The University of Maine

The University of Maine (also referred to as Maine) is a research university based in Orono in Maine. It is in fact the flagship university of the University of Maine System.

Its 660-acre campus is about 60 miles from the Atlantic coast and approximately 100 miles from the Canadian border. It has 37 academic buildings, 30 administrative buildings, 18 residence halls, 18 specific laboratory facilities, 10 sports facilities, 5 museums, and a state of the art recreation and fitness centre.

Maine has roots dating back to 1865, however it has since undergone quite dramatic transformation. The curriculum now places greater influence on the liberal arts. 

It is the largest research university in the state and it remains to be the only institution in Maine classified as a research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. 

The University of Maine offers 90 undergraduate programmes which are within five separate Colleges: the College of Business, Public Policy and Health, the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture.

Sustainability is a key part of the university’s mission, and it is listed in Princeton Review's Green Honour Roll, which recognises schools for their commitment to sustainability. Maine boasts successful recycling programs, green-certified buildings and a free shuttle bus service. It also has a sustainability council composed of students, faculty, administrators, and staff, and employs a full-time sustainability coordinator.

Athletic teams at the University of Maine participate in the NCAA's Division I and is also a member of the Colonial Athletic Association for football, Hockey East for ice hockey, and the America East Conference for all other sports. Sports on offer include alpine skiing, baseball, cricket, cycling, softball, golf, lacrosse, tennis, rugby and table tennis. 

Notable alumni include bestselling author Stephen King, who is famous for writing contemporary fiction which has includes Carrie and The Green Mile, Bernard Lown, the original developer of the DC defibrillator and the cardioverter, as well as a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and Paul Kariya, a former professional ice hockey winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League.