UMPI events in the news
UMPI marks Constitution Day
PRESQUE ISLE — The University of Maine at Presque Isle will celebrate the 225th birthday of the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Monday, Sept. 17, from 2-3 p.m. with a special panel presentation that will examine our nation’s fundamental governing document from the perspective of a political scientist, a historian and a superior court justice.
The Honorable E. Allen Hunter, who presides over the Aroostook County Courthouse, will be joined by UMPI faculty members Dr. John Zaborney, professor of history, and Dr. Brent Andersen, political science lecturer, for the panel discussion, which is free and open to the public.
Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to observe Constitution Day by gathering in the University’s Campus Center for the special event, titled “The U.S. Constitution: From Its Creation to Modern-Day Interpretation and Application.”
During the presentation, all three panelists will discuss the U.S. Constitution through the lens of their research and professional work.
Zaborney will describe the historical circumstances surrounding how and why the Constitution came to be.
“The Constitution came about as the result of economic distress and fear of violence which gripped the newly-independent United States during the 1780s,” Zaborney explained. “In particular, the Constitution intended to establish, in the words of the preamble, ‘domestic tranquility’ by addressing what were seen by some as the causes of those problems.”
Andersen will discuss how the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the document shapes public policy.
“The Constitution, and in particular how it is interpreted by the Supreme Court, has a very real impact on people’s lives today,” Andersen said. “The question of whether certain individuals can get health insurance, or whether others have to pay a tax penalty if they choose not to buy it, was just decided by the court a few months ago. It all turns on how a majority of justices on the Court understand phrases in the document that were written 225 years ago. So understanding the document and how judges interpret it becomes very important.”
Hunter will share his observations, as a practitioner, on the role the Constitution plays in today’s court proceedings.
“I get to see the Constitution in action on a regular basis and will attempt to describe some of those observations from my particular vantage point,” Hunter said.
In addition to the panel presentation, the University encourages the entire campus and community to take time Sept. 17 to learn something new about the U.S. Constitution. UMPI has installed a display on the first floor of the library featuring information about the Constitution. As well, anyone logging onto the university’s homepage can click on the Constitution Day slide, which will lead them to an interactive version of the Constitution at http://ratify.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/index_no_flash.php.
The Constitution Day panel presentation is a free event and the public is invited to attend. Miniature versions of the U.S. Constitution will be distributed during the event. For more information, call 768-9452.
Community and Campus Clubs Fair
The University of Maine at Presque Isle will host its annual Community and Clubs Fair on Thursday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Campus Center Multipurpose Room.
For the past 17 years, the university has kicked off the academic year with this event, which allows campus clubs and organizations to promote their groups to the student body and the community.
This event introduces students to the services and products available to them in the community. Area businesses are invited to participate in the event and are encouraged to give samples and coupons to students to promote their products and services. The Community Fair also provides local businesses with the opportunity to meet UMPI students as prospective part-time employees.
Bonnie DeVaney, director of Career Services and one of the promoters of the Fair, said, “The Community and Clubs Fair is a fun event and a great way to start the new academic year. This event gives our local businesses the opportunity to meet our new and returning students and to showcase what they have to offer our students. The Fair also gives students a chance to learn about the activities and service projects of campus organizations and decide if they want to become members. For the past 17 years, students and staff have enjoyed this fun and informal fair to learn more about the community and the campus.”
Members of the campus and community are invited to attend this event. The Fair is free to all, and there will be door prizes, product samples, coupons and giveaways. For more information, call Bonnie DeVaney at 768-9750 or e-mail Barbara.DeVaney@umpi.edu.
First-ever Fall Short Term
The University of Maine at Presque Isle is offering its first-ever Fall Short Term from Oct. 15 to Nov. 30, providing students and others looking to complete their four-year degrees with a concise, six-week session as an alternative — or an addition — to the regular 15-week semester.
“This will give students who are progressing well in their ‘normal’ 15-week coursework the opportunity to pick up an extra course, thus helping speed their time to completion,” UMPI Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael Sonntag said. “And if a 15-week course just isn’t working for students for whatever reason, this gives them an alternative, allowing them to pick up a new course mid-semester and avoid getting behind. Our short terms will help us meet the University of Maine System Board of Trustees’ goals of promoting quicker time to degree completion and increasing graduation rates.”
Sonntag explained that the University hopes to achieve several other goals with this and future short terms: to provide students with greater scheduling flexibility, to encourage more people to pursue their degrees, and to provide even more support in helping them stay on track and complete their degrees in a shorter period of time. The University has been moving in this direction already by implementing several initiatives, including new online majors in English, history, psychology and liberal studies, a wider variety of online courses, and a comprehensive list of summer courses. Sonntag indicated that the university is strategically moving in the direction of year-round course offerings and the campus community is responding positively to these initiatives.
The university piloted its first short term in January when it offered a J-Term to provide degree seekers with a short class between the fall and spring semesters. Based on the success of that term, UMPI is moving forward with its fall 2012 Short Term and will offer another J-Term at the beginning of 2013, as well as two six-week-long short terms in spring 2013.
For its fall 2012 Short Term, UMPI has 15 course offerings. All of these classes are online. They include: ART 107 Experience of the Arts, ENG 101 College Composition, ENG 151 Introduction to Literature, ENG 121 College Composition II, ENG 211 Introduction to Creative Writing, ENG 361 Crime and Punishment, GEO 101 Human Geography, HTY 115 World Civilization I, HTY 116 World Civilization II, HTY 162 United States History II, MAT 101 Basic Statistics, MAT 117 Intermediate Algebra, PSY 100 General Psychology, PSY 200 Social Psychology and SOC 200 Social Psychology.
“We’re very aware of how busy our students are and how important it is to have courses when and where they want them, so we’re very pleased to be providing them with even more learning options through our short terms,” Provost Sonntag said. “This really helps us offer a robust schedule of courses year-round and to do our very best in assisting our students in reaching their educational goals.”
For more information about UMPI’s fall 2012 Short Term, or to sign up for classes, call the Office of Student Records at 768-9540.
