Every great community deserves a great University — and great takes grit

We believe that great and grit go hand in hand. Great takes passion, the dedication to academic excellence we see in our students and faculty every day. It takes hustle and heart, the drive we see in our talented, first-generation trailblazers. It takes equity and inclusion, the values we see in the diverse community around us.

It takes grit to be great. That’s what we’re building here at the University of Southern Maine.

Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson, USM President

“As a first-generation college student myself, I understand the grit and determination embodied in our incredibly talented University of Southern Maine students. I invite you to join me at this critical moment in USM’s history –– the final year of our largest and most comprehensive fundraising campaign ever –– and help make great things happen. Together, we will build the great university our students, our community, and our state deserve.”

Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson,
USM President

Explore the Campaign

The Great University Campaign will transform the student experience at the University of Southern Maine for generations to come. Learn how we are investing in our students, academic programs, and campuses in ways that will impact our community and the future of Maine.

Scholarships & Student Support

We’re raising funds to support scholarships and meet our students’ essential needs, while providing the kind of transformative experiences that will further their aspirations. Learn how your donation to Scholarships & Students Support will change lives.

Center for the Arts, north exterior view, Portland campus
Center for the Arts, north exterior view, Portland campus

Center for the Arts

Designed to integrate the visual and performing arts, this stunning facility will become the new home of the Dr. Alfred and D. Suzi Osher School of Music, a USM program of excellence. Giving to the Center for the Arts will help bring to our community signature spaces for the arts in every form.

Career & Student Success Center, Portland campus
Newly named McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, Portland campus

McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success

USM’s new center for student and employer engagement will put career readiness and community at the heart of the student experience. Your gift to the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success will support this iconic, sustainable building on USM’s reimagined Portland campus.

Programs of Excellence

Your support for key programs and facilities will make a profound difference in the future success of our students. Funding priorities include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, athletics, new centers for learning and research, internship and career-building opportunities, and other Programs of Excellence

Campaign News