Aroostook State Normal School in 1908, now the University of Maine at Presque Isle
The college began in 1903 as Aroostook State Normal School which offered a two-year teacher preparation program.[3] It has undergone four name changes since then: The Aroostook State Teachers College in 1952; The Aroostook State College in 1965; The Aroostook State College of the University of Maine when it joined the new University of Maine System in 1968; and finally the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 1971.[4]
UMPI's wind turbine began generating clean energy in late spring 2009 after the university reached an agreement with general contractor Lumus Construction Inc. on a $2 million project to install a 600-kilowattwind turbine on the campus. This agreement established UMPI as the first college or university in the state and one of only a handful in New England to install a midsize wind turbine, according to officials. The wind turbine produces about 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and saves the institution more than $100,000 annually in electricity charges and saves an estimated 572 tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere each year.[5]
In January 2015, officials from the Foundation of the University of Maine at Presque Isle announced their completion of efforts to completely divest from all fossil fuels on campus. This effort began in fall 2013 and ended in November 2014. UMPI installed a 999 voltage solar panel array on the roof of its major classroom buildings Folsom and Pullen Halls as well as a biomass boiler and heat pump technology inside those buildings.[6]
UMPI currently offers 1 master's degree program, 22 baccalaureate degree programs, 7 associate degrees, 40 minor programs, and 5 certificate programs.[8]
The institution began using a proficiency-based model for certain programs in 2018. It also began allowing students who would otherwise fail a course to re-do material to ensure they pass.[9]
The college received a $2.25 million grant to add programs in computer science and health administration in 2019.[10]
UMPI's OpenU program allows learners of all ages to take specific online and on-site course for free if they are not currently enrolled in a degree program.[12]
The Northern Maine Museum of Science began in the early 1970s on the UMPI campus. The 40-mile (64 km) long Solar System model is one of the largest in the world. Folsom Hall encompasses the Sun of this model and it ends with Pluto, just outside Houlton, Maine.[13]
Caroline D. Gentile – Associate Professor Emeritus of Physical Education; longest-serving faculty member of the University of Maine at Presque Isle.[17]
