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