the past two years with faculty, administrators, students, staff, external partners and University of Maine System colleagues to stem UMF’s declining enrollment, stabilize its budget, improve internal communications and position the university for near-term and long-term success,” Chancellor Malloy wrote. “I have witnessed first-hand the early fruits of these labors, including UMF’s engagement with high-quality online academic programs, competitive adult degree completion initiatives, and strategic partnerships with local and regional employers, other UMS universities, and Maine’s community colleges. I applaud Joe — and all of you — for your creative thinking, willingness to innovate and sheer hard work. All of it is leading to positive change.”

New programming and students, and a balanced budget

Overall enrollment declined this fall by less than 1% from the previous year, with 35% more graduate students thanks to expanded online options and relevant new programming, including a master’s in counseling, offsetting a continued slide of undergraduates.

As interim president, McDonnell has laid the foundation for UMF’s undergraduate enrollment to rebound. This fall, UMF had just 1,014 full-time undergraduate students compared to 1,624 a decade ago.

The university has expanded its early college enrollment nearly three-fold since he became interim president, creating new pathways for Maine high school students to UMF and careers. The campus has also hosted interactive open houses to bring more prospective students and their families to Farmington to experience its unique degree offerings, like the state’s only actuarial science program.

McDonnell also led the long-planned transition from a four-credit hour operating model to the three-credit one used by most institutions of higher education. This enables UMF to more closely collaborate on programming with other UMS universities and to attract more transfer students, including from the Maine Community College System (MCCS). In just the last year, UMF has developed and signed 55 articulation agreements with MCCS institutions.

Farmington’s recruitment, retention and operating budgets have been challenged by the condition of the historic downtown brick campus — the oldest in the System. To make the campus more attractive and sustainable, UMF is currently undertaking $11 million in energy efficiency improvements projects that will be paid back through savings and renewable energy credits, and spending $5.4 million secured by the System from the State to renovate residence halls.

McDonnell has prioritized connecting UMF to the community, strengthening local partnerships including with Franklin Memorial Hospital, which will soon support clinical rotations for students in a collaborative UMF/University of Maine at Augusta nursing program. The university housed 120 utility workers following devastating December weather and is now hosting a FEMA disaster relief center so individuals and businesses impacted by those storms and subsequent flooding can access federal assistance locally.

“Declining enrollment and budget deficits made the status quo unsustainable but UMF’s extraordinary faculty and staff have stepped up to collaborate and innovate, and we are seeing our efforts deliver new students, revenue and possibilities,” said President McDonnell. “I am pleased with the progress we are making — including UMF’s first balanced budget in recent memory — and grateful to be working with such a dedicated group of administrators, faculty, staff, and community members committed to serving our students and western Maine. A vibrant, healthy university is now within our reach, and I look forward to leading UMF into its promising future.”

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