The college opened as Northeastern Maine Vocational Technical Institute

in 1963 and was renamed Northern Maine Vocational Technical Institute in

1964. In the first year, 44 students enrolled in four programs -

automotive service, carpentry construction, electrical construction, and

institution has continued to evolve and grow as the primary deliverer of

this evolution has included an increasing focus on the development of

As new programs were added, a degree option also became available within

the business programs in 1970 and in selected trade and technical

the Commission on Technical and Career Institutions of the New England

Even though the college?s central governance has evolved from the State

Board of Education to the present Maine Technical College System with

its own board of trustees, the basic mission of vocational/career

education has remained as the essential core of activity, along with the

development of life-long learning skills, increased options for transfer

The college?s mission is derived from and focused by Maine law. In 1985

the Maine Legislature approved L.D. 2174 An Act to Establish the Maine

Vocational-Technical Institute System (MRSA, Chapter 431, Maine

Vocational-Technical Institute System, enacted by Laws 1985, c.695,

changed the name of the Maine Vocational-Technical Institute System to

the Maine Technical College System, effective September 30, 1989, [An

Act to Enhance the Status of Vocational - Technical Education in Maine

(MRSA, Chapter 443, ss 2)], and provided the foundation for MTCS policy

section 200 Governance and Organization. The original responsibilities

The basic mission of the Maine Technical College System is to provide

associate degree, diploma and certificate programs directed at the

educational, occupational and technical needs of the state's citizens

post-secondary vocational-technical education and the Maine Technical

College System are to create an educated, skilled and adaptable labor

force, which is responsive to the changing needs of the economy of the

state, and to promote local, regional, and statewide economic development. 

NMTC's mission is derived from this authority and is reviewed

periodically in conjunction with the strategic plan review and updating

process. Revised mission statements are submitted to the MTCS board of

the MTCS board of trustees to allow the technical colleges within the

system to offer the associate in arts degree, NMTC added the transfer

revised by the NMTC strategic planning committee on February 10, 1999,

subsequently endorsed by the college's senior management, and approved

statement reflects the addition of this transfer option: 

Northern Maine Technical College provides career and transfer programs

that lead to associate degrees, diplomas, or certificates. The students

served have an opportunity to develop as individuals and to acquire the

knowledge and skills necessary for employment and/or for transfer to a

resource development by offering programs of study, courses or seminars

to employed individuals, specialized training to attract business and

industry, and various community interest courses or seminars.

The following principles guide the college in fulfilling its mission:

    * Prepare students for employment in business, industry and public

    * Offer students access to higher education with a broad range of

      transfer opportunities.

    * Offer technically current and continually improving curricula and

    * Provide curricula that prepare individuals to be responsible and

      active citizens.

    * Broaden the students' educational foundation to enable and

      encourage them to pursue lifelong learning.

    * Utilize knowledgeable representatives to advise the institution

      regarding curricula needs and program content.

    * Provide guidance and placement services to assist prospective

      students, enrolled students, and graduates.

    * Provide developmental educational opportunities.

    * Provide opportunities for students to participate in cultural,

      athletic, community service, and social extracurricular activities.

Typically, this statement is published in the institution's catalog and

The institution's mission and goals are guided by the Maine Technical

College System's mission and goals and are consistent with the law

effectiveness/strategic planning process and provide the foundation for

the mission and goals for each institutional department. Departmental

missions and goals are supportive of the learning process and are

mission and goals provide the foundation for individual program and

course learning objectives and establish the standards by which

departmental mission attainment, and ultimately institutional mission

In response to low post-secondary enrollment statistics for Maine high

school graduates, state leadership has set the goal of increasing

post-secondary education opportunities for all Maine citizens. A newly

signed Maine Technical College System/University of Maine System

agreement pledging to examine ways to share resources and facilities,

find opportunities for mutual support, ease transferability between the

two systems, and collaborate on grant proposals and scholarships has

formalized increased cooperation between the technical colleges and all

regional campuses of the University of Maine System. A previous

partnership agreement addressing community college services led to

increased cooperation among the campuses and increased enrollment at

NMTC.   At present the addition of the AA in liberal studies transfer

option makes use of under-utilized instructional resources and has a

This mission is appropriate to higher education as is evidenced by the

fact that nearly all programs of study offer transfer options to other

those business programs which award the associate degree by the

Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, (ACBSP), and of

the nursing program by the National League for Nursing (NLN) also

indicate a high level of appropriateness as does the number of general

education courses recently found to be acceptable for transfer to the

University of Maine at Presque Isle and the University of Maine at Fort

The following methods are currently used to assess successful attainment

of the career development portion of the mission: advisory committee

feedback, job placement rate, transfer success, employer feedback,

student satisfaction surveys, and graduate exit interviews. A more in

depth description of this process is included in Standard 2, Planning

Successful achievement of the economic development portion of the

mission is demonstrated by the college?s 29 programs; new programs are

established or existing programs modified as economic needs dictate.

College personnel serve on the boards of directors of several area

development professionals utilize the college as a recruiting tool for

attracting new business and industry to the area. Successful achievement

of this portion of the college?s mission is also evidenced by the growth

in the number of special courses and programming provided for business

number of companies and industries which request additional or repeat

courses customized for their employees, the high level of customer

satisfaction indicated on end of class/program assessment, and a

substantial increase in the requests for specialized training via the

At present, available instructional resources are sufficient to meet the

resource needs of the broadened mission and will probably remain so for

balancing competing needs while maintaining the institution's primary

focus on providing comprehensive career education and/or preparation.

Mission review and revision is an integral part of the institutional

effectiveness process at NMTC and provides the foundation for continual

monitoring of costs and overall effectiveness of program delivery. As a

result, it is envisioned that the mission will continue to provide the

basis for delivering associate degree, diploma and certificate programs

that are responsive to the changing needs of the state and to promote

will continue to play a major role in assisting regional economic and

human resource development by offering programs of study, courses or

seminars to employed individuals, specialized training to attract

business and industry, and various community interest courses or seminars.