In this month’s missive from a member of the University’s leadership team, Associate Dean Erin Connor gives an update on graduate programs.
Greetings UMF Alumni and Friends,
My name is Erin Connor and I am the associate dean for Graduate and Continuing Education at UMF. Today I write with some good news — graduate education at Farmington is growing.
We began enrolling in our fifth master’s degree in October, our Master of Science in Education – Mathematics Education. This fall semester we welcomed the largest group of graduate students to Farmington since we began offering graduate degrees. This illustrates an incredible commitment to professional growth on the part of UMF graduate students. In the face of a pandemic, they returned to or — in many cases — began a graduate degree. This work is evidence of a commitment to a professional goal, whether to become a leader in a school or a licensed professional counselor. The roles our students aspire to are more complex than ever before and yet they are dedicated to the work. And despite these challenging times, our students are dedicated to learning how to better tackle new obstacles in an ever-changing landscape. Our students understand that knowledge is power and the act of learning requires commitment.
My own life’s work has been centered around public school education, first as an educator, and now as a college administrator. I joined UMF in 2019 to help support and grow our graduate programming. Education is my family business. My mother was a high school teacher for 30 years. My father was a teacher and school administrator and started his educational journey right here at Farmington when it was still the Farmington Normal School. My paternal grandfather, an immigrant from Ireland, insisted that going to school was his children’s job and likely changed the trajectory of our family for generations. Truly, the success of my family in this country has been tied to teaching and the work of public schools.
As an alumnus or friend of the University of Maine at Farmington, I hope you will keep our graduate programs and students in mind as you consider what our university is doing to support Maine during this tumultuous time. Teachers in areas like special education and early childhood education are preparing to become the problem-solvers and thought-leaders that this crisis has taught us we so dearly need. The trajectory of many families will be influenced by their study and the opportunity UMF has created.
With gratitude,
Erin L. Connor
Dr. Erin L. Connor joined UMF as the associate dean of Graduate and Continuing Education in the summer of 2019. She came to Farmington from the University of New England where she was the director of graduate programs in education. There she led the masters, certificate of graduate study, and doctor of education programs. Prior to the University of New England, she managed effective technology environments for instruction at Colby College and worked as an associate academic dean for Kaplan University. Connor received her master’s at Harvard University and her Ph.D. at the University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public Service.