AUGUSTA, Maine — The University of Maine System has tapped one of its top officials to lead its Augusta campus and its branch institutions for the next three years, with the aim of bringing stability to a campus that has seen a revolving door of leadership in recent years.
Rebecca Wyke, the system’s vice chancellor for finance and administration, was named as University of Maine at Augusta’s new president Friday morning. She has led the campus before, filling in as UMA president on an interim basis for part of 2015 while officials searched for a permanent leader.
“One of the most important things for me is that the campus [community] gets a leader they feel is a good fit for them,” Wyke said during an interview Friday morning.
In April, the most recent leader, James Conneely, announced his plans to resign after just 16 months on the job. He leaves June 30. Neither Conneely nor UMS have said why he decided to resign.
UMA, which specializes in educating veterans, nontraditional students, and online learners, has cycled through four presidents in less than three years. UMA also operates a campus in Bangor and eight university college locations across the state.
During an April meeting with Chancellor James Page, faculty and staff at UMA pleaded for a quick transition to stable leadership.
Page gave faculty several options. The system could have launched an “expedited” search to put a new president in place by the end of the calendar year, but that could mean a limited pool of applicants and miss out on an ideal fit. Alternatively, the system could have brought in an interim leader for one year, or given an interim president an extended term, giving the school enough time find stable footing under that leader before launching a full-scale search for permanent replacement.
The consensus among staff at the meeting was that someone should take the helm sooner rather than later, and several told the chancellor that Wyke should fill that role. Wyke proved popular among UMA staff during her six-month term as president, during which the system wrapped up the search that culminated with Conneely’s hiring in early 2016.
Wyke, who starts her new job July 1, will have an annual salary of $194,000, according to the system. She will leave her vice chancellor post when she starts at UMA.
“My full attention will be on the UMA campus,” Wyke said.
The system hasn’t determined who will take on the vice chancellor responsibilities, according to UMS spokesman Dan Demeritt, but is working out the details and doesn’t expect to hire anyone from outside.
During Wyke’s second year on the job, system officials said they will review whether to launch a national presidential search or continue her presidency. The system has continued appointments like that in the past in instances where they found widespread campus and community support for the temporary appointee.
They took that step last month by appointing Raymond Rice president of the University of Maine at Presque Isle. He’d been serving that role in the interim since July of 2016.
Wyke said her past experience at the campus will help her ease back into the work without much delay.
“I’m going to re-engage as quickly as possible,” Wyke said.
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