Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

Finance Committee to Consider Policy to Increase Spending for Facilities Renewal

ADELPHI, Md. (November 14, 2005) — Two committees of the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents are scheduled to meet this week. The Committee on Education Policy will meet at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 16, at Bowie State University. The meeting will be in the Library Conference Room on the second floor of the Thurgood Marshall Library.

The Committee on Finance will meet at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, November 17, at the University of Baltimore. The meeting will be held in the Veneble Baetjer Howard Moot Court Room at the UB Law Center, located at 1429 Maryland Avenue.

The Committee on Education Policy will review the first of three status reports on a proposal to establish a School of Public Health within the University System of Maryland. The report outlines a proposed approach and timetable for establishing the school.

Currently, USM has strong academic programs in public health at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) and University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). The graduate public health program at UMCP has been ranked 12^th nationally by U.S. News and World Report, and the public health program at UMB has been nationally recognized for its research, faculty, and grant funding. To build on these strengths, the Board of Regents in April instructed UMB and UMCP to collaborate on the development of a School of Public Health that is multi-campus in location, but with a common student body and common degree programs.

The committee also will hear two reports as part of the USM's commitment to provide accountability on faculty workload. One report summarizes the faculty's instructional workload; the other focuses on academic advising loads.

Also on the agenda is a report on the Maryland Higher Education Commission's (MHEC) student outcomes assessment report (SOAR). The report analyzes the first-year academic performance of students who graduated from a Maryland high school in the 2001-2002 school year and then enrolled at a Maryland college or university the following year. The results provide an indication of students' level of preparation for college, and the extent to which they may need remediation.

Finally, the committee will hear about specific actions USM institutions are taking to increase need-based financial aid and lower student-debt burden for students with the greatest need. These actions are part of USM's continuing efforts to provide affordable access to higher education

The Finance Committee will consider a proposal to allocate more money for facilities renewal systemwide. The proposal calls for institutions to increase operating expenditures from all sources to fund this critical need.

The committee also will consider authorizing UMCP to seek contracts to retrofit lighting fixtures and lamps on campus, an action that would reduce energy costs by $170,000 per month. This proposal is line with USM's "Effectiveness and Efficiency" initiatives, ongoing actions to optimize the use of system resources through cost savings and avoidance.

Other agenda items include a proposal for a lecture hall addition at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the quarterly review of capital improvement projects.

Full agendas and background information will be available at both committee meetings. Also, access full agendas here: /usm/regents/Agendas/index.html.

Sign language interpreters and other appropriate accommodations for eligible individuals with disabilities will be provided upon request. Please call 310.445.2756 (voice) or 301.314.7683 (TTY/ITT) to make special arrangements.

Contact: Liz O'Neill

301.445.2719
E-mail: loneill@usmd.edu