Maine’s higher education governance is system‑based rather than centralized; the University of Maine System (UMS), the Maine Community College System (MCCS), and Maine Maritime Academy each maintain their own governance structures with appointed boards, while the statutory Coordinating Committee aligns priorities across the systems to improve efficiency and student pathways. The UMS and MCCS each consist of seven institutions, while UMS is unique in that it holds “unified accreditation” from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Its seven universities are accredited as one system. The UMS Chancellor & former Governor of Connecticut, Dannel Malloy, is the recognized SHEEO for the state. The Maine Department of Education retains limited oversight related to degree‑granting authority, licensure, and the administration of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), but strategic governance resides in the system boards.
