Maine Senator Spearheads Collaborative
Planning Process for Higher Education
According to Mitchell, the wrangling among stakeholders had become so extreme that she decided to introduce legislation calling for more public input on the University’s plan. Immediately, co-sponsors from every corner of the state began signing on to the bill, she said. “The university leadership realized this wasn’t just some woman from Augusta trying to protect her parochial interests, but a widespread feeling that people’s interests ought to be represented.”
When Mitchell approached the governor for help, he began working with constituents to identify stakeholders who would be open-minded and conciliatory, Mitchell said. “He even asked the university to send people who had not been the most strident on the issue. His goal was a Task Force that would be willing to explore solutions together, and who would seek the best solutions for higher education in Maine.”
The Task Force is comprised of 50 people representing a range of organizations and interests across the state, including legislators, teachers, students, non-profits, and businesses. Five subcommittees will carry out the work of the Task Force in the areas of: Learning Results and Standards, Civic Mission of Higher Education, Best Practices and Professional Development, Building a Broader Coalition, and Youth Voice and Leadership.
Mitchell, who will serve as ex-officio member, said she looks forward to working on a collaborative solution with all the interests around the table.
“We were able to create a forum for all the stakeholders to be heard, and an opportunity to look for the best solutions for everyone,” she said. “In the end, if it turns out that a merger is the best idea, people will accept that.”
Though the process of getting to the Task Force solution was “extremely difficult,” with hard feelings and personal attacks taking a toll on friends and colleagues, Mitchell said the community was able to build an environment where points of view are respected.
“These kinds of collaborative approaches really offer the best solutions in the legislative arena, she said. “I’ve found the legislature is often the court of last resort. Legislative processes are sometimes so awful that they end up forcing people to talk to one another. Sometimes it’s the threat of legislation that gets people to cooperate; from that, they can find an equal voice at the table.”