USM's E&E Initiative Showcased at U.S Department of Education's National Leadership Summit

ADELPHI, Md. (July 18, 2008) - The University System of Maryland's Effectiveness & Efficiency (E&E) Initiative was showcased July 17, 2008 in Chicago, during the U.S. Department of Education's national summit, "A Test of Leadership: Committing to Advance Postsecondary Education for All Americans." USM was one of three universities invited to share their "success stories" for advancing access, affordability, and accountability in higher education.

Board of Regents Chair Clifford M. Kendall and USM Chancellor William E. Kirwan presented the goals and results of the system's E&E Initiative as part of a panel discussion and breakout session with national higher education leaders. They were joined on the panel by J.B. Milliken, president of the University of Nebraska; and Charles Reed, chancellor or the California State University System.

"The summit was a singular opportunity to demonstrate-on a national stage-the value of the system's E&E Initiative," said Chancellor Kirwan. "Maryland's successful use of a strategy that combines cost containment and the optimal use of resources to promote affordability, access, and quality is seen as model by other universities and systems across the country."

The summit brought together higher education leaders and stakeholders from across the nation, including university presidents, professors, business and organization leaders, and others, to discuss access, affordability, and accountability in higher education. The summit also assessed progress made in these key areas since the 2007 National Summit in Washington, D.C., where participants created an action plan for key stakeholders based on U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings' action plan for higher education and the recommendations from her Commission on the Future of Higher Education.

Adopted in 2004, the E&E Initiative has been a signature program of USM to contain costs while improving overall administrative and academic operations across the system. E&E cost savings alone have totaled more than $94 million for the system since FY 2005.

For more information, including annual E&E reports, visit USM's Effectiveness & Efficiency Initiative web pages.

Contact: John Buettner
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: jbuettner@usmd.edu