Maine Maritime Academy Board raises more questions than they answer

The November 9, 2007 MMA Board of Trustees meeting was eventful for what was done - and then undone.

For instance, although Spokesperson Len Tyler cheerily reported that the enrollment target of 800 (actual enrollment is around 880) was achieved, it was also reported at the same meeting that the math and communication skills of many of the incoming freshman were well below MMA standards and that these freshmen required special tutoring. It would appear that the Academy has a policy of accepting students, simply to boost the numbers and rake in the tuitions with no heed paid to the abilities of the students accepted. Add to this the student and faculty reports I have received of overcrowded classrooms, students forced to stay onboard ship, and dumping students into every available rental house in Castine, it’s likely that the Academy is using the student body as a bargaining chip to make its argument that it needs to acquire more property, build more dormitories, etc. What is truly remarkable is that the MMA administration and Board of Trustees issue these statements and think that no one is paying attention to these grotesque contradictions. Are these the people the State of Maine wants running a school that uses state funds?

The Case of the Disappearing Meeting Minutes
In another instance of doing and undoing, at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved that the minutes of the previous August 24 Trustees’ meeting be accepted into the record. They were unanimously accepted. After some other business, the Board then went into Secret Executive Session, requiring everyone but the Trustees to leave the room. When we returned, Chairperson Vicky Larson stated for the record that the Secret Executive Session was about a “pending legal matter.” Then a trustee moved that the minutes of the same August 24 Trustee meeting not be accepted until February 2008. So all of us were left wondering, what is there about the August 24 meeting minutes that the Boards of Trustees can't officially accept? Could it be that they violated state procedure with their purchase of Abbott House? Stay tuned.

MMA hires Augusta Lobbyist
Two other items were notable. The Trustees announced the appointment of a new External Affairs Coordinator – Susan Mitchell. Where is Susan’s office? Dismukes Hall? No, her office is in Augusta. The MMA Board of Trustees is using your hard-earned tax dollars to hire a highly-paid Augusta lobbyist because they are feeling the heat from the many Castine citizens who are fed up with the Board's bullying tactics and have organized to preserve Castine’s heritage.

MMA to host party for legislators
But wait! There’s more! The MMA Board of Trustees is hosting a party for state legislators on January 15, 2008 at the start of the new legislative session. Apparently the MMA Board doesn’t realize that, due to the significant letter writing and phone calling campaign by Castiners, most of the powerful and influential legislators already know the truth of the Board’s actions and that the Board and MMA administrators are going to walk into a buzz saw of legislative scrutiny when the arrive at the party.

New capital campaign to do what previous campaign was to do
It’s hard to believe that there is even more news from this meeting. The Academy had the nerve to announce that they are already in the “silent phase” of a new capital campaign with the goal of raising money to repair Dismukes Hall. If there is anyone reading this who donated to the last MMA capital campaign, this appeal should sound familiar because it is exactly the same appeal the MMA Board made in its last capital campaign, which netted around $21 million dollars. Even though the Board solicited money with the appeal that the money would go to repair Dismukes, the money was never used for that purpose. And now the Board is going back to its donors and alumni, once again asking for money to repair Dismukes. We can only wonder if the MMA alumni and donors are capable of being deceived for a second time.

Second President's House not really a President's House?
As for Vicky Larson’s recent letter to Castine residents that Abbott House is only a residence and nothing more, it’s hard to believe this transparently misleading statement when this writer saw the most of the Board members trooping into Abbott House to give it the once-over. If it’s only a residence, what interest could they possibly have in it? Does this mean that Spokesperson Len will never do any work in it, will never host any MMA events or functions in it, will never schedule working meetings or more Secret Executive Sessions there? Why is it called the Maine Maritime Academy’s President’s House? Wouldn’t any of these constitute institutional use? Is port left and starboard right?

The ever-elusive truth
The truth is always a simple matter. Why is it then, that the Academy needs to conduct its most important affairs in secret, hire lawyers and lobbyists to defend their actions, break local laws, manipulate meeting minutes, declare as secret and confidential the compensation for MMA administrators, concoct a rotating series of excuses for buying Abbott House, accept more students than they can house and educate, raise money under false pretenses, and consistently misrepresent their intentions? If I were a more suspicious person, I might ask, “What is the MMA Board of Trustees hiding?” And I might also ask, "How long will the Governor and the State Legislature permit this kind of absurd institutional behavior to continue?"