What is UMPI's major malfunction?

[ashkir]

It is unfortunate they missed the deadline for your wife. I hope she'll find success at Excelsior University. That is also an excellent choice.

For others -- With UMPI you need to be communicative. Make sure you speak to actual staff (and not enrollment specialists). Any issues reach out to Jessica. If that has issues, reach out to the Dean.

[Jennr2z]

It is unfortunate they missed the deadline for your wife. I hope she'll find success at Excelsior University. That is also an excellent choice.

For others -- With UMPI you need to be communicative. Make sure you speak to actual staff (and not enrollment specialists). Any issues reach out to Jessica. If that has issues, reach out to the Dean.

I agree, this is an unfortunate and not common situation. I ended up at UMPI because I had this experience that the OP describes at Excelsior. I was never able to connect with a human advisor and all of my scheduled appts with them went ignored. Excelsior is fast on transcript review but as far as getting any answers after that good luck.

[StudiousTraveller]

I'm sorry to hear that for your wife. How frustrating. I unfortunately had a similar experience with UMPI.

I received login information and got to "Application Complete" status (they received my prior university transcript) but despite my repeated requests I never received any info as to whether I was actually accepted or transcript evaluation.

I eventually stopped asking (after about 4 months) and now I see I can't log in to MaineStreet anymore so I assume they've deactivated my account.

In my case, it wasn't urgent because I was looking at Fall 2 term so they had all summer to process my application, but would have been nice to not be ignored.

As it turns out, I've decided UMPI likely isn't for me so I'm not going to push for contact or try again. I'm working towards the rest of my transfer credits for TESU now instead.

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, I've asked this one time a couple of months ago, is Alex still with the Registrar team? I think I tried to email up to that level last month or two ago and he no longer is on the website directory. Leah in admissions still is, but for some reason, I now have no contact for up the chain if I ever needed to get there...

[ss20ts]

I agree, this is an unfortunate and not common situation. I ended up at UMPI because I had this experience that the OP describes at Excelsior. I was never able to connect with a human advisor and all of my scheduled appts with them went ignored. Excelsior is fast on transcript review but as far as getting any answers after that good luck.

Yeah I found especially with my second bachelor's I had to be on top of things. Things definitely changed between my first and second bachelor's at UMPI. The number of students has multiplied. There were less than 100 students in YourPace when I started. I want to say it was around 50. Now it's hundreds. It's a lot for the limited staff that they have. The enrollment specialists are an absolute nightmare. I ended up at UMPI after battling EU for MONTHS. The only way I got to speak to an advisor at EU was to pay the fee. The fee doesn't exist anymore. It was an annual fee. paid it and finally got some help. Sort of. Every question I had took at least to get a response to. Emails? Never answered a single one. Phone calls? Left voicemails every few days and would wait a week for a response at a minimum. Total nightmare.

---

Shea is the YourPace admissions person. The application is in the U of M system. It's not an UMPI application. U of M has to process it and they can be slow. I went through that with my second bachelor's.

shea.cushman@maine.edu

Alex was still listed as the Registrar in September. He was also the Registrar for UMFK as they share several staff members and faculty with UMPI. UMFK has an Interim Registrar. I am wondering when he left since he was a staff member when the campus reopened after Labor Day.

[bjcheung77]

Yeah, he's not showing up on the "Staff" list anymore: https://www.umpi.edu/offices/registrars-office/staff/
I like UMPI's directory, I can search for whoever I want to correspond with in admissions, advising and so on...

[bjcheung77]

A possible option:  I wouldn't bother complaining about the Enrollment Specialists. If you haven't gotten in, as a last resort, I would try Susan (who is the Dean) if Jessica couldn't help.  You need to call, not email.  This is what I would do, your application is in, evaluation isn't done.  You have a conversation with Susan, telling her you want to start ASAP without the evaluation if possible as you already know what courses you need to bring in.  

While you start on orientation and other courses, see if they can get your credits evaluated then, as long as you get to start on X courses you know you're still missing.  Send them a copy of your spreadsheet and document to them, you know what you need remaining. You basically are at their mercy to let you in or not, but you can try to explain and see if you can take orientation and start on say English I and English II while your issue of evaluation gets resolved.

Note: As an example, if someone starts from scratch straight out of high school, 2 years of working, and without any college credits, they apply and start with course 1, why can't they allow that and slowly let the evaluation take place while you work on course 1 and 2?  It's like asking for "courses to be added and transferred" after you start your enrollment in course #1 of 40.  You're getting permission to add courses after you start the program.

Two people who run the Your Pace Program.  They are the best two for correspondence.  Good luck!
If you've tried the Director: Jessica Winslow then I suggest | Jessica Winslow | UMPI
You try the Dean: Dr Susan Chang instead and explain | Dr. Susan Chang | UMPI

For those reading, you want to apply early and verify you have everything completed before application deadline. I repeat, everything including evaluations completed before application deadline, they may be extremely busy.  Example, application deadline is Oct 4, enrollment starts Oct 24.  You want to follow up before Oct 4 to make sure you're in...