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The University of New England (UNE) is a
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research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...
in
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...
and
Biddeford Biddeford ( ) is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddefo ...
,
Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
, United States. It traces it historical origins to 1831 when Westbrook Seminary opened on what is now the UNE Portland Campus. UNE is the largest private university in the state of Maine and the largest educator of healthcare professionals for Maine. It is organized into five colleges that combine to offer more than 70 undergraduate, graduate, online, and professional degrees. The university is
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among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity."


History

In 1939, a boys-only high school and
junior college A junior college is a type of post-secondary institution that offers vocational and academic training that is designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations or support roles in professions such as engineering, a ...
called the College Séraphique was founded in Biddeford by Father Decary and the
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
friar of St. Andre's parish. In 1952, the school changed its name to St. Francis College and began granting
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
s with state approval in 1953. The high school program was phased out by 1961, and the college was first accredited in 1966. The school became
co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
for the first time in 1967, and the Franciscans withdrew from the administration of the college in 1974. To survive dropping enrollment, St. Francis College entered into an agreement with the New England Foundation for Osteopathic Medicine in 1978 to establish the
New England College of Osteopathic Medicine New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...
on the same campus, and in 1979 the two together became the University of New England (the merger would not be fully complete until a 1987 vote by the College of Osteopathic Medicine corporation). In 1996, Westbrook College merged with the University of New England. The merger took place under the terms of the original 1831 Westbrook charter, and the combined institutions became Westbrook College before changing the name back to the University of New England. In October 2020, the University of New England received a gift of $30 million from the Harold Alfond Foundation as part of a major investment in eight Maine institutions for the purpose of growing the state’s workforce and economy and supporting quality health care. The grant will support the construction of a new facility for the relocation of the University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine from the Biddeford Campus to the Portland Campus, the establishment of a new Institute for Interprofessional Education and Practice, and the acceleration of high-growth undergraduate and graduate programs on the Biddeford Campus to meet student demand and workforce needs, such as aquaculture, entrepreneurship, criminal justice, sports media communication, and others. James D. Herbert serves as UNE's sixth president. His tenure began on July 1, 2017, immediately following the 11-year tenure of Danielle N. Ripich.


Campuses

UNE offers three campuses that provide students with a range of learning environments. The university's two campuses in coastal Maine, USA, house undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, while its Tangier Campus provides a semester-abroad opportunity in Morocco.


Biddeford Campus

The Biddeford Campus covers , with of ocean frontage where the
Saco River The Saco River ( , Abenaki: ''Sαkóhki'') is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic O ...
flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The 26 buildings on the campus include the
Harold Alfond Harold Alfond (March 6, 1914 – November 16, 2007) was an American businessman who founded the Dexter Shoe Company, established the first factory outlet store and was a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox. Early life Alfond was born in S ...
Center for Health Sciences, the Pickus Center for Biomedical Research, and the Marine Science Center. The Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences houses Maine's only
medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...
: The
University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM) is a private medical school in Biddeford, Maine. Founded in 1978, the college is part of the University of New England and grants two degrees: the Doctor of Osteopathic Med ...
. UNE's Biddeford Campus is also home to the George and Barbara Bush Center, which houses material chronicling the Bush legacy in Maine, including memorabilia on loan from the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library at Texas A & M University. The Center includes a replica of the
Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the president of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval room has three lar ...
during Bush's term in the White House and a statue of the former president. Each year, UNE hosts an annual lecture at its Biddeford Campus that was often attended by the former president and his family. In September 2017, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell visited UNE's Biddeford Campus to deliver the Bush Lecture. The UNE Biddeford Campus also includes the Harold Alfond Forum, which offers 105,000 square-feet (9,800 m2) of athletic and learning space, including: an NHL-size ice hockey rink with 900 seats, a basketball court with 1,200 seats, classrooms, a fitness center, and multi-purpose indoor practice courts that are also used for performances and lectures. A $10 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation facilitated the building's construction and the development of associated programming. UNE also owns Ram Island, off the coast of the Biddeford Campus, which serves as a field station for student and faculty researchers.


Portland Campus

The UNE Portland Campus, located on Stevens Avenue, houses the university's Westbrook College of Health Professions and the College of Dental Medicine. The College of Dental Medicine, which is housed in the $14.5 million Oral Health Center, graduated its first class in 2017. It is Maine's only dental college. Other features of the UNE Portland Campus include the Art Gallery, the Maine Women Writers Collection, Alumni Hall, and the Center for Global Humanities. Alumni Hall is the oldest building on campus, dating to an original opening in 1834; its most recent renovation was completed in 2016. The Center for Global Humanities hosts scholars from around the globe for public lectures. Past lectures have featured
Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a ...
,
Sherwin Nuland Sherwin may refer to: Surname: * A. N. Sherwin-White (1911–1993), British historian of Ancient Rome * Adam Sherwin, journalist and a former media correspondent for The Times between 1999 and 2010 * Amy Sherwin (1855–1935), the 'Tasmanian Nighti ...
, and
Bill McKibben William Ernest McKibben (born December 8, 1960)"Bill Ernest McKibben." ''Environmental Encyclopedia''. Edited by Deirdre S. Blanchfield. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, December 31, 2017. is a ...
as speakers.


Tangier Campus

In January 2014, UNE opened a campus in
Tangier, Morocco Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...
, within the campus of the
American School of Tangier American School of Tangier (AST; ) is an American international school in Tangier, Morocco, serving preschool through grade 12. In Morocco it is considered a non-profit organization, and AST is incorporated in the U.S. state of Delaware as a 501( ...
. The UNE campus consists of two buildings—one for academic programming and the other for student and staff housing. It also includes an outdoor court colored UNE blue. While studying in Morocco, UNE students take excursions to
Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...
, Fez,
Marrakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...
, and a UNE satellite program in
Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
, Spain. The UNE Tangier Campus also hosts the Tangier Global Forum, a public lecture series designed to facilitate discussion of issues facing the global community. On May 12, 2017, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader
George J. Mitchell George John Mitchell Jr. (born August 20, 1933) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. A leading member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator from Maine from 1980 to 1995, and as Senate Majority Leader from 19 ...
visited the UNE Tangier Campus to present a lecture titled "Is Peace Possible in the Middle East?"


Academics

UNE offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. The university also has Maine's only medical school and Maine's only dental school.


Westbrook College of Health Professions

The UNE Westbrook College of Health Professions prepares students for careers in the healthcare fields. Students participate in clinical simulations, inter-professional learning experiences, service learning, and other experiences that enable them to transition smoothly into the workforce upon graduation. Programs included are Pharmacy, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, and Nurse Anesthesia. The Westbrook College of Health Professions confers undergraduate degrees including a B.S. in Applied Exercise Science, B.S. in Dental Hygiene, and B.S. in Nursing; as well as graduate and doctorate degrees such as Master of Science in Athletic Training (M.S.A.T.), Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.S.O.T.), Master of Science in Physician Assistant (M.S.P.A.), Master of Science in Social Work (M.S.W.), Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), and Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.).


College of Osteopathic Medicine

The
University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM) is a private medical school in Biddeford, Maine. Founded in 1978, the college is part of the University of New England and grants two degrees: the Doctor of Osteopathic Med ...
is the only medical school in the state of Maine. Its graduates constitute 25 percent of primary care physicians practicing in rural parts of Maine, and 10 percent of practicing physicians in the state. Founded in 1978, it is accredited by the
Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation The American Osteopathic Association's (AOA) Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) educational accreditation, accredits medical schools granting the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree in the United States. The US Department ...
(COCA) and the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.


College of Dental Medicine

The UNE College of Dental Medicine is the only dental school in northern New England.


College of Graduate and Professional Studies: Online Learning

The UNE College of Graduate and Professional Studies is 100% online, offering graduate degrees and certificate programs. In 2015, the college enrolled students from all 50 U.S. states and 27 countries.


Research and Centers of Excellence

The University of New England is categorized as an R2 University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which indicates that the institution engages in "High Research Activity." UNE has several centers of excellence for research and scholarship.


Rankings

UNE's programs have received national and international recognition in recent years: *
Princeton Review The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981, and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,0 ...
ranks UNE in "The Best 386 Colleges" 2021 edition. * UNE is ranked #285 in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking *
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
ranks UNE #452 in its list of "America’s Top Colleges for 2019." * In 2017, ''The Wall Street Journal''/Times Higher Education Ranked UNE 325th among U.S. colleges and universities. * In 2015, the
Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as Brookings, is an American think tank that conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics (and tax policy), metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, global econo ...
ranked UNE second among Maine universities and colleges for its ability to increase students' career earnings. *The University of New England is
accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by the
New England Commission of Higher Education The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evaluation and accreditation of public and private universities and colleges in the United States and othe ...
.


International collaboration

UNE is an active member of the
University of the Arctic The University of the Arctic (UArctic) is an international cooperative network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region, consisting of universities, colleges, and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arcti ...
. UArctic is an international cooperative network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region, consisting of more than 200 universities, colleges, and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arctic region. The university also participates in UArctic's mobility program north2north. The aim of that program is to enable students of member institutions to study in different parts of the North.


Athletics

University of New England teams (nickanemd the ''Nor'easters'') participate as members of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
's
Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Third ...
. The Nor'easters are a member of the
Conference of New England The Conference of New England (CNE), formerly known as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in New England in the states of ...
for thirteen of the school's current varsity sports; for women's ice hockey, the Nor'easters belong to the
New England Hockey Conference New England Hockey Conference (formerly the ECAC East) is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-only conference. __TOC__ History The New England ...
. Men's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, softball, swimming, and volleyball. In 2017, UNE fielded a sub-varsity football team in preparation for 2018 when it became a varsity football member of the CCC's football-only arm of
Commonwealth Coast Football Commonwealth Coast Football (CCC Football) was a single-sport athletic conference that competed in football in the NCAA's Division III. It began play as CCC Football in 2017 after the New England Football Conference (NEFC) was renamed following ...
.


References


External links

*
Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:New England, University of Buildings and structures at the University of New England (United States) Educational institutions established in 1831 Universities and colleges in Portland, Maine Universities and colleges in York County, Maine Dental schools in Maine 1939 establishments in Maine
University of New England University of New England may refer to: * University of New England (Australia), in New South Wales, with about 26,000 students * University of New England (United States), in Biddeford, Maine, with about 6,000 students See also * New England Coll ...