It has been confirmed that the University of Maine’s vice president of enrollment management is no longer working with the University. However, the circumstances regarding his departure remain unclear.
Vice president Jimmy Jung was hired by the university in 2012 to address the issue of declining enrollment through what Jung coined as the “Blue Sky Plan.” The five-year plan aims to increase enrollment and revenue by drawing more out-of-state students to the university.
A statement issued by the university last week confirmed that Jung is no longer working for the university, but did not specify why.
“Jimmy Jung is not working in his capacity as University of Maine vice president for enrollment management,” spokesperson Margaret Nagle said in the official university statement. Nagle added that “the University of Maine does not comment on personnel matters.”
In the last year, the vice presidents of administration and finance have also left their posts at the university. However, their departures were announced in press releases applauding the work they had done for the school.
Amidst a system wide budget crisis, Jung was hired when the University of Maine was faced with having to cut $9.7 million from its budget. Due to the implementation of the Blue Sky Plan, enrollment gains were seen within the first year. This enrollment increase allowed the University to stay afloat without having to cut any positions.
According to the university’s enrollment report, the fall of 2013 saw a 3.2 percent increase in enrollment from the prior year, resulting in a student population of 11,247 as compared to 10,901 in 2012. The freshman class of 2013 was also the largest in the University’s history.
Jung was able to achieve this success by aggressively aiming to recruit out-of-state and international students who generally pay full tuition at the university. This fall, the university enrolled 2,919 out-of state students, nearly 400 more students than last year. However, the total student body population declined slightly with only 11,205 students enrolling.
In general, out-of-state students pay $41,000 per year for tuition, compared to the $23,100 that in-state students pay per year for their education. As a public university, out-of-state students provide more revenue for UMaine because their tuition is subject to a slight increase every year whereas in-state tuition remains flat.
Other campuses throughout the University of Maine system have not fared as well as the flagship university. The University of Southern Maine, whose enrollment has dropped 30 percent in the last five years, is faced with having to cut 50 faculty position along with two academic programs in an effort to save $6 million. This first step is only one part of the three-step plan that will ultimately aim to downsize the campus, according to USM President David Flanagan, who announced the cuts last week.
The entire UMS system is seeing faculty and administrators leave their positions, including former president Paul Ferguson who left UMaine to take a position at Indiana’s Ball State University
While there has been no formal press release by the University, it is suspected that Jung is seeking a position at the University of Hawaii, where he is a finalist for vice president of students. Attempts to contact Jung in the last week went unanswered.
The University of Maine has not specified who will take over Jung’s position or how the Blue Sky Plan will continue despite his absence.