Welcome to SMCC
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A Message From Our President
Welcome to Southern Maine Community College – Maine’s oldest and largest comprehensive community college, where we transform lives and communities through education and job training.
Situated along Casco Bay, and boasting one of Maine’s most beautiful college campuses, SMCC’s South Portland Campus offers an eclectic menu of options and opportunities for students looking to gain job skills or to start their college career, and for businesses looking for support in training existing or prospective employees. SMCC’s state-of-the-art Midcoast Campus in Brunswick offers many the same programs and services in a convenient location for those living north of the Portland area. For your convenience, we also offer a growing number of online degrees and courses, and classes at community satellite locations throughout southern Maine.
Start smart by taking advantage of SMCC’s low price and varied offerings. With among the lowest tuition and fees in New England, and more than 40 degree and certificate programs, you can be sure you’ll find the program that’s right for you.
Then, finish strong after graduation by continuing your education at a four-year institution through our seamless transfer options, or by starting a high-earning career with the numerous businesses across the region looking to hire our graduates.
Enjoy a comprehensive college experience with residence halls, athletic teams, student activities, a beach, and even a lighthouse. Our dedicated faculty and staff advisors will keep you on track to reach your academic and career goals.
If you’re looking for affordable, customized training for your employees, make us your training partner for technical instruction, leadership skills, industry certifications, and more. Our Workforce Development Department has helped hundreds of businesses, nonprofits, and governmental agencies strengthen their workforces to grow and prosper.
SMCC is committed to your success. We welcome, prepare, and inspire all to learn, succeed, and lead.
Sincerely,
Joe Cassidy
Biography of Joseph L. Cassidy
President, Southern Maine Community College
Joe Cassidy became president of Southern Maine Community College on August 1, 2018.
Before coming to SMCC, President Cassidy served as president of Washington County Community College for five years and simultaneously served as interim president of Eastern Maine Community College for the 2015-16 academic year.
A graduate of the University of Maine School of Law, he also earned a Master of Science in Education and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Southern Maine.
President Cassidy began his career at WCCC as a faculty member. He once served as president of the WCCC Faculty Association and as mayor of the City of Calais.
He and his wife, Vanessa, have one son, Max.
History of SMCC
Southern Maine Community College has grown and evolved over the years, but our goal remains the same: to transform lives and communities through education and training.
When SMCC was founded in 1946 in Augusta, it opened as the Maine Vocational Technical Institute to serve returning World War II veterans who needed to learn new skills as the economy transitioned from wartime to peace. When it outgrew its space in Augusta, MVTI moved in 1952 to SMCC’s current location, on the site of decommissioned Fort Preble overlooking beautiful Casco Bay in South Portland.
In the 1960s, MVTI changed its name to Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institution and began awarding its first Associate in Applied Science degrees. Another name change came in the 1980s, when SMVTI became Southern Maine Technical College after the Maine Legislature changed the name of the state’s Vocational Technical Institute System to the Maine Technical College System.
The transformation continued in 2003 when the Maine Legislature established the Maine Community College System to provide affordable postsecondary education as a pathway to the workforce or to a baccalaureate institution. The College name was changed once more, to Southern Maine Community College.
SMCC experienced rapid growth after becoming a community college, with enrollment nearly tripling in a decade. In 2011, we added a second campus, the Midcoast Campus in Brunswick, located on the site of the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.
SMCC has come a long way from a small school in Augusta to Maine’s largest community college. We now serve about 6,000 students from around the state and around the globe, and offer more than 40 degree and certificate programs at our campuses in South Portland and Brunswick, online and at satellite locations throughout southern Maine.
At every step in SMCC’s history, our College has responded to the changing world as we welcome, prepare and inspire people to learn, succeed and lead.
Campus Connections
Want to know all the exciting things that are happening at SMCC? To learn more and view our online college newsletter, visit our Campus Connections webpage.
