Promoting student success, growth, and satisfaction is a priority for the University of Maine at Augusta. To this end, UMA delivers a comprehensive array of support services and opportunities for personal and professional development. While some services are centralized on the main campus in Augusta, most information and services noted below are accessible to students through contacts at their local campus or center or via UMA’s virtual resources. Students with questions or comments pertaining to the quality of the student experience should communicate with the Director of the program specific to their experience. The Dean of Students is another resource available to students, and staff are also available at the UMA Centers.
Counseling Services
Counseling services are designed to help students manage a large variety of challenges that may arise during their education, such as: mental health or substance abuse concerns, family or interpersonal issues, difficulty managing stress, and general challenges with balancing the demands of college and life. Counseling services include confidential, clinical counseling, crisis intervention, and referrals to community resources. Counseling services are free of charge, and available to all in-state UMA students through the Office of Student Support and Development (SSD). Counseling services are available in-person on the Augusta and Bangor campuses, as well as through telehealth (confidential Zoom and phone).
Dean of Students Office
Located on the Augusta campus, this office oversees the campus climate, student engagement efforts and the overall student co-curricular experience. The Dean of Students Office also manages the functions listed immediately below.
Housing Information:
UMA Housing at Stevens Commons
UMA offers an inclusive, safe and supportive community that contributes to students’ academic pursuits in suite-style housing to full-time undergraduate students. Erskine and Stevens Halls are renovated historic buildings located in Hallowell, which is within a 10-minute drive to the Augusta campus. Visit https://www.uma.edu/student-life/housing/uma-housing/ to learn more about this exciting and affordable housing opportunity.
Alternative Housing Options
UMA students typically commute to, or rent rooms or apartments near their local campus or center. Visit https://www.uma.edu/student-life/housing/alternative-housing-options/ for information provided in an effort to help students with their housing search.
*On-campus housing is not currently available at the Bangor campus or any of our statewide UMA Centers.
Mediation: Differences in interpretation, values, and points of view are commonplace on a college campus. While these differences enrich the college experience, occasionally disagreements may call for mediation. In such a case this office can offer advice and assistance.
Student Handbook: This handbook details UMA services, resources, and important policies. It can be accessed online or a print version is available upon request.
Student Conduct: The Dean of Students staff oversees compliance with the University policies and procedures designed to encourage respectful student behavior and academic honesty and to create an environment supportive of the educational mission of the University. The full text of the University of Maine System Student Conduct Code and the UMA Student Academic Integrity Code are included in the Student Handbook.
New Student Orientation
Orientations are offered on-site at both of UMA’s campuses (Augusta and Bangor), and at most UMA Centers, and in an online format (ONSO). All students new to UMA are invited to experience all orientation options; however, they are expected to complete the online orientation format prior to or during their first semester. In addition, specialized orientation programs for students in the architecture or nursing programs are offered. Students should contact the College of Arts and Sciences for information on the architecture orientation and the College of Professional Studies for information on the nursing orientation.
Student Life
The Office of Student Life provides opportunities for students to engage in experiences and opportunities outside the traditional classroom setting. These include social, recreational, educational, and multicultural activities which focus on personal and leadership development, as well as establishing and strengthening connections between UMA students.
Athletics: UMA’s varsity athletics program offers students the opportunity to compete at both the regional and national levels as members of both the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC), and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). The YSCC includes 9 schools located throughout New England and into New York. The USCAA is composed of 94 schools in the United States and focuses on smaller institutions of higher learning providing all athletes and programs with the same national opportunities as larger institutions. The USCAA sponsors national championships, names All-Americans, recognizes scholar athletes, and promotes USCAA member schools.
UMA supports the following intercollegiate teams: Men’s and women’s cross country, co-ed golf, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track and field, and co-ed bowling (club). All of these teams have participated in their respective USCAA national tournaments.
Community Service: Annually, the Student Life Department coordinates an Alternative Spring Break trip, which provides UMA students the opportunity to participate in service to local communities in need. Past trips/activities have included wetland restoration in New Orleans, LA, and working with Habitat for Humanity in Southern Appalachian Labor School, WV. In addition, the Student Life Department supports and collaborates with local partners on volunteer opportunities in the community (homeless/animal shelters, etc.).
Fitness Centers: On the Augusta campus, a Fitness Center for students’ health and well-being is located in the lower level of the Augusta Civic Center. The Fitness Center has cardiovascular workout and strength training equipment, including a Body Solid cable crossover machine, Hammer Strength Half Rack, and a variety of dumbbells. In addition, a racquetball court is available for both racquetball and wallyball. The Fitness Center staff is available to assist in jump starting a workout regimen. The Augusta campus also offers a premier two-mile fitness trail.
On the Bangor campus, the Fitness Center is equipped with a basketball court and a fitness area. The basketball court can be set up for volleyball, indoor soccer, and fitness classes in addition to basketball. The fitness area is equipped with a Hammer Strength Half Rack, Life Fitness Dual Cable Machine, Life Fitness Multi-Chest Machine, several ProMaxima selectorized strength machines, free weights, dumbbells, and kettlebells, various functional movement equipment, and a variety of cardio equipment (treadmills, ellipticals, spinning bike, recumbent bikes, and stair master) from Life Fitness, Landice, and SportsArt. Both campuses have locker rooms with day use lockers, showers, and restrooms. Use of the fitness centers on both campuses and participation in fitness programs are free to registered students, as well as faculty and staff.
Student Government: The Augusta and Bangor Student Government Association(s) (SGA) are the elected governing bodies of their respective campuses and are charged with representing the interests of their students. Additionally, the SGA is responsible for overseeing the expenditure of student funds and facilitating leadership and learning opportunities outside of the classroom through academic, social and cultural events. Registered students are encouraged to get involved with their SGA to shape co-curricular and service opportunities, as well as University policies and priorities through election to office, attendance at meetings, participation on committees, or through volunteer service.
Members from each SGA, as well as student representatives from the UMA Centers, meet collectively as a General Assembly (GA), which is the recognized governing body of all UMA students. It is the GA’s purpose to represent student interests and serve as the primary source of communication and policy formulation for all UMA students. Any UMA student is encouraged to attend and participate in GA meetings, or sit on the Parliamentary Committee which is responsible for drafting policies related to campus activities, amendments to SGA/GA Constitution and Bylaws, as well as the phrasing and timelines for student initiatives and referendums.
Student Clubs/Organizations: Student clubs and organizations provide leadership, skill and intellectual development, cultural enrichment, and service and social opportunities to UMA students. They provide opportunities for students to connect and engage with peers who have similar characteristics or common interests. Campus SGAs* formally recognize, and may provide financial support to, a variety of student clubs and organizations which include but are not limited to; French Club, Mental Health and Human Services Club, UMA Community Garden Club, and the American Institute of Architecture Students. Students interested in forming a new club or organization (or revitalize an inactive one) should consult the Coordinator of Student Life on their campus regarding the appropriate process.
*the General Assembly formally recognizes multicampus organizations
Student Support and Development (SSD)
The SSD team provides a variety of programs and resources designed to help students strengthen their learning skills, and deal with the inevitable challenges of academic life. The intent is to help students become more effective, self-confident and independent learners who can successfully achieve their college goals. Specific services include:
Academic Coaching: Success in college is closely tied to having and using effective learning and study skills. Assistance with time management, study strategies, memory techniques, test taking and more is offered face-to-face, by phone and via Zoom. Students should contact the SSD team or their local student services coordinators to learn more about available resources, or visit the department website.
Counseling Services: Counseling services include confidential, clinical counseling, crisis intervention, and referrals to community resources. Counseling services are free of charge, and available in-person through Student Support and Development (SSD) on the Augusta and Bangor campuses.
Services for Students with Disabilities: UMA complies with all laws and University policies which define the rights of individuals with disabilities and makes reasonable efforts to accommodate specific, appropriately documented academic needs. Students with disabilities may initiate requests for accommodation through Student Support and Development, or student services staff at their local UMA Center. To ensure the timely availability of accommodations, students should request services in advance of the start of each semester.
Tutoring: Free tutoring is provided to help students increase their understanding of course material and improve their learning and study skills. Tutoring is available for most developmental and introductory courses and some upper-level courses. It is provided in individual or small group settings, in person or via Zoom, by qualified peer or community tutors. Tutoring is either content specific or considered part of having general success tutoring sessions. These general tutoring sessions can be scheduled consistently throughout a semester for help in tracking weekly homework, managing longer term project deadlines, or scheduling for test taking preparations. Some students may only need intermittent content or success tutoring. This is fine also. Tutoring is NOT in place of academic remediation sessions or study sessions that are offered with a class-assigned Teaching Assistant (TA) or professor.
Writing Labs: Support for writing in any subject is also available in person or online. The UMA Writing Centers are geographically located on the Augusta and Bangor campuses. Writing support is also available asynchronously through the VAWLT website for distance learners. It is important that students allow adequate turn around time for paper submssions to the VAWLT support center. The papers will need to be uploaded to VAWLT, read by student writing tutors and then returned to the student online (this takes a minimum of 24 hours). The writing centers can be accessed electronically using the following websites: Either live location (Augusta or Bangor) can be accessed here and the online VAWLT can be found here.
Math Labs: The Augusta and Bangor campuses also provide, under the administration of the academic colleges, access to dedicated faculty and students who offer individualized assistance in the development of competencies in college-level writing and mathematics. Math supports are critical for many UMA students. Online students may also request a zoom session with our UMA peer mathematics tutors through SSD.
NetTutor: NetTutor is a software program that allows UMA students to access a wide range of professionally prepared tutors to assist with various content area questions and understanding of key subject-area concepts. Though NetTutor does offer some help in a synchronous manner, much of the tutoring support is offered in an asynchronous format. NetTutor can be located in BrightSpace (in any course) under the resource section OR by looking in the LaunchPad and finding the black square with a green NT inside it. It might make sense to try NetTutor now, before the classes get too complicated, in order to familiarize yourself with how the software/resource works. A student selects a general subject area, poses a question and waits for the response crafted by the professional tutor. Practicing this now allows for a smoother process when a student finds themself in a sudden time crunch yet looking for necessary academic support.
Military and Veterans’ Services
The University of Maine at Augusta is committed to working side by side with veterans (including active duty military personnel, reservists, National Guardsmen and women) and their family members who seek to further their education. In addition to a newly renovated Veterans’ Academic Center, UMA has developed a series of initiatives designed to make us even more veteran-friendly. Those initiatives include:
- In-state tuition for all out-of-state veterans world wide
- Maximum credit hours for military experience
- Dedicated space on both the Augusta and Bangor campuses
- VA Work Study positions available on campus
- Exchange Library
- Veterans on-line orientation course
- Veteran-helpful withdrawal and readmission policy
To access your VA educational benefits you will need to provide a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to the school. The VA will send your COE after you have applied for your educational benefits. If you are unable to locate a copy of your COE, you can print off a copy from your eBenefits page. Once you have your COE, submit it along with the required UMA request for certification form to the School Certifying Official’s (SCO) office. Students will not be certified at UMA without the request form being submitted each and every semester.
Title 38 United States Code Section 3679(e) School Statement of Compliance
Any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31, Veteran Readiness and Employment, or chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill® (GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.) benefits will be permitted to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance. A certificate of eligibility can also include a “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ eBenefits website, or a VA form 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes.
UMA will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from the VA under chapter 31 or 33.
This agreement will terminate on the date on which payment from the VA is made to the institution or 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility, whichever date is most beneficial to the covered individual.
For assistance with veteran benefits and certification, call the UMA School Certifying Official at (207) 621-3458. To contact UMA’s Director of Military & Veterans’ Services, call (207) 621-3215, or visit the web page, http://www.uma.edu/admission/veterans/.
TRIO Scholars Program
This is a federally-funded Student Support Services program for eligible students. TRIO’s goal is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants. The Program fosters a sense of community, provides opportunities for academic development, and empowers students to achieve their educational goals. Successful students are eligible to apply for grant aid. To be eligible for the TRIO Scholars Program a student must:
- be a United States citizen or permanent resident, and
- be enrolled in a UMA baccalaureate degree program, and
- require academic support, and
- meet ONE of the following, additional criteria:
- First Generation (neither parent has a baccalaureate degree), or
- be of low income (usually Pell grant eligible), or
- have a self-disclosed, documented disability which impacts the learning process.
Peer Coaches: Peer coaches are trained undergraduates who are available to help TRIO students succeed at UMA through student-to-student activities.
While most student services are available to all UMA students, an enrolled TRIO student may receive amplified student services, amplified tutoring, mentoring, tuition waivers for TRIO’s COL 123 and/or SSC 317 course, and more proactive support from the TRIO staff.
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