The USM in 2010: 

Responding to the Challenges that Lie Ahead

Goal I

USM academic programs will evolve to meet the changing educational needs of a growing and increasingly diverse undergraduate and graduate student population and will enhance the quality of life for all Maryland citizens.

  1. Participation in and access to a USM education will be indistinguishable across racial, ethnic, gender, and income groups. The USM will grow and adapt to meet the enrollment surge generated by the baby boom echo.

  2. The USM will help meet Maryland's needs for a highly educated workforce by increasing the number of bachelor's degrees it produces, particularly in areas of high demand. More than ever before, jobs will follow people. In order for Maryland to attract large businesses, close to 40% of the State's workforce will need to hold a bachelor's degree (as compared to 32% today).

  3. USM institutions will produce graduates who are fully prepared to be contributing members of a democratic, global society and who seek to enhance the quality of life in their communities.

  4. USM institutions will provide prompt, respectful, and efficient student services that are responsive to the changing nature of their populations.

  5. An increasing number of USM graduate programs will achieve national eminence, and USM institutions will provide increased access to high quality graduate education.

  6. USM institutions will respond to the needs of the part-time graduate student population by offering increased access to high quality, high demand academic programs at times and places convenient to them. To address the unique needs of part-time undergraduate students, we will restructure our financial aid programs, and both undergraduate and graduate students will benefit from increased accessibility to appropriate USM support services.

  7. USM institutions will assist people as they change jobs and careers in response to continued economic and technological change. We will accomplish this through our programs and faculty, through continued expansion of our facilities and physical plant, and through growth of our technology infrastructure and distance learning initiatives.

  8. The USM will have helped Maryland create a seamless K-16 education system through aligned high school exit and college entrance requirements. Furthermore, the USM will ensure that all teacher candidates we produce have high-level content knowledge in their academic fields and are prepared to bring student performance to high standards.

  9. An increasingly global student population will take advantage of USM-based online courses. Our academic institutions will reengineer their operations to take full advantage of the productivity gains made possible by new technologies.

  10. USM academic programs will be created and abolished at rates that more closely mirror the pace of societal, economic, and technological change.

  11. The USM will foster partnerships and linkages to facilitate greater cross-fertilization among academic disciplines. At the same time, we will ensure that all disciplines evolve to meet new demands.