An Academic Update From the Provost

Teaching and learning have never been so exciting at USM! Advanced teaching methodologies, interdisciplinary curriculum, and the use of technology have created exciting opportunities for high-impact practices, creating transformational learning experiences and promoting our commitment to excellence in education. High-impact practices are educational practices that research has shown to increase rates of student retention, student engagement, and persistence to graduation for all students across diverse backgrounds.

A few examples of transformational experiences at USM include:

1. Hands-on Learning Spaces and Activities

Human Anatomy Lab – state-of-the-art lab space with eight human donors serving almost 400 health care and science students each year.

Crime Scene Room – a room designed to simulate a crime scene where students can practice investigation procedures for USM criminology students.

Cybersecurity Center for Excellence – addresses the nation’s growing needs in cybersecurity and cyber defense by providing a top-tier training center equipped with tools, hardware, and software addressing today’s cybersecurity issues.

Educational Classroom Space – a classroom specifically designed to replicate a K-12 classroom environment used for students in teacher education.

Spiro’s Cup – an on-campus coffee shop run by business students and incorporated into business curriculum.

Spires Trading Team – provides USM students with excellent real-world experiences in investment theory, fund and risk management, and hands-on trading strategies with the assistance of experienced faculty and investment officer supervision.

2. Undergraduate research.

USM students have the opportunity to work closely with faculty members, community organizations, and industry on cutting-edge research projects and internship opportunities with companies such as Hills Pet Science Nutrition.

Internships and Experiential Learning – Partnering with industry leaders, we offer internships, clinicals, and hands-on experiences that bridge classroom knowledge with their respective careers spanning partners in health care, cybersecurity, business, education, and the social sciences. Nearly every program on campus has a required internship, practicum, capstone, or clinical component.

Co-Curricular Learning – USM’s wide array of co-curricular activities and clubs complements classroom experiences and provides students with skills, including leadership, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, all of which are highly valued by employers. For example, USM is proud of our Collegiate Future Business Leaders of America student organization, which recently received first place in the Chapter Community Service Project competition at the national level.

USM faculty are innovative and passionate about providing new ways to teach and connect learning to life outside the classroom environment. I’m excited to continue to share and add to the list of experiences we provide our students, connecting classroom learning with real-world applications.

Coming to an area near you…

My academic team and I may be traveling to an area near you, and we are looking forward to meeting you. We will work closely with the Advancement and Alumni team on our travel schedule, so if you would like to meet any of our academic leaders, let them know!