Agreement Signed to Construct USM Building at Southern Maryland Higher Education Center
Adelphi, Md. (Nov. 1, 2013) - Leaders of the
University System of Maryland (USM), Southern Maryland Higher Education Center
(SMHEC) and Southern Maryland Navy Alliance (SMNA) today signed an agreement on
terms for a new building at the SMHEC campus in California, Md. The agreement
fulfills the requirements set forth by the Maryland General Assembly for $1.5
million in planning funds for the USM to plan a building for additional higher
education programs, research, and incubator activities on the SMHEC campus.
Currently, SMHEC's 24-acre facility comprises two
buildings, built in 1994 and 2003. SMHEC hosts more than 90 graduate university
degree programs and 13 bachelor degree programs, facilitated by 10 university
partners in the greater Washington-Baltimore corridor (including several USM
institutions).
A third building at SMHEC would address multiple
higher education needs in the region. It would help to meet the need for
additional classroom and laboratory space. Moreover, such a building would support
the research and development needs of the nearby Patuxent River Naval Base
complex by adding space to accommodate research and a business incubator.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony today at
the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Chesapeake
Biological Laboratory, at the conclusion of a regularly scheduled meeting of
the USM Board of Regents.
A USM team is working with a group from the SMHEC
on terms of an agreement for the building. The document signed today meets the
requirements of the Maryland General Assembly's Joint Chairmen's Budget
Language and allows for the release of the $1.5 million in planning funds
established during the 2013 Legislative Session.
"The USM is
committed to delivering high quality, affordable and accessible higher
education and spurring economic development throughout the state of Maryland,
and this agreement is a critical step forward in enhancing our service to the
citizens of Southern Maryland," said USM
Chancellor William E. "Brit" Kirwan.
"Since long before its incorporation in
its present form in 1988, the University System of Maryland has been providing
students from across the state with an education that is second to none," said Congressman
Hoyer. "Our students graduate ready to compete for the best jobs and ready to
be innovators and entrepreneurs. Today's agreement will bring more
opportunities to Southern Maryland families and provide our students with the
world-class education that the University System of Maryland provides. This
partnership dovetails with many of the other initiatives we have undertaken to
make Southern Maryland more competitive and attract the jobs and opportunities
that sustain a strong middle class. I thank Dr. Brit Kirwan, Dr. Pat
Florestano (USM Regent and chair of the Southern Maryland Higher Education Council), Joe Anderson (Southern Maryland Higher Education Board chair), Glen Ives (Southern Maryland Navy Alliance President), and Delegate John Bohanan for their work
in reaching this agreement, and I will continue to work with them and all
stakeholders to continue expanding access to higher education here in Southern
Maryland."
The agreement amends the facility program for SMHEC
approved in December 2011 by the Maryland Department of Budget and Management
by providing for new and/or updated design, construction standards and energy
and environmental considerations and introducing the latest technologies for
the delivery of educational programs.
"Southern Maryland is such a vital economic region
for our state. Enhancing the higher education resources in our area through the
addition of this new building at SMHEC is critically important to our continued
growth," Del. Bohanan said. "Each year, more of our economic development stems
from higher education, and the University System of Maryland is a powerful
economic engine."
SMHEC was established by
state legislation in 1994 to provide on-site and complete access to quality
graduate education degree programs in the region and to support the economic
development of Southern Maryland. The campus is located six miles north of the
Patuxent River Naval Base and close to roughly 250 technology companies in the
Maryland municipalities of Lexington Park and California. More details about
SMHEC can be found at http://www.smhec.org/Pages/AboutUs.aspx.
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
