FARMINGTON, Maine (AP) There’s support for changing the University of Southern Maine’s name to the University of Maine at Portland.
The vote on Monday from the University of Maine System trustees in Farmington authorizes the system’s leadership to seek approval from the Maine Legislature for the name change.
Chairman James Erwin said the change would clarify the university’s identity and improve its marketability.
The name change initiative was launched a year ago as a means to attract out-of-state students. Market research showed out-of-staters don’t know where USM is located and that placing “Portland” in the name would increase interest.
