This periodic newsletter shares how the University System of Maryland is advancing quality and access to
higher education for students and the State of Maryland.
Let us hear from you: usmbriefs-owner@usmd.edu.
October/November 2007
Regents Vote to Support Dedicated Funding for Higher Education
The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents has
adopted a resolution in support of Governor O'Malley's proposal for a
revenue enhancement dedicated to higher education. The board took this
action during its October 19 meeting at the University of Maryland
Eastern Shore (UMES) when USM Chancellor William E. Kirwan brought the
resolution to the board.
The resolution calls on state
leaders to support the governor's proposal and "to enact revenue
enhancements as long-term investments dedicated to advancing our state
and in particular to advancing our state's higher education
institutions."
"Accessible and affordable public
universities are vital to the citizens of the state and play an
essential role in support of Maryland's economic leadership," said
Chancellor Kirwan. "Creating a revenue enhancement dedicated to higher
education will help the state meet the demands of growing college
enrollments, maintain affordability, and foster the quality that keeps
Maryland on the leading edge of the knowledge economy."
Click here to read the complete text of the board resolution.
Reginald Avery Appointed New Coppin President
Reginald S. Avery, current vice chancellor for academic affairs at
the University of South Carolina (USC) Upstate, has been appointed the
new president for Coppin State University (CSU). He will join CSU on
January 14, 2008.
As executive vice chancellor for
academic affairs at USC Upstate, Avery has overseen increases in the
number of faculty and full-time students as well as in the number of
opportunities for faculty and students to study abroad; increased
collaborations and partnerships with business and industry, non-profit
organizations, schools, and health facilities; implemented the
Metropolitan Studies Institute as the university's primary educational
outreach; and secured key outside funding grants. He also conceived and
developed the school's Center for Undergraduate Research.
MORE
Closing the Achievement Gap: USM Symposium Set for Nov. 14
USM Chancellor William E. Kirwan has unveiled three new initiatives
for the system this fall to address major challenges to Maryland's
economic and educational leadership. The "green" initiative will
address sustainability systemwide to make USM a leader in educational
and institutional responses to global climate change. The
competitiveness initiative will address the critical need to put
Maryland and its students on a footing for success in the new global
knowledge economy and includes a focus on increasing the number of STEM
(science, technology, engineering, and math) teachers in Maryland
schools.
The chancellor's third initiative will address the
threat of the state's widening achievement gap for minority and
underserved students. To launch this initiative, USM is sponsoring a
day-long symposium, "The Compelling Reasons for Closing the Achievement
Gap," on Wednesday, November 14, 2007, at the University of Baltimore.
The event will bring state education and policy leaders together by
invitation to develop new strategies in concert with all levels of the
state's K-12 sector that will reverse this trend and give all
Marylanders the skills and knowledge to succeed.
2008 College Rankings: More Accolades for USM Institutions
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) ranked in the top tier
of Historically Black Colleges and Universities while University of
Maryland, College Park (UMCP) placed 18th among Top National Public
Universities in the just released U.S. News & World Report
2008 America's Best Colleges rankings. Salisbury University and Towson
University ranked 7th and 9th respectively in the Top Public
Universities-Master's for the northeast region.
These
and other accolades received by USM institutions--such as best value,
most diverse, and community engaged--continue to testify to the
academic excellence of Maryland's public system of higher education.
For more information, visit our USM in the National Rankings web page to see how our institutions continue to rank among the best in the nation.
New Online Tool for Community College Transfers
Community college transfer students now comprise 30 percent of all
new undergraduates enrolling in the system's universities. To improve
the transfer process for these students, USM has launched Maryland TransPort, a one-stop online information portal to facilitate smoother transitions from community college to four-year institutions.
Through the portal, transfer students can enter their course
information via USM's online articulation system to determine which
institutions and programs will accept their courses and credits. In
addition, the site provides transfer scholarship and tuition
information for Maryland's public and private colleges and
universities.
"Over the last decade, USM's institutions have
worked with Maryland's community colleges to set up articulation
agreements that simplify the transferring of credits to four-year
programs," said Teri Hollander, associate vice chancellor of academic
affairs at USM. "Our goal has been to reduce the confusion and
streamline the transfer process for students, families, and advisors. TransPort is one part of this ongoing effort."
MORE
USM Nears Half-Way Point of $1.7 Billion Campaign
As of October 2007, the USM federated campaign has raised $804
million, nearing the half-way point of its $1.7 million goal. The
federated campaign includes all of the system's 11 universities and two
research institutions.
In recent weeks, USM institutions
have received a number of notable gifts, including a $3 million gift
from the family fund of Board of Regents Chair Clifford Kendall and his
wife Camille in support of scholarships for students at the
Universities at Shady Grove; a $500,000 gift from Jim and Virginia
Dresher to support the ongoing work of the Dresher Center for the
Humanities at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and a
$100,000 gift from Peninsula Regional Medical Center in support of
Salibury University's Respiratory Therapy Program.
For the latest campaign and fundraising news, read Leader Notes, a publication of the University System of Maryland Foundation.
Report Marks Progress Toward Reducing Student Loan Debt
USM is making strides to reduce student loan debt and increase
need-based financial aid. The system's Financial Aid Report FY
2000-2005, released this summer, indicates significant progress toward
this goal, including a 60 percent increase in the amount of system
funds dedicated to need-based aid (from $13.2 million in FY 2000 to
$21.6 million in FY 2005).
USM has specifically targeted
increasing institutional aid to help decrease loan indebtedness for all
undergraduate students, particularly for Pell Grant-eligible students,
who are typically in the highest need range. (The Federal Pell Grant
Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students
to promote access to postsecondary education.) The system's target is
to keep the loan debt burden carried by the highest need students at
least 25 percent below the institutional average loan debt burden for
all USM undergraduates.
To access the USM Financial Aid Report FY 2000-2005 and other annual reports of the system, visit our online archive of annual reports.
USM Releases New Brochure
USM has released Profile 2007-2008, a handy
brochure that provides an overview of the system's administration, the
Board of Regents, and our 11 universities, two research institutions,
and two regional higher education centers.
To request a free copy, please e-mail jbuettner@usmd.edu. We'll be glad to send you one by mail.
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