Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

The USM in 2010: 

Responding to the Challenges that Lie Ahead

Competition and Program Development

Current Maryland policies restrict competition among the State's colleges and universities, while out-of-state educational institutions compete freely for Maryland students.

Historically, the State of Maryland has regulated the growth of academic programs in the name of efficiency and rational management of the institutions, with special attention to geographic proximity. The concern about unnecessary duplication has also been embedded in the efforts of the State to remove the vestiges of the old dual (segregated) system of higher education.

These policies have help to allow private and out-of-state institutions to market their programs vigorously and successfully in response to the educational needs of the State. The increased competition comes both from Maryland-based private institutions and universities elsewhere, including both for-profit institutions (e.g., the University of Phoenix) and public institutions in other states (e.g., Central Michigan) who have established branch operations in Maryland. In addition, some USM campuses operate off-site programs in high demand areas (such as the University of Maryland, College Park's MBA program in Baltimore).

These policies have also resulted in several USM campuses (notably Towson and UMBC) having a limited and narrow array of degree programs in comparison to their peer groups, which limits their ability to meet the increasingly diverse educational interests and needs of students who enroll in them and reduces their ability to achieve national eminence. This is at the same time that the demand for both baccalaureate and, especially, graduate degrees continues to increase.

In addition, the rise of Internet-based degree programs calls traditional notions of geographic proximity into question. Institutions use the Internet to provide academic courses and whole degree programs whenever and wherever the technology is available to access them, thus virtually eliminating state and even national boundaries.

The broad issues can be stated simply. Nationwide, a free market and open competition model are becoming the norm for higher education, and institutions are moving quickly to secure market shares in areas of high demand. Many of those competitors are securing a foothold in Maryland. Contrasting with this movement is the more traditional model, which seeks to avoid competition in the interests of ensuring that limited State resources are spent as efficiently as possible. Perhaps nowhere is the tension between these models more apparent than in the State of Maryland.

USM Response

USM institutions will:

• Utilize market survey data to determine the demand for new programs and respond by developing and offering new programs to meet that demand.
• Use program review and enrollment data both to evaluate the need for all programs and to eliminate those programs which fail to meet minimum enrollment standards and/or maintain academic quality.
• Work independently and in collaborative partnerships (depending on institutional expertise and resources) to meet the demand for new programs.
• Use traditional campus-based locations, USM regional centers, and online learning to address the needs of new markets.
• Develop joint degree programs, as appropriate, to address Maryland's labor shortages and workforce needs.