UMS Colleagues,

Welcome to the Fall 2023 edition of the UMS:IT Connections newsletter.  As has been our tradition, we are pleased to highlight updates on several projects and key initiatives of interest to the University of Maine System community.  This includes the ongoing transformative Repaving MaineStreet project, which will better align our core administrative systems (Student Information, Human Resources, and Finance/Budget) to support the goals of Unified Accreditation through the elimination of technical barriers and adoption of best practices and modern enterprise applications.  The project has focused on usability enhancements within the MaineStreet environment for our students, faculty, and staff along with improved operational efficiency.  We are excited about the progress that has been made and the roadmap of activities ahead which you can review HERE.  We continue to value your participation in this multi-year project and invite your input through the project website.

Another critical initiative recently deployed across the University of Maine System is the Managed Print Program.  This initiative has introduced significant enhancement to the printing and copying services available to the University community, including faster, higher capacity machines, and ubiquitous access to color-enabled devices with advanced functionality such as automated collation and stapling.  As noted in the update presented in this newsletter, this initiative has demonstrated measurable improvement in our universities’ environmental impact from printing.  We look forward to tracking and reporting sustainability metrics through this initiative on a regular basis.   

The list of current UMS:IT projects that are in process or near completion is also worth mentioning.  The IT Projects section provides brief updates on these initiatives, including new systems to facilitate student accommodation requests and campus recreation management.  Please browse through these updates to learn more about what is on the horizon.

In closing, I would like to extend my gratitude to the work of the dedicated, talented UMS:IT team for identifying and operationalizing opportunities to facilitate continuous improvements in the services supporting the entire University of Maine System community.  Working together with the community to achieve the goal of supporting our students and their success has resulted in many of the achievements described in this newsletter and we are grateful for your partnership.

Wishing you all a successful and productive Fall Semester –

Sincerely,

David M. Demers, Ph.D.,
Chief Information Officer