Free Republic

Officials have a plan to whittle down the institution’s projected deficit to $3 million through expense shaving and revenue increases. ... Dive Brief: University of Maine’s senior leadership outlined a plan that would slash the public institution’s expected fiscal 2028 nonacademic budget deficit from $9 million down to $3 million. The plan relies on expense cuts including an unspecified number of layoffs, along with some combination of shorter employee appointments and vacancy eliminations in several units — athletics, student life, strategic partnerships and the president’s office. Leaders are also looking at consolidating UMaine’s research centers. At the same time, they...

University leaders are preparing layoffs, eliminating vacant positions, and cutting expenses to address a projected $19 million FY2028 deficit.. Federal records compiled by MyVisaJobs show the University of Maine System filed 19 H-1B labor-condition applications in fiscal 2026. ... The University of Maine (UMaine) in Orono is preparing faculty and staff reductions as it confronts a projected $19 million deficit for fiscal year 2028, while the broader University of Maine System continued H-1B sponsorship during fiscal 2026. University leaders have proposed layoffs, eliminating vacant positions, reducing outside contracts, modifying some annual appointments, and consolidating units as part of an effort...

Over the next month, Dining Services will be testing a pilot program that uses a scan of an individual’s palm in place of his or her MaineCard. The program uses infrared technology to recognize the meal plan user’s palm and links that image to that person’s MaineCard account. “Instead of swiping your MaineCard, the program is going to identify you by the palm of your hand,” said Benny Veenhof, director of technology management at UMaine. “It takes a snapshot of the veins and creates a black pattern that it then converts into an encrypted algorithm.”