The program responds to a clear workforce need in Maine. Municipalities across the state currently have , and public employers are seeking people prepared for roles in local government, public service, and community administration.

The degree has already drawn support from the Maine Legislature’s Committee on State and Local Government and the Maine Municipal Association, who see it as a timely response to Maine’s public-sector workforce shortage.

This program is one of across the University of Maine System to support adult degree completion and address Maine’s workforce needs. Â鶹APP program is the only one of its kind in the University of Maine System, offering an accelerated pathway for students who want to move into public administration without starting from scratch.

What makes this program different:

• 90 credits instead of the traditional 120, shortening the time to earn a degree
• 100% online, with HyFlex options so students can attend in person, join live, or work on their own schedule
• Built on UMA’s existing Public Administration courses and faculty
• A pathway into UMA’s full Public Administration bachelor’s degree for students who want to keep going

How you can help:

• Get familiar with the program so you can answer questions from students, colleagues, and community members
• If you know current or prospective students who might be a great fit, especially working professionals in public-sector or municipal roles, connect them with Admissions or Advising
• If you’d be willing to be featured in a faculty, student, or alumni profile for our marketing materials (for this new program or any existing program), please reach out to Amber Sinclair at amber.sinclair@maine.edu
• Check out the website — and share the link! uma.edu/apa

Thank you for everything you do to help UMA open doors for Maine’s learners.

These live, role-specific trainings provide a practical introduction to Navigate360’s core features and workflows, helping you build confidence using the platform in your day-to-day work.

Getting Started with Navigate360 for Advisors

August 18, 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET

Learn how to:

• Navigate the staff home page and student profiles
• Create and manage appointment availability
• Prepare for and document advising interactions using the latest Navigate360 AI capabilities
• Issue alerts and manage cases
• Identify and support targeted student populations

Getting Started with Navigate360 for Faculty

August 20, 1:00–2:00 p.m. ET

Learn how to:

• Navigate the staff home page and student profiles
• Create and manage appointment availability
• Prepare for and document advising interactions using the latest Navigate360 AI capabilities
• Submit Progress Reports and alerts

For those who might like to attend but are unavailable on the 20th, as long as they register, they will receive a recording of the session.

If there are any questions or issues with registering, EAB’s Kristen Brittingham KBrittingham@eab.com or Kurt Grunder KGrunder@eab.com will be able to assist.

This structure is intended to better align the department’s work with Â鶹APP strategic plan and create a more connected and coordinated approach across these areas.

What Faculty and Staff Need to Know

The most noticeable change will be how projects are requested and coordinated with External Relations.

An updated directory of roles and points of contact, along with a clearer process for submitting and managing requests, will be shared in the coming weeks.

For now, please continue using the same contacts and processes currently in place.

Questions about the new External Relations structure can be directed to Kristen Eaton, Vice President of External Relations, at kristen.eaton@maine.edu.

The Faculty Development Center will be hosting its Fall 2026 Course Camp starting Monday, August 17th and running through Thursday, August 20th. More details will be coming soon, please for updated session information and registration!

The deadline to nominate Student Speaker is August 28, 2026.

Additionally, as announced in May, the Convocation Committee is encouraging faculty and staff to .

No matter where you are in life—just getting started or planning for retirement—a session with Connor can help you create a plan for your goals. And, it’s at no additional cost as a part of your retirement plan. You’ll get answers to these questions and more:

• Am I invested in the right mix of investments to help meet my goals?
• Am I saving enough to create the retirement income I need?
• How do I take income from my retirement account once I stop working?

TIAA will be available these dates and times for one-on-one sessions.

Visit to set up a meeting or call 800-842-2252 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (ET).

Space is limited; schedule your meeting now! We look forward to working with you.

Be sure to have investment, retirement, and savings statements on hand for your meeting.

Please feel free to contact the UMS Benefits Center for all of your benefits-related questions. Visit the for information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Employee Benefits Center is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Save the Date! The Admissions team will be hosting Accepted Student Day on June 26th, 2026, from 3 pm to 5 pm.

We would love to have you there to help out or interact with Students!

If you are interested in assisting, please contact Lauren Shapiro at lauren.shapiro@maine.edu.

Over the past year, we celebrated UMA through stories, events, videos, spotlights, and shared memories from across our community. From students and alumni to faculty, staff, and friends of the university, this anniversary year highlighted the people, experiences, and connections that have shaped UMA over the past six decades and continue to move us forward.

As we transition out of the anniversary campaign and into our next chapter, we are asking departments and employees to help sunset 60th Anniversary branding materials over the coming weeks.

Please take a moment to:

• Remove or replace 60th Anniversary email signature graphics ()
• Update Zoom backgrounds featuring the anniversary branding
• Retire 60th Anniversary logos from webpages, presentations, and printed materials
• Transition back to standard UMA logos and branded assets where appropriate

Thank you again for helping us celebrate this important milestone and for the many ways you contributed throughout the year.

It’s hard to believe that it has already been 4 years since the UMS Recreation Release Form went digital. Please check the HR button in MaineStreet to see if your form needs to be signed again, which provides you with a free pass to the UMA Bangor Fitness Center. We would love to have you come in and visit this summer!

For more information, please contact Joy Steward at joy.steward@maine.edu.

This is a reminder about the upcoming change to how you sign in to University of Maine System (UMS) services.

Starting on the evening of May 15, you will see a new sign-in page when accessing UMS services such as myCampus Portal, Gmail, Brightspace, and MaineStreet.

One important change: you must enter your full email address to sign in.

For example, if you previously entered jane.doe, you will now enter jane.doe@maine.edu.

For a walkthrough of the new sign-in process, please watch the following video:

Things to know

• There are no changes to multi-factor authentication (MFA) at this time. If you currently use Duo to verify your identity, you will continue to do so.
• If you use the advisee and course list application in the myCampus Portal, this application will open in a new browser tab instead of within the portal starting May 15.
• For more information on the new sign-in page, please visit

You can find more information on the SSO/MFA Modernization Project in the following articles:

If you have questions, please contact the .

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