WELCOME to the University of Southern Maine!
Congratulations to our newly accepted incoming
national exchange students!
Information for NSE Students ACCEPTED to
USM for 2008-09
Below please find your list of THINGS TO DO to get ready to come to USM!
6. Travel Plans
7. Join USM's National Exchange FACEBOOK Group
USM charges a small $25.00 NSE fee which must be paid before your course registration can be finalized.
We prefer that you pay by check. Please send your check made payable to the "University of Southern Maine" to:
University of Southern Maine
National Student Exchange
96 Falmouth Street, PO Box 9300
Portland, ME 04104-9300
Fall 2008 classes begin at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008.
Fall 2008 courses listings can be found online via the Registrar's Office in pdf format. These listings do not include course descriptions . Course descriptions can be obtained through the USM undergraduate catalog which is also available online.
An important note about selecting classes: You should only chose classes that are held in Portland or Gorham (unless you have your own car). It is also important to note that it takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes to travel between these two campuses so you need to build travel time into your schedule if you are taking classes on both campuses.
Once you have selected your USM course choices please e-mail them directly to Kimberly Sinclair in the NSE Office. Please be sure to include AT LEAST TWO alternate courses just in case your first choices have already been filled.
Remember to have your academic advisor at your home institution review and approve your USM courses so that you understand how they will transfer back to your home school.
TRANSCRIPT: You will also need to send us a copy of your most recent transcript. (You may also fax it to us at 207-780-4933- please be sure to note that it is for the NSE office.) An unofficial copy is fine for now, but please send us an official copy after your Spring 2008 grades have posted.
Kimberly will not be able to register you without a copy of your home transcript as academic departments must be able to verify that you meet any required pre-requisites. If we cannot verify that you have the necessary pre-requisites, the department will not allow us to register you for that particular course.
Once you have been registered our office will e-mail you a registration confirmation. Any additional changes to your schedule can be made via Kimberly prior to the start of classes or during the Add-Drop Period which is the first week of school.
In August, you will receive a bill from the USM Central Billing Office. If you are coming here on Plan B (paying your home school) please bring with you proof that you've paid at home in case there are any questions.
If you requested on-campus housing during your NSE placement, our office will MAIL you a housing application in Early April. You will need to complete the housing form and return it as soon as possible with the required $75.00 deposit.
USM has several residence hall options. All residence halls are based in Gorham. To learn more about the various halls and see current room and board rates visit the Residence Life Homepage
Please note that room and board rates for 2008-09 will not be finalized until July of 2008. If you have questions about the halls please contact Kimberly in the NSE office.
If you're planning to live on campus you should be aware that meal service is not offered during vacation weeks. During that time we recommend that you plan to spend $125 per week for meals. Check out the 2008-09 academic calendar.
If you plan to live off campus we recommend that you plan to arrive early in order to locate an apartment. Housing in Portland is extremely limited and often quite expensive. You can check out current apartment rentals on line via the Portland Press Herald classifieds. USM Commuter Student Services also keeps a listing of Off Campus Housing rentals.
If you do plan to search for off-campus housing you should arrange for temporary housing prior to your arrival in Portland. If you need information about local hotels our office would be happy to provide this information to you upon request.
Students should plan to arrive on Thursday, August 28th. If you are living on campus you may move in between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM. If you need to arrive later than 4:30 PM, please plan to arrive after 7 PM when residence life staff will be available in the halls.
Students are NOT able to move into the halls between the hours of 4:30 & 7 PM.
If you are living on campus rooms cannot be guaranteed any earlier than August 28th.
Our office will hold an orientation session on Friday, August 29th, 2008. More details will be available here later this summer!
Please be aware that all new students must document immunization against measles, rubella, tetanus/diphtheria and mumps. This should be done during the first week of classes. A listing of the immunizations that USM requires for students can be found on the Health Center website.
If you have been immunized, please bring documentation with you. Otherwise, immunizations will be made available to you after your arrival on campus.
Please be sure that you bring any information that you might need should you have to access your health insurance plan. If you are not currently enrolled in a health plan, you are eligible to purchase U.S.M.'s plan. The final prices have not yet been set for 2008-09. To see last years prices and learn more about the insurance coverage visit the USM Insurance Plan website.
By Air: Some students fly directly to the Portland International Jetport. If you are living off campus in Portland this will be only a short ride (15 minutes) from the downtown area. If you are living in Gohram it will be approximately a 25-30 minute ride.
Some students find it more convenient and cost effective to fly into Boston. If you chose this option it is very easy to take a bus to Portland. Concord Trailways offers excellent bus service from Logan Airport just outside of the baggage claim area to Portland for $25 one way. The ride is approximately 2 hours.
By Car: If you will be driving to USM and intend to have a car on campus, a student parking sticker is required. It may be obtained when you arrive from the Office of Police & Safety (Upton Hall in Gorham or the Portland Campus Parking Garage). Each semester you will pay a student transportation fee (which is currently $90) this will cover the cost of a parking sticker and access to the parking garage in Portland. This fee also provides free bus service between the Portland & Gorham campuses.
Upon arrival: Taxis to the USM Gorham Campus residence halls are available outside of the airport baggage claim area and just outside of the bus station. The cost to Gorham will be about $35-40 one way.
If
you are staying in a hotel until you find a place off campus a taxi ride will cost you less. Some hotels even have shuttles to meet guests upon arrival. If you need recommendations for hotels please let us know by sending an e-mail to Kimberly
If you re planning to live on campus it is extremely important that you contact my office with your arrival details at least 2 weeks in advance. Please use our electronic travel plans form to submit your arrival details.
Student Involvement & Campus Activities
Support for Students with Disabilities
Commuter Student Services: Good place to find apartment listings or rooms
for rent.
Local Weather: Gorham Zip Code 04038 or Portland Zip Code 04103
Portland International Jetport
Maine Convention & Visitor's Bureau