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V O L . X X V I I N O. X V I 22 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine S ure, Boston may be known as a college town, but Portland actually has the same brag- ging rights since it has the same concentration of students, with more arriving every year. Between the University of Southern Maine, University of New England and the Maine College of Art & Design, as well as the creation of Northeastern University's Roux Institute, Portland could eventually host 15,000 students. at's more than 22% of the city's population and on par with Boston. Portland's roots as a college town date back to 1831 when Westbrook Seminary opened on what is now UNE's Portland campus. USM fol- lowed in 1878. Meanwhile, Maine College of Art & Design was founded a few years later in 1882 as part of the Portland Society of Art. Fast forward to today as the Roux Institute at Northeastern University develops an incubation hub to train workers in Maine and draw talent from around the world to work in areas such as artificial intelligence, life sciences and medical research. e hub will have 4,500 students at the Portland- based institute within 20 years. "ere are so many wonderful things about Portland. e last thing Portland should do is become Boston. It would lose what makes Portland so appeal- ing. Portland's already cool," says James Herbert, president of the University of New England, which has campuses in Portland and Biddeford. "We are and have been a college town." "At a time when most of our peers are shrinking in higher education, we're welcoming the largest incom- ing class in UNE history in the fall," Herbert says. "With so many students in and around Portland, we are a busy, vibrant college town," says Portland Mayor Kate Snyder. "It's exciting to see." "e Roux Institute brings some- thing unique. e incubation model will really attract people to Maine. It's exciting. Having these educational institutions growing and attract- ing students will help us develop our future workforce," Snyder says. e University of Southern Maine has made a conscious effort to empha- size its Portland connection in recent years in a move to attract more students to the city that consistently rates high among top rankings for livability, top restaurants, quality of life and recreation. "USM really started taking the huge asset that is Portland and making CGI welcomes Jennifer McCurry 207.730.7222 / cgibusinesssolutions.com 383 US Route One — Scarborough, ME 04074 As one of the largest employee benefit agencies in New England, we provide innovative, customized solutions to our clients, consistently delivering administrative simplicity and financial savings, all under one roof. A smarter benefits strategy A groundbreaking innovation in self-insured benefits 97% Captive member retention rate 159 average enrolled employees per member 0 New lasers issued That's self-insurance done right. The health insurance industry wants you to choose between high costs and high risk. ParetoHealth created the largest health benefits captive in the nation to reduce your costs while capping your risk over multiple years. Portland as a COLLEGE TOWN With colleges adding programs, Portland could one day have 15,000 students B y J e s s i c a H a l l There are so many wonderful things about Portland. The last thing Portland should do is become Boston. It would lose what makes Portland so appealing. — James Herbert President, University of New England F I L E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F U S M Q UA L I T Y O F L I F E The University of Southern Maine, 7,800 students, is in the process of building housing for a portion of its student body.

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