PORTLAND, Maine — The man slated to take the helm of the beleaguered University of Southern Maine has dropped out after turmoil erupted at the New Jersey school where he has served for 35 years, according to a Wednesday morning statement from the University of Maine System.
“While I eagerly anticipated being part of USM’s resurgence, the tremendous sense of obligation I have to Stockton University means I must forgo the opportunity to lead the University of Southern Maine,” Kesselman wrote in a statement issued to the USM community Wednesday morning.
He officially had been scheduled to take over the USM presidency July 1, 2015.
Glenn Cummings, interim president of the University of Maine at Augusta who was a finalist for the USM post, will take Kesselman’s place that same date. System officials announced the leadership change during a Wednesday morning news conference on the USM campus.
Cummings, a Portland resident and former Speaker of the Maine House, said the university needs to work to reverse trends of declining enrollment and figure out why it’s losing students to other schools in the region, despite the system’s commitment to hold tuition flat for four straight years.
Cummings and Kesselman were finalists in an eight-month national search process that drew 80 applicants from across the country, which ended in March with Kesselman’s selection.
Kesselman will continue serving as acting president of Stockton University, a post he has held since April, when he took over for President Herman Saatkamp, who resigned citing medical reasons.
Shortly after the resignation, the Stockton faculty nevertheless took a no-confidence vote against Saatkamp, according to the publication Press of Atlantic City. There was unrest and legal controversy surrounding plans to use a former casino, purchased for $18 million by the school in December, as an island campus and private hotel.
A conflict with the Trump Taj Mahal also has been holding up the plans for the casino redevelopment project, according to local media.
Earlier this week, Madeleine Deininger, chairwoman of the Stockton University board, wrote to UMS Chancellor James Page, asking Kesselman be allowed to withdraw from his contract with UMS, citing the problems at Stockton and the need for an experienced leader. Page granted the request, according to the system.
“Harvey Kesselman’s long, capable service and dedication to Stockton University were among the qualities that made him such an appealing choice to join our leadership team in Maine,” Page said in a statement issued Wednesday. “While we sincerely enjoyed getting to know Dr. Kesselman and looked forward to working together, we respect his decision and admire his devotion to Stockton.”
During interviews after his selection, Kesselman told reporters “[Maine] is my home now. I made a commitment here, and this is the place I belong now.”
The sudden change in leadership plans comes at a vital time for the University of Southern Maine. Facing a $16 million budget gap, the university cut 51 faculty positions and five academic programs in the past year. The controversial actions taken during that period drew the ire of several faculty members and the American Association of University Professors, which recently issued a report criticizing the steps the university took to close the gap and denying that serious financial problems exist at the system level.
Outgoing President David Flanagan was brought on board in July 2014, charged with stopping USM’s fiscal decline and presenting a viable budget. He accomplished both goals, according to Page.
“It’s been challenging and it has been difficult, but it was the right thing to do,” Flanagan said during the news conference. “I believe we have set the stage for a vibrant, successful future for USM.”
“Like a Maine spring, USM is slowly and beautifully emerging from a dark winter,” Cummings, a 15-year professor of economics and education at the school, said Wednesday.
“Glenn has a firsthand appreciation for the needs of our students and the workings of this institution,” Page said. “Just as important are the first-name relationships Glenn has with many of our dedicated faculty and staff.”
Page said Cummings will need to build on the “financial stability achieved under President Flanagan to move the campus and the entire community forward.”
Cummings said he anticipates more difficult decisions ahead, but he stressed changes would need to be made in the interest of the university’s “common welfare” as it strives to right itself and work toward becoming a metropolitan university. A vital next step will be reversing the trend of declining enrollment at USM, which is projected to continue into the fall semester in spite of increased marketing investments.
Several community leaders and faculty members spoke during Wednesday’s announcement, lauding the hiring of Cummings.
Thomas Parchman, a music professor and chairman of the faculty senate, said Cummings would have a strong understanding of the issues and concerns faculty face, as well as a deep understanding of the university itself.
“I look forward to an open and honest relationship with him,” Parchman said.
Numerous lawmakers, including House Republican Leader Ken Fredette, House Speaker Mark Eves, Senate President Mike Thibodeau, Senate Democratic Leader Justin Alfond, and U.S. Sen. Angus King, issued statements Wednesday congratulating Cummings on his appointment.
The search for the University of Maine at Augusta’s next president already is underway, according to system officials. The final decision is expected in November. Page expects to appoint an interim UMA president in late June before Cummings transitions to USM.
“To [Kesselman’s] credit, his heart was in New Jersey,” Cummings said Wednesday. “Mine will always be in Maine.”
Follow Nick McCrea on Twitter at @nmccrea213.