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University of Maine at Fort Kent

About UMFK

University of Maine at Fort Kent • 23 University Drive, Fort Kent, ME 04743

Mission & Vision

Mission Statement

UMFK will nurture and engage a diversity of learners and aspiring professionals in Maine's rural communities and beyond through affordable, technologically-enhanced, and professionally-focused educational programs.

Vision Statement

The University of Maine at Fort Kent will become a model "rural university" in New England, creating pathways to educational opportunity and professional success for rural communities and people.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Building upon its historical roots and distinguishing characteristics, the University of Maine at Fort Kent:

  • Was founded as the Madawaska Training School in 1878 to prepare bilingual teachers to serve the French-speaking people of Northern Aroostook County
  • Is a small public institution offering quality baccalaureate and associate degree programs with a legacy of quality teaching
  • Is where education meets the great outdoor environment - situated in historic Fort Kent and nestled in the Saint John River Valley, at the northern extent of the Appalachian Mountains and forests of New England, providing abundant resources for learning and research opportunities, and the joys of outdoor sports activities
  • Serves the educational needs of the Saint John Valley, Aroostook County, State of Maine and responds to global trends
  • Prepares well-educated, independent thinkers to live in a diverse and global society
  • Talented and dedicated faculty and staff promote discovery and exploration of knowledge, life-long learning, and global citizenship through effective teaching, service, and scholarship
  • Offers a curriculum that emphasizes unique challenges of rural communities in America
  • Fosters an appreciation and stewardship of Northern Maine's pristine natural environment through the Environmental Studies, Forestry, and Biology degree programs
  • Preserves, cultivates, and celebrates the Franco-American/Acadian culture in the St. John Valley and houses one of two Acadian Archives/Archives acadiennes in the nation
  • Is the only institution in the United States located at the center of French culture of northern Maine, northern New Brunswick, and Québec, offering opportunities for students of all ethnic and racial heritages to study and live in a bilingual community
  • Is a strong social, cultural, and economic driving force in the region and promotes rural sustainable development