USM President Jacqueline Edmondson says she enjoys seeing students on campus as they are walking to class, waiting for the Husky Line (or Busky), or engaged in their activities. She says, “Many of our students tell me that Gorham feels like home to them, and they choose to live on the Gorham campus because of this.”
She continued, “Michael and I have been proud to call Gorham our home for nearly three years. We enjoy the beautiful campus, the smart forest, and the ability to walk to nearby restaurants and shops in the Village. Most of all, we are proud to call the more than 1,000 students who reside on the Gorham campus our neighbors.”
In a recent message sent to the Gorham Times, Edmondson pointed out ways that USM is investing in the Gorham campus to help shape its future. Some of the investments will not be immediately visible if you are just walking through campus. She explained, “For example, the Collab e-Sports Arena is under construction in Lower Brooks, thanks in large part to a generous lead gift from Town and Country Federal Credit Union, the founding sponsor of our team.”
E-Sports is USM’s fastest growing and largest student club with approximately 200 students. Their successes have included: Champion Valorant Team, Champion Madden Team, Third Place in Overwatch, and 27 students who are “All Academic” due to their grades.
Edmondson said, “Other work will be more visible in the months ahead. This summer, work will begin on Russell Hall, the performance center of our outstanding Theater program. Efforts there include a new roof and a new envelope.”
“In addition, alumnus Tony Shalhoub ‘77 has provided a $60,000 gift that will allow us to renovate lower Russell Hall to create a flexible theater arts lab. The new “Shalhoub ‘77 Lab” will function as a launchpad for touring shows, student-driven work, new play development, and a more intimate venue for performance modes and events that warrant a tighter audience-to-performer ratio.”
With support from University of Maine Chancellor Dannel P. Malloy and the Board of Trustees, a study is currently underway to explore constructing a new building for the arts programs on the Gorham campus. New student enrollment in the fine arts has increased 46% over the past two years, and arts classes are in high demand. USM also provides important opportunities to community members through the arts programs.
Edmondson continued, “Next summer (2026), work will begin on the exterior of Bailey Hall, our largest classroom building on the Gorham campus.” She said the planning and pre-development work has started, and that the project will take five years to complete, involving replacing siding, windows, and roofing. Bailey is the largest academic building on the Gorham campus so the work can only be done during the summer rather than during the academic year.
As the Osher School of Music moves to the new Crewe Center for the Arts on the Portland campus, the theater and dance programs will be moving into spaces in Corthell Hall. Music students who live on the Gorham campus will still be able to practice in Corthell.
The athletic facilities are also benefiting from this planning. In addition to the new floor in the Hill Gym two years ago, the five-year capital plan includes completing a Costello Complex Envelope Study, and the Field House Curtain Replacement. Mechanical and electrical updates are planned for Hill Gym, the Field House, and the Ice Arena.
Edmondson concluded her message with, “We are working closely with our partners in Gorham to ensure we have strong town-grown relationships. Gorham is a college town. In fact, it’s USM’s college town and we want to be sure it feels that way. We are especially appreciative of the efforts of elected council members in Gorham, the Gorham Economic Development Corporation, the Gorham Business and Education Roundtable, and all the local business owners who welcome our students, faculty and staff to live and work here.”