Thursday was a big day for students and the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) as backpacks and blankets, clothing and computers, boxes of shoes, and baskets of school supplies were conveyed by excited students, helpful parents, and volunteers into the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) student housing at Stevens Commons in Hallowell and Best Western Plus Civic Center Inn.
UMA has been known as a commuter school and as a pioneer in distance education for much of its 59 year history, but UMA is seeing growth among students looking for a more traditional college experience.
In 2019, the first residence at Stevens Commons in Hallowell opened its doors to 34 students and three residential life staff members at Stevens Hall. Now just five years later, UMA has a total of three student residential buildings at Stevens Commons. Adding Erskine Hall increased housing capacity to 48 beds in 2020, and Cleveland Hall, which just opened fall of 2023, brought the total number of beds to 102.
Demand was exceeding supply for the 2024-25 school year, so the university began exploring options, finally negotiating with Best Western Plus Civic Center Inn to accommodate UMA’s housing needs. With just a short walk to UMA’s Augusta campus, the 22 hotel-housed students will have convenient access to classes, campus dining, and other on-site activities and amenities. Jenifer Cushman, president of UMA shared, “We are excited to welcome so many students into our UMA residence halls, and to partner with the Best Western to house even more! We are grateful that we can provide our students with housing in a tough real estate market so that they are able to concentrate on their education, building career skills to change their lives for the better.”
Vernon Briggs, Regional Director of Sales for Giri Hotel Management, of which the Best Western Plus Civic Center Inn is a part, was on-site for the big day. “This is a community thing for me. We have worked hand-in-hand with UMA for conferences and events in the past. We love seeing new faces and we are committed to making them feel part of a community.” In fact, Best Western General Manager, Robert Minto, hosted and served as DJ for a barbecue and welcome party for students on the hotel’s patio. “We’re looking forward to having the students here!” Minto exclaimed. In addition to campus student life activities, the hotel will host regular events for their student residents.
While students are drawn to UMA for its convenience and affordability, they also come for its unique programs. UMA is the only public university in Maine to offer degrees in architecture, aviation, community policing, dental assisting and dental hygiene, digital music technology, information & library science, holistic nursing, mental health & human services, public administration, trauma-informed emergency management, and veterinary technology. UMA’s growing sports program is also a draw, having added baseball and softball this year. Dean of Students, Jennifer Davis, shared, “UMA is thrilled to expand housing in response to our growing student population, thanks to a new partnership with our neighbor, the Best Western Inn. With a growing number of programs exclusive to UMA, and our expanding athletics program, this collaboration exemplifies UMA’s commitment to increasing access to higher education to out-of-state students, as well as students from across the State.”