Press Release - Board of Regents Approves Mission Statements, Name
Change
October 27, 2000
Board of Regents Approves Institutional Mission Statements, Name
Change Proposal for Salisbury State
The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents unanimously approved
mission statements from the 13 System institutions at its meeting today at
Frostburg State University. The statements, submitted by the institutions'
presidents, were required as part of Senate Bill 682, the so-called
governance bill which was passed in 1999. The statements will be consolidated
into a System-wide statement for review by the Maryland Higher Education
Commission (MHEC). The statements are designed to reflect the goals and
objectives of the new State Plan for Higher Education.
Salisbury State
University also received approval from the Board to drop the word "State"
from its name. The proposal will now go to the Maryland General Assembly for
approval during the 2001 legislative session.
The Board also approved the
establishment of the Ward Foundation, Inc. as an affiliated foundation of the
USM. The non-profit foundation benefits the Salisbury-based Ward Museum of
Wildfowl Art, which was recently donated to Salisbury State. The foundation
will follow Board of Regents' policies regarding its fundraising
activities.
The Board also affirmed a plan to restructure the
undergraduate curriculum at the University of Maryland University College. The plan calls for
converting 30 specializations offered under the broad
major of General and Liberal Studies to 20 bachelor of arts and bachelor of
science independent majors in Fall 2001.
A proposal by Frostburg State
to evaluate the public/private partnership opportunities for constructing a
250-300 bed student residential facility also received Board approval.
Frostburg is experiencing a housing crunch in the wake of the largest freshman class in its history, and anticipating an
increase of about 540
students, or more than 10 percent, by 2009. It will issue a request for
proposal for the project, with occupancy of a new facility expected in Fall
2002.
Contact:
Chris Hart
Phone: 301/445-2739
Pager: 301/507-2316
E-mail: chart@usmd.edu
