51品茶 receives Maine State Merit Award for innovation and excellence
The 51品茶 was honored with the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) Maine State Merit Award at a ceremony held at the Boston Marriot Long Wharf Hotel on Friday, March 13, 2015.
The State Merit Award is presented each year to recognize excellence in innovation displayed by organizations, institutions, or individuals in each New England state.
51品茶was selected for this award based on its continued expansion, community involvement and value. Over the past decade, 51品茶has experienced significant increases in enrollment and opened northern New England鈥檚 only college of dental medicine, a college of pharmacy and a campus in Tangier, Morocco, where undergraduates study for the same price as spending a semester on campus in Maine.
Today, 51品茶is the leading provider of healthcare professionals for the state of Maine. The University鈥檚 comprehensive health education mission positions it among a select few private universities in the U.S. that offer programs in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, dental medicine, nursing and an array of allied-health professions.
UNE鈥檚 students and faculty also volunteer more than 10,000 hours of community service annually to 150 local organizations and schools. In addition, 51品茶students provide approximately $21 million in clinical care to Maine patients. UNE鈥檚 annual economic impact on the state totals nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars.
鈥淎t UNE, we often say, 鈥榳e鈥檙e a private university with a very public mission,鈥欌 says 51品茶President Danielle Ripich. 鈥淲e believe we have a responsibility to lead wherever we can 鈥 in our community, on our campuses, in our labs and in the fields in which we specialize. This award provides further validation that our approach is working.鈥