Press Herald publishes ‘Maine Voices’ piece on new UNE-Bangor Savings Bank partnership

On July 9, 2015, the Portland Press Herald published a “Maine Voices” piece written by President Danielle Ripich and President of Bangor Savings Bank Bob Montgomery-Rice about a new partnership between UNE’s College of Graduate and Professional Studies and the bank, which was announced to the public today at a press conference.

The piece describes the organizations’ collaborative efforts to develop a program of essential workplace competencies for Bangor Savings Bank employees. Educators, instructional designers and banking professionals from both institutions will work together to create learning modules to teach Bangor Savings Bank employees essential workplace skills.

According to the piece, “the program will leverage UNE’s expertise in using the latest technology and educational models to deliver engaging curricula,” and the coursework will present “often-neglected subject areas like change response, conflict management and strategic leadership.” In short, students in the program will receive cutting-edge training in how to be leaders and role models in the workforce.

The program is, in part, a result of a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant that 51Ʒreceived with the charge to develop new models of competency based higher education programming.