Throughout the early 1990s, President Richard Pattenaude led the University of Southern Maine (USM) through a period of severe economic decline and expanding regional need. The university’s revenue sources changed dramatically, with tuition income replacing state appropriations as the primary source of revenue. Between 1990 and 1995, both enrollment levels and residence hall occupancy rates decreased. Despite continued planning at the unit level, Pattenaude and his senior staff understood that a more comprehensive approach would be necessary. “It was all about becoming a new university. We had to consider the ‘What is distinctive about us?’ question.”
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