Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Program To Provide Greater Cooperation and Coordination between the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0984
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MITCHELL, FLOOD, ALFOND, BLODGETT, CROCKETT, LOVEJOY

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124th MAl E LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 984 
S.P.367 
In Senate, March 12, 2009 
Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Program To Provide Greater 
Cooperation and Coordination between the University of Maine 
System and the Maine Community College System 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by President MITCHELL of Kennebec. 
Cosponsored by Representative FLOOD of Winthrop and 
9rp(J~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: ALFOND of Cumberland, Representatives: BLODGETT of Augusta, CROCKETT of 
Augusta, LOVEJOY of Portland, NUTTING ofOaldand. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Sec. 1. Pilot program established!. Resolved!: That the University of Southern 
Maine and the University of Maine at Augusta shall develop a pilot program with 
Southern Maine Community College and Kennebec Valley Community College, 
respectively, to provide a process for attending the Maine Community College System to 
earn an associate degree and going on to attend the University of Maine System to earn a 
baccalaureate degree with a seamless. transition of college credits towards the goal of 
graduation. The pilot program must have students participating simultaneously with 
specific degree programs at both the community college and the university, dependent 
upon their agreement, to take a prescribed series of courses; and be it further 
Sec. 2. Courses. Resolved!: That the courses in the pilot program must include 
prescribed courses in the major discipline, a set of general education courses and 
acceptable electives, divided between the 2 institutions. Students must pass all courses 
and maintain an agreed-upon grade average in the students' major to remain in the 
program. The program must also include an alternative route for associate students with 
some prior credits to participate; and be it further 
Sec. 3. Faculty. Resolved!: That the department chairs of the faculty from both 
universities and the 2 community colleges shall: 
1. Design the pilot program curricula and agree to accept all courses of the partner 
institutions in the major as well as the general education courses. In coming to the 
agreement to accept the courses, the department chairs shall consult with faculty at each 
institution and review the current curricula, learning outcomes and assessments, tests and 
department exams to ensure the equivalence of these courses between the 2 universities 
and the 2 community colleges; and 
2. Develop a fully transferable general education curriculum composed solely of 
academic courses so that students may transfer from the community college system to the 
university system with at least 60 credits of the required work toward a baccalaureate 
degree. Elective credits may be offered to students for additional academic courses at the 
community college. The chief academic officers of each institution shall oversee tIns 
process and report to their presidents; and be it further 
Sec. 4. Goals. Resolved!: That the pilot program must be developed to be a 
model for further collaboration between the participating colleges and universities in the 
service of student success, retention and degree completion and to provide data for future 
academic. policy for all future student success; and be it further 
Sec. 5. Report. Resolved: That the University of Maine System and the Maine 
Community College System shall report to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters on the completion and graduation 
of the first participating class of students involved in the pilot program, with an 
assessment and recommendations to the committee on the future of the program. The 
joint standing committee is authorized to submit a bill regarding the report during the 
legislative session in which the report is submitted. 
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SUMMARY 
This resolve establishes a pilot program between the University of Maine System and 
the Maine Community College System, more specifically between the University of 
Southern Maine and Southern Maine Community College and between the University of 
Maine at Augusta and Kennebec Valley Community College, to provide a seamless 
process of going from an associate degree program at the community college onto a 
baccalaureate degree program at the university. The pilot program will be established 
after consultation with faculty from all 4 schools, along with a review of the majors at the 
schools. The program will be composed of students who take prescribed courses along 
with electives. After the first participating class graduates, the University of Maine 
System and the Maine Community College System will report back to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters on its assessment 
of the program and any recommendations.