The Hutchinson Center in Belfast, ME, offers undergraduate, graduate, certificate, and non-degree courses taught by UMaine faculty and associates, and hosts a wide range of public seminars, conferences, exhibits, and community gatherings.
More than 25,000 individuals attended a conference, cultural, or community event at the Hutchinson Center in the past year, drawing primarily from Waldo and Knox counties. The Hutchinson Center also advised over 350 students in the enrollment of live and distance courses, according to UMaine’s Division of Lifelong Learning, which oversees the Center’s operation.
The financial services company MBNA initially built the 15,000-square-foot facility, and later leased it to the University. The property and complex were fully donated to UMaine in 2008.
The following year, a new wing of the building opened, adding another 15,000 square feet. Built with university and private funds, the new addition upgraded technology and expanded classroom space, science laboratories, offices, and meeting spaces. It also added the H. Allen ’54, ’02 Hon. and Sally Carroll Fernald ’55 Art Gallery, further adding to the Hutchinson Center’s contributions to the region’s cultural vibrancy.
Through outreach and community engagement, the Hutchinson Center provides professional development programs, a step towards UMaine degree programs, and local access to higher education.