University of New England

Nexus
From the President

At the University of New England, there are far too many exciting events and achievements to mention in this letter. Below are just a few highlights. One such exciting story is the University’s growth in the area of international studies, on which this issue of Nexus focuses.

The University was listed among the region’s best colleges and universities by U.S. News & World Report in its recently published "America’s Best Colleges" issue. We are enjoying our 24th year of consecutive enrollment growth and we’ve all but outgrown our current dorm capacity on the Biddeford campus, even with a new residence hall for sophomores under construction.

Other buildings planned (with fundraising in progress) include a facility to house our Performance Evaluation and Enhancement Center (PEEC) on our Westbrook College Campus and a new biomedical research facility for the College of Osteopathic Medicine on our Biddeford campus. We also have plans to build a much-needed cultural center for our Biddeford campus named after George and Barbara Bush that will enrich campus life for students and strengthen our liberal arts programs.

You can read about more news on both campuses in the highlights section of this magazine, and also on the UNE website.
 
As illustrated in this magazine, international education at UNE continues to grow. From the collaboration with Israel College, to visiting groups of scholars from mainland China, to our many professors and staff who have traveled and taught or done research abroad, to the newly-founded Office for Study Abroad and International Programs, we seek to raise awareness and understanding of international affairs on campus, in the community and in the world. As Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Jacque Carter, said in a recent memo about the new office, "If students are going to be part of the world we’re living in and will live in, they need to have a deeper and more informed understanding of world culture and foreign language."

In sharing some of these institutional highlights with you, it is my hope you see that as alumni and friends you are connected in a very important way to an institution that is doing remarkable things. I hope this is a special source of pride for you. I thank you for being part of this exciting journey and helping us stay on course.

Sandra Featherman, Ph.D.