University of Maine at Fort Kent
Encyclopedia
The University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) is a public
liberal arts
university in the U.S. state
of Maine
.
Located in Fort Kent
in the St. John Valley (Vallée St. Jean) region of northern Maine, the university is part of the seven-member University of Maine System
. It currently has an enrollment of 1,072 students. The St. John Valley region is close to the border with Quebec. The area is a center of French American
culture, and the majority of adults in the region are bilingual
in French and English.
The university offers academic programs leading to various associate's
and bachelor's degree
s. The university's Carnegie Classification
is "Baccalaureate Colleges - General."
Selden Connor signed an act establishing a teachers' school
in the northern border region of the state (then known as the Madawaska territory) in an effort to Americanize the French settlers of the area. This became known as the Madawaska Training School. The institution held its first classes on September 30, 1878.
In 1955 the name was changed to Fort Kent Normal School to more accurately reflect its location. The name would change three more times, beginning in 1961 to become Fort Kent State Teachers College and then Fort Kent State College. The institution adopted its current name in 1970.
Jeffrey Dubis, an instructor at UMFK's applied forest management
program, has designed an online Wood Identification Study Guide for Applied Forest Management Students, now in its second addition.
(USCAA). The university was previously a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA) and the Sunrise Athletic Conference
until the conference disbanded in 2011. The university has varsity team
s in men's and women's basketball
, men's and women's soccer
, and women's volleyball
. The university also has a number of intramural
teams.
In 2002, UMFK signed an agreement with the United States Biathlon Association allowing the USBA to nominate up to five biathletes
for a UMFK scholarship program which allows them to attend the university at the Maine in-state tuition
rate and gives them access to the university's training facilities. The agreement was also aimed at training possible Olympic
contestants at the university.
UMFK also assists with the organization of Biathlon events hosted at the nearby 10th Mountain Ski Center such as the 2005, and upcoming 2009 IBU
Biathlon World Cup, March 12-15, 2009, the only U.S. venue on the IBU’s 2008/09 schedule. The 2009 event is expected to host nearly 300 world-class athletes and coaches, draw hundreds of spectators to the St. John Valley, and capture a worldwide television audience for the three-day competition.
, Trinidad
, and South Africa
volunteered at the start of the Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race
in March 2009. For many of the players, it was the first time they had ever seen snow, a sled dog, or a competitive distance race.
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
university in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
Located in Fort Kent
Fort Kent, Maine
Fort Kent is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,097 in the 2010 census. Fort Kent is home to an Olympic biathlete training center, an annual CAN-AM dogsled race, and the Fort Kent Blockhouse, built in reaction to the Aroostook War and in modern times designated...
in the St. John Valley (Vallée St. Jean) region of northern Maine, the university is part of the seven-member University of Maine System
University of Maine System
The University of Maine System is a network of public universities in Maine. Created in 1968 by the Maine State Legislature, the University of Maine System consists of seven universities, each with a distinct mission and regional character...
. It currently has an enrollment of 1,072 students. The St. John Valley region is close to the border with Quebec. The area is a center of French American
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
culture, and the majority of adults in the region are bilingual
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
in French and English.
The university offers academic programs leading to various associate's
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
and bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s. The university's Carnegie Classification
Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is a framework for classifying, or grouping, colleges and universities in the United States. The primary purpose of the framework is for educational research and analysis, where it is often important to identify groups of roughly...
is "Baccalaureate Colleges - General."
History
On February 21, 1878, GovernorGovernor of Maine
The governor of Maine is the chief executive of the State of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive....
Selden Connor signed an act establishing a teachers' school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
in the northern border region of the state (then known as the Madawaska territory) in an effort to Americanize the French settlers of the area. This became known as the Madawaska Training School. The institution held its first classes on September 30, 1878.
In 1955 the name was changed to Fort Kent Normal School to more accurately reflect its location. The name would change three more times, beginning in 1961 to become Fort Kent State Teachers College and then Fort Kent State College. The institution adopted its current name in 1970.
Fiddlers Jamboree
UMFK has for many years been host to an annual Fiddlers Jamboree where it is often standing-room-only as hundreds of people gather to hear more than 40 fiddlers, guitarists, banjo pickers, drummers and accordion players from both sides of the U.S./Canadian border. The event draws members of the New Brunswick Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame, and is an important complement to the Acadian Archives at UMFK.Academics
The university offers academic programs in:- Associate of Arts in General Studies
- Associate of Science in Forest Technology
- Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(majors in EnglishEnglish studiesEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) - Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
(majors in behavioral science, biologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, businessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, computer applications, electronic commerceElectronic commerceElectronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce, eCommerce or e-comm, refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. However, the term may refer to more than just buying and selling products online...
, elementary education, rural public safety administration, secondary educationSecondary educationSecondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
- bilingual educationBilingual educationBilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...
, secondary education - English/dramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
/language artsLanguage artsTraditionally, the primary divisions in the language arts are Literature and Language, where language in this case refers to both linguistics, and specific languages....
, secondary educationSecondary educationSecondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
- mathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, and social science field) - Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies
- Bachelor of Science in NursingBachelor of Science in NursingThe Bachelor of Science in Nursing is an American four year academic degree in the science and principles of nursing, granted by a tertiary education university or similarly accredited school...
- Bachelor of University Studies
Jeffrey Dubis, an instructor at UMFK's applied forest management
Forest management
200px|thumb|right|[[Sustainable development|Sustainable]] forest management carried out by [[Complejo Forestal y Maderero Panguipulli|Complejo Panguipulli]] has contributed to the preservation of the forested landscape around [[Neltume]], a sawmill town in Chile...
program, has designed an online Wood Identification Study Guide for Applied Forest Management Students, now in its second addition.
Athletics
UMFK is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic AssociationUnited States Collegiate Athletic Association
The United States Collegiate Athletic Association is a national organization in the USA for the intercollegiate athletic programs of less than 100 small colleges, community collegs and junior colleges. It holds 11 "National Championship" tournaments in seven sports...
(USCAA). The university was previously a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) and the Sunrise Athletic Conference
Sunrise Athletic Conference
The Sunrise Athletic Conference was a college athletic conference founded in 2002 and affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . Its member institutions were in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.-History:...
until the conference disbanded in 2011. The university has varsity team
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
s in men's and women's basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
, men's and women's soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
, and women's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. The university also has a number of intramural
Intramural sports
Intramural sports or intramurals are recreational sports organized within a set geographic area. The term derives from the Latin words intra muros meaning "within walls", and was used to indicate sports matches and contests that took place among teams from "within the walls" of an ancient city...
teams.
In 2002, UMFK signed an agreement with the United States Biathlon Association allowing the USBA to nominate up to five biathletes
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
for a UMFK scholarship program which allows them to attend the university at the Maine in-state tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
rate and gives them access to the university's training facilities. The agreement was also aimed at training possible Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
contestants at the university.
UMFK also assists with the organization of Biathlon events hosted at the nearby 10th Mountain Ski Center such as the 2005, and upcoming 2009 IBU
International Biathlon Union
The International Biathlon Union, IBU, is the international governing body of biathlon. Its headquarters are in Salzburg, Austria.- History :The International Biathlon Union was founded on 2 July 1993...
Biathlon World Cup, March 12-15, 2009, the only U.S. venue on the IBU’s 2008/09 schedule. The 2009 event is expected to host nearly 300 world-class athletes and coaches, draw hundreds of spectators to the St. John Valley, and capture a worldwide television audience for the three-day competition.
Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race
UMFK promotes new learning experiences, such as when members of the UMFK men’s soccer team from JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
volunteered at the start of the Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race
Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race
The CAN-AM Crown is an international sled dog race held annually in Fort Kent, Maine, and usually takes place the first Saturday in March . The race begins on Main Street in Fort Kent, sloping underneath the international bridge to Canada, then extending into the western parts of the Allagash...
in March 2009. For many of the players, it was the first time they had ever seen snow, a sled dog, or a competitive distance race.
External links
- Official site
- Wood Identification Study Guide. (Accessed 2009-03-07)