I attended what was then the University of Maine at Portland for six years through continuing education and two years of full-time work.

In the sixth year of my studies, the University of Maine at Portland merged with Gorham State Teachers College, so I became a member of the first graduating class of POGO U (University of Maine at Portland-Gorham).

Considering the apparent problems facing the University of Southern Maine, with decreasing enrollment, among other things, I believe USM should be destructured and I suggest the following:

1. Make the Portland campus a satellite of the Orono campus.

2. Make the Gorham campus a standalone teachers college.

3. Eliminate the Lewiston-Auburn campus.

In the long run, this could save the University of Maine System plenty of money, and I am sure that enrollment would increase in the Portland area.

Richard Houle

Lewiston

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