Join Us!
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If you have been accepted to the University of Southern Maine as a first-year or transfer student, and you have an average-to-excellent academic record, you can apply to be in Russell Scholars. We welcome students of all majors who have an interest in learning collaboratively in a small community within the University.
The sooner the better! Admittance is first-come, first-served. If you apply later in the season, however, we may still have space. You should still apply. We’ll respond as soon as possible so you can start signing up for your classes.
A learning community is a group of diverse people who gather to explore a shared set of interests and learn more together through academic inquiry and co-curricular engagement. Our goal is to help you gain a sense of belonging that strengthens your overall experience at college.
Getting connected to classmates and professors in small classes can really jump-start your college career. Building a community together supports your academic path — whether you are certain of your major now or still exploring. Alongside your Russell Scholars classes, you will take classes in any department–or campus–you wish. So you have the benefit of a familiar group to connect with a few times a week but the freedom to also meet other people. If you are planning to live on campus, you’ll be able to live with other Russell Scholars in the same dorm where you’ll take a couple of your classes. If you’re not going to live on campus, you’ll be welcomed by friendly, familiar faces. Opportunities for work study, leadership roles, and community service are available throughout your Russell Scholars experience.
The Core Curriculum offerings in Russell Scholars are hands-on, integrated classes with a broad environmental emphasis appropriate to all majors. Topics celebrate the more-than-human world while teaching you necessary skills. In a Writing class, for example, you might learn about the development of National Parks or about why the ocean fascinates us. In every Russell Scholars class you have the opportunity to work on projects of interest to you, and you’ll often have the chance to revise and extend a project from one class into another, so you are not starting from scratch.
Russell Scholars is quite a bit smaller. Yet admission is open to average to excellent students who come from a variety of backgrounds. Our Core classes feature a connection to the natural world, and our co-curricular Lab class (one credit) features early career exploration, in partnership with the Career Hub. Classes are typically offered in Gorham, with occasional options in Portland. Students interested in mentoring a younger student may do so at Gorham Middle School, for academic credit. As a learning community designed to promote a sense of belonging in a selection of Core classes, Russell Scholars does not offer a minor. However, students who complete 15 credits in Russell Scholars classes graduate with special distinction.
You can. It may be the best way to get to know fellow students and learn what works for you. That said, we recommend you take 6 credits of Russell Scholars classes in your first semester to benefit from the community building this creates.