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    Oct 13, 2024  
2023-2024 UMaine Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 UMaine Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Facilities and Centers


Facilities and Centers

The University of Maine maintains a wide variety of special educational and research facilities and supports many special educational, research, and public service programs. A few of these that are of most direct interest to undergraduate students are described below.

The University Libraries

Raymond H. Fogler Library, Maine’s largest library, is essential to education, research, and public service at the University of Maine and beyond. The library offers more than 1.5 million e-books; 180,000 online journals; 350 research databases; and over 308,000 digital music and video files, in addition to more than 2 million books and other non-digital materials. Through Fogler Library, UMaine patrons can borrow print and digital materials from libraries throughout the state and around the world.

Library staff serve as information experts who help patrons discover, use, and expand knowledge. The Reference and Information Literacy Department is the central location for research support on campus. Each academic program has a subject librarian who can provide individual consultations, classroom instruction, and subject-matter expertise across the different areas of study at UMaine. The department provides research support in-person and online via email, live chat, telephone, and video conference (https://library.umaine.edu/ask-a-librarian/).

Fogler Library’s Special Collections Department maintains an extensive collection of published bibliographical, historical, and descriptive works on Maine, as well as literary titles by Maine authors. These documents provide extensive insights into Maine cities, towns, counties, people, and institutions. The department also houses rare books, manuscript collections, and University of Maine publications and records. Special Collections staff support the research pursuits of students, faculty, and scholars at UMaine and around the world.

Fogler Library is also a regional depository for federal government publications; an official depository for Canadian federal and Maine state government publications; the state-designated Maine Business, Science, and Technology Library; and the only Patent and Trademark Resource Center in Maine.

Merrill Library, at the University of Maine at Machias, has a collection of more than 60,000 print and physical items, as well as access to Fogler Library collections including e-resources.  Librarians and staff provide services that enable learning, scholarship, and knowledge creation.

Access library resources, services, expertise, collections, and general information at https://library.umaine.edu. The general telephone number for the library is 207.581.1666.

Linda G. and Donald N. Zillman Art Museum - University of Maine

The Zillman Art Museum (ZAM), located at 40 Harlow Street in Downtown Bangor, opened five new galleries on the second floor in 2021, increasing the museum’s total exhibition space by 42%. ZAM’s twelve galleries feature changing exhibitions (new shows every four months) of primarily modern and contemporary art, as well as frequent rotations of the Permanent Collection. The Permanent Collection consists of over 4,000 works of art that encompass an array of visual art including painting, photography, and prints created since 1910. Highlights include works by Marc Chagall, Childe Hassam, Kara Walker, Edward Hopper, Käthe Kollwitz, Ralph Blakelock, George Inness, Mary Cassatt, Pablo Picasso, and Diego Rivera. The Collection also celebrates the long heritage of Maine art and includes examples by artists with deep connections to the state such as Berenice Abbott, Marsden Hartley, Winslow Homer, John Marin, Carl Sprinchorn, Bernard Langlais and Andrew Wyeth. The Robert Venn Carr ‘38 Collection comprises over 300 pieces and includes works on paper by many contemporary masters including Max Beckmann, Jennifer Bartlett, Jim Dine, Helen Frankenthaler, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Elizabeth Murray, and Robert Rauschenberg.

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am-5 pm.  Free Admission. 207-581-3300. http://zam.umaine.edu

Lord Hall Gallery

The Lord Gallery is located in the historic Lord Hall, along with the Department of Art, on the university mall. The gallery is host to six exhibitions annually. Each academic year begings with the work of an invited artist, followed by the Department of Art student senior capstone exhibition.  The spring semester includes a featured faculty exhibit, and a juried student event.  Each summer the gallery exhibits the work of the Intermedia Master of Fine Arts thesis students, followed by an exhibition featuring prominent Maine artists working in a variety of media.

The gallery is open Monday-Friday, 9-4.  For further information: http://umaine.edu/art/lord-hall-gallery-page/

The Hudson Museum

The Hudson Museum is located in the Collins Center for the Arts on the UMaine campus. The Hudson Museum celebrates a world of culture and cultures of the world.  The Museum’s holdings feature an extraordinary collection of Pre-Columbian artifacts ranging from Olmec to Aztec - The William P. Palmer III Collection, Native American holdings from Maine, the Southwest, Northwest Coast, Arctic, and Plains, as well as Collections from Africa, Oceania and Asia.  The Museum features four galleries:  the Merritt Gallery and the Minsky Culture Lab for temporary exhibits, a World Cultures Gallery and a Wabanaki Gallery.

The Museum offers guided tours and gallery programs, lectures, workshops and an annual Wabanaki Winter Market.  It also offers staff assistance for directed research projects and internships.

For further information, please call 581-1904 or visit us on the web at www.umaine.edu/hudsonmuseum.

University of Maine Hutchinson Center

The Hutchinson Center, located in Belfast, one hour south of the University of Maine’s campus, provides educational opportunities including access to courses that meet UMaine’s general education requirements, full academic advising and student support services, bachelor’s and graduate degrees, professional development certificate programs and workshops, a vibrant conference and institute portfolio, outreach to Waldo and Knox County public schools, and cultural community programs. In addition, the center serves as a hub for Early College programming.

Academic courses and degree programs are delivered live, online, or via videoconference technology. A state-of-the art telecommunications and climate controlled facility, with high tech biology and chemistry labs, art studio, 125-seat auditorium, and comprehensive conference center, the Hutchinson Center serves as an educational and cultural hub for the midcoast community and is home to one of the largest Senior College programs in the state. 

In meeting its mission as an outreach center of the University of Maine, the Hutchinson Center provides comprehensive conference, institute and event planning services at a local, statewide, and national level. Professional development certificate programs and community educational and cultural events are also offered, enhancing the learning experiences of Maine citizens.

The mission of the Hutchinson Center is to broaden access to the University of Maine’s academic degree programs and services, lifelong learning opportunities, and professional and career development experiences using innovative approaches that increase synergy among University of Maine System entities, University of Maine departments and divisions, and that engage a wider Maine community.

For further information: umaine.edu/hutchinsoncenter, 80 Belmont Avenue, Belfast ME 04914, 207.338.8000

Page Farm and Home Museum

The Page Farm and Home Museum documents the history of rural Maine from 1865 to 1940 through a collection of art and artifacts from that period. The main museum building itself is a part of Maine agricultural history. The large, post-and-beam barn is the last of the original agricultural buildings actually pre-dating the founding of the University of Maine by more than thirty years. Careful renovations display the collection over its three floors while preserving much of the building’s original character.   The site of the Museum also includes an historic one-room schoolhouse, a carriage house, blacksmith shop and two heirloom gardens.  The Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10-3.  FMI: call 581-4100 or visit us on the web:  http:/umaine.edu/pagefarm/

Collins Center for the Arts

The Collins Center for the Arts is a cultural and artistic centerpiece for eastern, central and northern Maine. The 1,435 seat Hutchins Concert Hall provides the perfect venue to see a wide variety of performances including Broadway tours, legendary musicians and singers, nationally-known comedians, classic and modern dance, live theatre, family shows, and much more. The John I. and Elizabeth E. Patches Chamber Music Series brings some of the finest instrumental and vocal chamber musicians in the world to campus. Home to one of the largest projector screens in Maine, audiences can see broadcasts from The Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning The Met: Live in HD; and National Theatre Live, broadcasting the best of British theatre recorded live from the London stage. The CCA is proud to host performances by the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, one of the oldest, continually-operating community orchestras in the nation. Each year, the Symphony performs the Nutcracker, and other orchestral masterworks for thousands of fans. The Collins Center is also the perfect place to see arts education in action with performances presented by UMaine’s School of Performing Arts ensembles. Additionally, the Collins Center hosts a number of campus and community events, including performances, lectures, rallies and public forums. For more information about the CCA’s performances and events, visit www.collinscenterforthearts.com.

The Leonard and Renee Minsky Music Recital Hall

This 280-seat facility is primarily the site for faculty and student recitals, vocal and instrumental ensembles, concerts, and several Collins Center for the Arts performances. Various dance and theatre productions are also presented. A recording studio and moveable stage lighting are part of the Minsky Hall facility.

Darling Marine Center

The Darling Marine Center (DMC) is the University of Maine’s marine laboratory. Located in Walpole, on the shore of the Damariscotta River Estuary in midcoast Maine, just 100 miles south of the Orono campus, the DMC is a full-service field station with diverse marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats in the immediate area. The mission of the DMC is to connect people to the ocean by generating and sharing knowledge of coastal and marine ecosystems and the human communities that are part of them. The DMC welcomes scientists and students from UMaine and around the world and is the year-around home to more than 40 faculty, staff, and students. The 182-acre campus includes over one mile of waterfront, 3 miles of trails, two flowing seawater laboratories for culturing marine organisms and conducting scientific observations and experiments, an aquaculture lease site, and analytical laboratories with a wide variety of state-of-the-art instrumentation. The DMC also has a fleet of coastal research vessels, oceanographic sampling gear, classrooms, and a marine library. It hosts UMaine’s scientific diving program, one of the oldest and largest in the state. Housing, meal service and conference space are available for researchers, class field trips, and scientific and educational workshops. In addition to supporting university research and education, the DMC also actively engages with fishermen, aquaculture entrepreneurs, and other marine industry professionals and community members through collaborative research, workforce development, and business incubation programs.

The DMC is closely associated with UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences (SMS), and hosts courses for the SMS as well as for allied environmental science, ecology, and engineering units, among others. During the fall semester, undergraduate students immerse themselves in field and lab-based learning through UMaine School of Marine Sciences’ Semester-by-the-Sea (SBS). SBS includes field-intensive courses in topics such as oceanography, marine ecology, and scientific diving. Intensive short courses for graduate students, postdocs, faculty and professionals are offered at the DMC in the spring and summer, and independent research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students are available year-around. More details on these opportunities are available at https://dmc.umaine.edu/.

Versant Power Astronomy Center

The Versant Power Astronomy Center on Rangeley Road opened in 2014 as Maine’s largest and most advanced astronomy facility.  It is home to the Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium, the Jordan Observatory, and the Clark Telescope.  These facilities are associated with the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and were made possible by the generous contributions of private donors. Intended for the use of students, researchers, and the public, the astronomy center offers programs throughout the year.

Even on cloudy days, audiences in the planetarium can enjoy a view of the stars and journeys of adventure through our universe. Public showings are offered on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons; additional shows are scheduled for special events. Programs can be arranged for K-12 and university classes, private groups, birthday parties, and more. Tickets for public shows are available on the website, via phone, or at the planetarium ticket counter.

The Jordan Observatory, a small, domed building behind the Versant Power Astronomy Center houses a state-of-the-art, remote-controlled, 20” reflector telescope system and several smaller instruments that students can use to learn about astronomy, conduct research, and enjoy the wonders of the heavens. A separate roll-off roof building adjacent to the Jordan Observatory houses the historic Alvin Clark Telescope, an 8-inch refractor. Public observing nights are staffed by planetarium staff as well as university students. Astronomy students use the facility for studies on weeknights, and it is open on weekends for the general public. For more information visit the Versant Power Astronomy Center or to book tickets for planetarium programs see the web site: http://astro.umaine.edu.

Canadian-American Center

Founded in 1967, the Canadian-American Center is one of the leading institutes for studying Canada in the United States. Designated a National Resource Center on Canada by the U.S. Department of Education in 1979, the Canadian-American Center coordinates an extensive program of undergraduate and graduate education; contributes to the continued development of Fogler Library as a major research library on Canada; promotes cross-border research in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and professions; and directs outreach programs to state, regional, and national audiences which include Canada Week, summer teachers institutes, and international conferences.

The Canadian-American Center coordinates an extensive program of undergraduate and graduate education leading to the Minor in Canadian Studies, Major in International Affairs with a concentration in Canadian Studies, Master of Arts in History with a concentration in Canadian History, Master of Arts with a concentration in North American French Studies, and Doctor of Philosophy in History with a concentration in Canadian History. The Canadian-American Center is located at 154 College Avenue www.umaine.edu/canam.

Maine Folklife Center (MFC)

The Maine Folklife Center was founded in 1992 (with roots going back to 1957) by world-renowned folklorist Edward D. “Sandy” Ives. The Center’s mission is to enhance our understanding of the folklife, folklore, and history of Maine and Atlantic Canada and to encourage appreciation of the diverse cultures and heritage of the region, thereby strengthening and enriching our communities. Among other activities, the Center documents, preserves, analyzes, and disseminates information about the region’s history and traditional cultures, primarily through recorded interviews. The Center also offers training in oral history and cultural heritage documentation, and produces a journal, podcasts, and other materials focused on the region’s cultures and people. The Center, which also houses a library, media production facility, and seminar room, is in South Stevens Hall on the Orono campus. Our phone number is 207-581-1840. More information can be found on our website: umaine.edu/folklife.

Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS) is an interdisciplinary research unit of the University of Maine. The work of CCIDS is guided by the principles of universal design/access, inclusion, diversity, and social justice. CCIDS faculty and staff represent diverse disciplines and engage in a broad range of initiatives that enhance the quality of life for individuals with developmental and other disabilities. CCIDS offers interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate study, and supports the conduct of research, evaluation, and policy analysis in the areas of education and early intervention, autism, child care, health, employment, housing, transition, mobility, and other aspects of community living for individuals with disabilities and their families. As Maine’s federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), CCIDS is a member of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities and collaborates with other universities and research centers throughout the country and internationally to address disability-related research, practice, and public policy. Graduate and undergraduate students from any discipline may become involved in the Center’s activities through coursework, independent studies, projects, and research. For additional information, please contact the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, 234 Corbett Hall, phone 207.581.1084 or 800.203.6957, TTY users: call Maine Relay 711, or visit the CCIDS website: www.ccids.umaine.edu.