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B U S I N E S S P RO F I L E S 66 University of New England Maine's Largest Private University Makes a Bold Move in Portland "T h i s i s t h e n e w s i t e o f M a i n e 's o n ly medical school," said James Herbert, president of the University of New England, as he stood on a sandy hillside in the back of UNE's Portland Campus on Stevens Avenue. e University plans to build a sustainably designed, 110,000-square- foot building on this spot for the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has been located in Biddeford for more than 50 years. e goal of the plan is to better serve the health care needs of New England by graduating more doctors and increasing integration between UNE's health professions programs. Here, future doctors studying in UNE's prestigious College of Osteopathic Medicine will join students from other health professions programs that are already located on the Portland Campus — future pharmacists, nurses, dentists, dental hygienists, occupational and physical thera- pists, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists, and social workers. is convergence of disciplines will create an interprofessional health education campus that is one-of-its-kind in the region. "Tomorrow's caregivers will study side-by-side here to learn the team-based health care of the 21st century," said Herbert. "Students will build connections that enhance their learning and social lives, and they'll gain professional collaboration skills." Becoming Maine's Health Education Leader e University of New England is Maine's largest private uni- versity, with some 4,000 students per year learning on campuses in Biddeford and Portland, Maine, and Tangier, Morocco, and roughly 7,400 students learning online. With more than 70 under- graduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, UNE is renowned for flagship programs in the health professions and in the health, life, marine, and environmental sciences, and offers a range of degrees in business and the liberal arts. e University is a central institution in the fabric of Maine life, generating an economic impact of more than $1 billion per year in the state. President Herbert serves as a commissioner to the New England Commission of Higher Education and was a co-chair of the workforce development group of Governor Mill's COVID Economic Recovery Committee. He regularly participates in regional summits and working groups. e University has achieved this prominence through a long history of constant evolution. e College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) has been located on UNE's coastal Biddeford Campus since 1978 when the New England Foundation for Osteopathic Medicine joined forces with St. Francis College — a small liberal arts college — to form UNE. Since then, UNE COM has grown to become a leading osteopathic medical school in the U.S., and it still stands as Maine's only medical school. UNE merged with Westbrook College in 1996, bringing the Portland Campus and an array of health professions programs into the fold. New programs were then launched in Portland, including Pharmacy and Dental Medicine. Now, the Harold and Bibby Alfond Center for Health Sciences will serve as the new home for UNE COM in Portland, as well as for the Institute for Interprofessional Education and Practice. Additionally, the plan includes expansion of the College of Dental Medicine and health professions simulation lab, as well as the creation of a health professions makerspace and a digital health teaching center. B U S I N E S S P R O F I L E S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T University of New England Biddeford Campus: 11 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford, ME 04005 Portland Campus: 716 Stevens Ave., Portland, ME 04103 Sector: Higher Education James D. Herbert, Ph.D., President Founded as UNE in 1978; history goes back to 1831 Number of Maine employees: 1255 une.edu UNE President James D. Herbert, Ph.D. Right: The Harold Alfond Foundation's initial $30M gift enabled UNE to plan the creation of the Harold and Bibby Alfond Center for Health Sciences. R E N D E R I N G C O U R T E S Y O F U N E P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F U N E

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