Press Release - USM Institutions Improve in Annual Survey
July 3, 2002
USM Institutions Improve in Annual Survey by Black Issues in
Higher Education
In an improvement over last year's results, institutions of the University
System of Maryland (USM) placed in the nation's top five in 16 categories in
Black Issues in Higher Education's annual survey of top awarders of
undergraduate and graduate degrees to minorities, including African-Americans.
Last year, USM institutions finished in the top five in 15 categories. The list
- encompassing a broad range of institutions from across the U.S., including
traditionally white and historically black colleges and universities - was the
11th annual produced by the Fairfax, VA-based publication. It was published in
the June 20 edition.
The University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) finished first among all
institutions in the categories of Social Sciences and History (producing more
African American baccalaureates) and mathematics (producing the most
African-American doctorates). The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) placed
first for a traditionally white institution in the awarding of
first-professional degrees in all categories to African Americans.
First-professional degrees include medicine, law, and dentistry.
"In years past, many of our institutions did not appear in this publication
in substantive ways," said USM Interim Chancellor Joseph Vivona. "The
University System has worked diligently to increase the number of minorities who
both attend and graduate from our institutions, and each year we are seeing
improvements when Black Issues publishes its findings. Yes, there is more to do,
but the good finishes in these lists demonstrate that we have momentum. The task
before us now is to sustain that momentum."
The annual survey provides a comprehensive picture of how minorities are faring
in higher education across the U.S. It examines the top producers of minority
graduates in categories ranging from Area Ethnic Group Studies to Health
Sciences, and provides an intensive look at business, education, and information
technology, this year for the academic year 2000-2001.
USM institutions finished in the top five in a number of different categories in
both the undergraduate and graduate lists. Bowie State University placed second
in the number of African-American recipients of a master's degree in computer
science, and fifth in the production of master's degrees in all categories for
African Americans at a historically black college or university. UMCP had a
total of 11 top-five national finishes, including a second place for the
awarding of doctoral degrees in all categories (biology, education, engineering,
social sciences and history, etc.) to African Americans attending a
traditionally white institution. It also finished third in the production of
English undergraduate degrees for African Americans and third in doctorates for
Asian Americans in computer and information science.
University of Maryland University College, widely considered to be a global
leader in the delivery of on-line courses, placed third in the category of
master's degrees in business for African Americans. In the first-professional
degree category of dentistry for all institutions, UMB produced the
fourth-largest number of African-American graduates, the 10th largest number of
Asian American graduates, and the 14th largest number of Hispanic graduates. In
the category of first-professional law degrees for African Americans, UMB placed
seventh, with the University of Baltimore coming in 11th. In medicine, UMB
produced the ninth largest number of African American degree recipients.
Coppin State College and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), the
USM's other two historically black institutions (Bowie State being the third)
appeared in the survey six and nine times respectively. UMES's best showing was
a 16th place in master's degrees for African Americans in computer science.
Coppin's best showing was a 24th best overall ranking among the nation's
historically black institutions in producing master's degrees for African
Americans.
In total, nine of the 11 degree-granting institutions of the USM appeared in
Black Issues in High Education's top 20 more than 50 times in a variety of
categories.
The survey is available to Black Issues subscribers on-line at www.blackissues.com.
Contact:
Chris Hart
Phone: 301/445-2739
E-mail: chart@usmd.edu
