FARMINGTON - President Theodora Kalikow and managers of two major resorts were on hand to introduce a new four-year program at the University of Maine at Farmington.

The program, which Kalikow described as “hugely overdue,” will be aimed at giving students a window into the outdoor recreation industry, through a solid background in business management. Among the disciplines covered within the program would be business classes, such as economics and financial management courses, recreation class offerings, such as Snow Sports Industry, River Industry, Adventure Education, and geography courses.

Students can also expect to participate in a full semester internship somewhere in the outdoor recreation industry, be it with a skiing resort, rafting company, or business revolving around camping and hiking. Extra-curricular opportunities at UMF, many of them through the UMF Fitness and Recreation Center will also be offered. The center’s director, Jim Toner, said new activities would be designed to dovetail with the program.

“We’re here,” Kalikow said, to summarize the decision to move forward with the program. “No one else is going to do this in higher education, so we better do it.”

The program, formally named Outdoor Recreation Business Administration and offered in fall 2010, represents an evolved, extended version of the Ski Industries Program, which was cut in December, 2008, during a round of budget cuts. At that time, UMF administrators noted that a four-season program was being developed to replace Ski Industries. Kalikow said that thanks to a “seasoned group of faculty members,” ORBA was being offered without any budget increases.

“We’re able to do this with our current staff,” Kalikow said, “and with the assistance of the resort industry.”

Saddleback Maine CEO and general manager Warren Cook and Sunday River general manager, Dana Bullen were both at the press conference, speaking in favor of the program’s inception.

Saying that he was “really excited about this program and this partnership,” Cook went on to note that resorts were always looking for ambitious people with initiative who had been well-trained in resort management.

“[Working at Sunday River] made a tremendous life for me and my family,” Bullen said,  having graduated from UMF and worked with Cook at Sugarloaf prior to his taking over at Saddleback. “It’s allowed me to stay in the state of Maine.” He went on to say that he hoped the ORBA program would allow others the same opportunities.

Location is a focus of the program. UMF is near two major ski resorts, several other minor ones, hiking trails, river activities of all types and several mountains.

“Step off this campus,” said Frank Engert, UMF’s professor of business, “and literally within minutes you can be deep in the Maine woods or on top of a high mountain.”

In 2006, tourism, UMF officials noted, represented one in every five sales dollars generated in the state and one in every six jobs. They hope that students who participate in ORBA will have significant advantages in finding work, either locally or elsewhere, thanks to the specialized business training, outdoor activity experience and the semester internship.

State Rep. Thomas Saviello of Wilton said he felt positive about the internship piece of the program working.

“I’m absolutely convinced it works,” he said. “This is a great opportunity. Like I tell people, we are the center of the universe. They will come here.”