Academic Support Services
Bookstore
The UMA Bookstore is a full service university bookstore, located in the new Student Center on the Augusta campus. The bookstore is dedicated to providing outstanding customer service to the University and the local community. In addition to required textbooks for on-site University of Maine at Augusta courses and all University College courses, nursing reference materials and study aids are also available. The bookstore carries a wide variety of imprinted merchandise, including clothing, ceramics and glassware, and gift ideas, school supplies, and graduation memorabilia.
Textbooks and imprinted merchandise may also be purchased through the bookstore Web site at www.umabookstore.com. During the beginning of each semester, the bookstore is open for extended hours. Hours are posted on the Web site and in the semester course guide. For further information, please call 1-800-621-0083.
Bangor: For student convenience, textbooks for classes held at the Bangor campus may be purchased at the bookstore on the Bangor campus. The Bangor campus bookstore also stocks a limited amount of imprinted merchandise and school supplies, and is open for several weeks during the beginning of each semester. Hours are posted at www.umabookstore.com and in the semester course guide. To contact the Bangor campus bookstore during business hours, please call 207-262-7830.
College Offices
The staff of UMA's three college offices, Arts & Humanities, Mathematics & Professional Studies, and Natural & Social Sciences, directly supports students in a variety of ways. The college offices house the student files and staff assist students who seek program modifications through their college dean. The offices often provide sample course syllabi and facilitate the course evaluation process. Faculty and advisor contact information, including office hours and location, phone number and E-mail address, is also available through the college offices. In general, the offices function as a liaison between student and faculty.
Computer Labs/Classrooms
The University of Maine at Augusta has state-of-the-art computer labs available for student use, as well as for classes and training. There are three computer classrooms and one computer lab on the main campus in Augusta and two computer labs and one computer classroom on the Bangor campus. The student use technology funds are used to maintain all student computer labs and classrooms.
Upon registration, students are automatically assigned an E-mail ID that provides access to lab computers, e-mail, and up to 50 hours per month free Internet access from many locations throughout the state. This account must be activated in order to use academic resources, such as our course management system, the computer labs, and the wireless network.
To request additional information, lab hours, or for information on how to activate your ID, call or stop by:
- Augusta 207-621-3253 Student Technology Center, Room 127
- Bangor 207-262-7745 College Center
Cultural Opportunities
New experiences with the arts and humanities are a vital part of any college career. At UMA there are many opportunities to observe and participate in music, theater, writing, poetry, dance, and the visual arts and crafts.
Danforth Gallery Lounge: On the Augusta campus, the Danforth Gallery in Jewett Hall schedules four to six major exhibits each year. A UMA student art show, as well as an architecture show, is presented annually and a faculty show is scheduled every other year. The final show each year features the work of the graduating art majors. Recent exhibits have included Lihua Lei presentation of a 9/11 installation/performance project, Naomi Ribner's show of digital and mixed media prints, and the paintings of Howard Greenberg. One-person shows by Maine artists are featured in the lobby of the library.
Jazz Week: As part of its Jazz and Contemporary Music Program, UMA has numerous ensembles; near the end of each semester, these groups perform a complete week of free concerts beginning on a Sunday afternoon and running through the following Saturday night. Listening to groups such as Jazz on Tour, Fusion Ensemble, and Big Band, audiences begin to recognize and appreciate the essence of jazz improvisation.
Colloquium Series: During the last three years UMA has initiated and institutionalized a colloquium series on the Augusta and Bangor campuses. Adopting a yearly theme, the Colloquium Committee selects a book appropriate for use in a variety of disciplines and designs appropriate inter-disciplinary programming. Recent themes include Borders, Peace and War, and Immigration.
Terry Plunkett Maine Poetry Festival: This annual weekend event honors the memory of UMA poet and Professor of English Terry Plunkett. It gathers poets and students from all over Maine to read and celebrate poetry, and to discuss its crafting.
Developmental Studies
Developmental Studies courses are designed for students whose placement test scores indicate a need to build their basic skills in mathematics, reading, and/or writing. Faculty who teach these classes offer course work of a highly individualized nature. These courses carry credit towards a student's load for financial aid purposes, but do not count towards "satisfactory academic progress." Credit earned for developmental studies course work cannot be applied towards graduation, since these are pre-college level courses. A minimum grade of "C" is required to pass all developmental courses.
Libraries
The Bennett D. Katz Library: Located on the Augusta Campus, the Bennett D. Katz Library is a state-of-the-art student information center and library. In addition to the traditional responsibilities of selecting and placing curriculum related materials on the shelves, the Library pays special attention to helping students become information literate and able to:
- Define individual information needs
- Identify possible sources of information and conduct general searches
- Make resource selections based on need
- Evaluate the usefulness and appropriateness of the information
- Apply the information found to satisfy individual questions and interpret its meaning
The Library houses 54,000 bound, printed volumes, 370 periodicals, many online indexes and full-text databases, and many many videos, DVDs and audio visual items. UMA is a partner in the University of Maine System online library system that provides instant access to all materials in every University of Maine System library - over 3 million catalogued items. Over 7 million items are available through Maine Infonet. Rapid courier delivery is available to move materials to and from each campus and university center. Students may also access online resources and virtual reference support form their home or office.
The Library includes 100 seats for study and research, a strong and well-respected reference collection, public access computer stations, and a large selection of student artwork. The Library provides an adaptive workstation to assist students who have visual or hearing impairments. Wireless laptops can be checked out for research and word processing.
For more details about the library and access to all online resources, visit the UMA Libraries at www.uma.edu/libraries.html or call 207-621-3355 or 1-877-862-1234, ext. 3355.
The Bangor Campus Library: Located in Eastport Hall, the UCB Library houses more than 25,000 books, 400 videocassettes and 190 journals. All students, employees, and community members are welcome to visit and use the library. There is plentiful study space as well as room for quiet, small-group work. UCB Library staff members provide instruction in academic classes and in the library to further the cause of information literacy. Call 207-2627900.
Registrar
The Registrar's Office maintains a student's official academic record and provides other types of support.
Academic Records: The Registrar's Office evaluates and posts transfer credit and issues official transcripts and grade reports, upon request. The registrar works with students and faculty to resolve grading concerns and issues "good student" grade verifications that may qualify students for automobile insurance discounts. They also handle immunization compliance records.
Registration: The office processes registrations, add-drops, and withdrawals. It also processes loan deferments and other enrollment verifications.
Graduation: Staff in this office determine whether students have met degree requirements and, thereby, qualify to graduate. They also print and mail diplomas and verify degrees to potential employers.
Veterans Services: UMA is a Service Member's Opportunity College; the Registrar's Office administers these services. The University is committed to improving educational opportunities for veterans as well as active duty military personnel, reservists, national guardsmen and women, widows and widowers of veterans, war orphans, and children of disabled veterans. UMA provides pre-service and post-service educational and financial advising and referrals, will act as a coordinator for local students while in the service, and will arrange for transfer of credit to the student's home institution. UMA will assist eligible students with the process of applying for educational benefits through the Veterans Administration and will certify enrollment for continuing students. Individuals who have attended service schools may receive college credit for military training. Call 207-621-3458 for assistance.
University College
University College (UC) is part of the University of Maine System (UMS) that provides statewide access to courses and degrees for individuals who cannot pursue studies on a UMS campus.
At University College centers and sites, students can take courses leading to degree and certificate programs and enjoy personalized services and support in their own communities. Courses offered through University College are the same courses available on campuses, enabling students to receive financial aid, apply for scholarships, and transfer credits with confidence.
University College Centers: At eleven centers across Maine, students can take UMA courses, pursue degrees, and receive all the support they need to earn a degree close to home and on schedules that fit into their family and work lives. Courses are taught by instructors on-site, online or via interactive television (ITV) or video-conferencing. This combination of "close to home" access and on-going personal support in a smaller environment is the hallmark of the University College Centers.
Community Course Sites: ITV and online classes are also available at over 75 sites around the state in high schools, adult education centers, community centers, and other locations. Coordinated by the local University College Center, staff at sites welcome students, distribute and collect course materials, proctor exams, and monitor classroom equipment.
For more information about University College and its services, contact 1-800-868-7000 or visit the Web site at www.learn.maine.edu.
Off-Campus Library Services
Any student enrolled in a University of Maine System distance education course has access to a wide variety of information and library services through the Off-Campus Library Services office. Professional librarians are responsible for directing and organizing resources specific to the needs of distant students and faculty.
The librarians offer reference assistance, library use instruction for Mariner--the University of Maine System's digital library--to individuals, and in the classrooms at the University Centers, or over ITV. In addition, the Off-Campus Library Services office assists students, faculty and staff with interlibrary loan materials from URSUS, the University of Maine System Libraries' online catalog, and provides document delivery of articles found in Mariner, as well as electronic reserves. The office is also the point of contact for intellectual property questions for distant education faculty for their courses and provides copyright clearance for course packs for the distance education faculty.
The Off-Campus Library Services office can be reached toll-free at 1-800-339-7323 (Maine) or 1-888-266-4950 (National toll-free). Visit our Web site at: www.learn.maine.edu/ocls/.