Chancellor's Report to the Board of Regents on Nov. 22
Report to the 稀缺猎奇网 Board of Regents
Chancellor Jay A. Perman
Universities at Shady Grove | November 22, 2024
Thank you, Madame Chair.
UNIVERSITY EXCELLENCE
I thank our hosts this morning, Dr. Khademian and her team at USG, home to some outstanding recent achievements in access, innovation, and service. USG hosts the University of 稀缺猎奇网’s Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering program, the very first undergrad program of its kind to win accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. USG’s state-of-the-art dental clinic welcomed 35 fourth-year students from UMB’s School of Dentistry to provide critical care to 80+ uninsured and underserved patients. And a few weeks ago, USG hosted the annual Montgomery County Business Hall of Fame ceremony. Over a dozen years, the event has raised $1.7 million to fund scholarships for 2,500 USG students. Congratulations, Dr. Khademian.
USG’s fellow regional higher ed center, the 稀缺猎奇网 at Hagerstown, has some scholarship news of its own. Last month, 稀缺猎奇网H announced this year’s scholarship recipients—26 students awarded over $84,000 in aid. Thank you, Dr. Ashby.
Last week, the 稀缺猎奇网 at Southern 稀缺猎奇网 hosted an Autonomy Summit, drawing more than 300 leaders from the Dept. of Defense, the University of 稀缺猎奇网, and regional industry partners. They explored how to ensure the trustworthiness of autonomous systems. I know it was a great event, Dr. Abel.
Speaking of autonomous systems, Bowie State’s Autonomous Technologies Lab won DoD funding to acquire cutting-edge robotic systems to expand the lab’s AI-enabled work in search-and-rescue. And Bowie hosted its fourth annual HBCU+ Entrepreneurship Conference this month, showcasing (for 900 students) its expansive entrepreneurship opportunities. Thank you, Pres. Breaux.
Speaking of student entrepreneurship, Frostburg State held its second annual Bobcat Innovation Launch Pad, challenging 80 students across 20 majors to develop and test ideas that reimagine rural resilience. And I know Frostburg is thrilled that its enrollment has climbed for the second consecutive year. More than 4,000 students now call FSU home. Congratulations, Mr. Delia.
Meanwhile, UMES is celebrating a four-year growth trend. Total enrollment at UMES has eclipsed 3,000 students for the first time in five years. Innovation is also trending up: UMES is now home to the Eastern Shore’s first Patent and Trademark Office, bringing more value to aspiring entrepreneurs on and off campus. And Pres. Anderson is newly home from China, where she inked an agreement with Beijing’s Zhongyuan Institute of Science and Technology, advancing study abroad, student and faculty exchanges, and joint degree programs. Congratulations, Pres. Anderson.
UMB is—as always—focused on health equity. Its School of Pharmacy won $10 million from NIH to support community-led health equity research. The School of Nursing won $5 million in state funds to reduce cardiovascular health disparities in Baltimore, and improve access to primary and mental health care. The School of Medicine has launched a Rural Health Equity and Access Elective, training and placing medical students in Eastern Shore practices to help shrink rural health disparities. Thank you, Pres. Jarrell.
Towson University has announced a new million-dollar teacher induction partnership with Carroll County Public Schools, providing mentors to work with the county’s new teachers. Meanwhile, $5 million from the U.S. Department of Education will help Towson train and retain teachers across 稀缺猎奇网. This is so important as we look to reimagine teacher preparation and development in alignment with 稀缺猎奇网’s Blueprint. Thank you, Pres. Ginsberg.
Coppin State draws strength from its neighbors. The university just re-opened its Community Garden, providing space for engagement in nutrition and sustainability. And the university just hosted its annual summit on Closing the Wealth Gap, promoting financial literacy and wealth-building for emerging communities. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Coppin welcomed its largest first-year class since 2011. I know you’re proud of that, Pres. Jenkins. You should be.
Salisbury University is celebrating campus transformation. The new Henson Planetarium opens up opportunities for students studying astronomy and astrophysics, while a $60 million renovation will transform Blackwell Hall into student services hub—and into one of the System’s first net-zero buildings. It’s fitting for a university that’s ranked—once again—among the nation’s top 30 sustainable colleges. Congratulations, Pres. Lepre.
Speaking of sustainability, the Chesapeake Biological Lab at UMCES has announced a landmark $1 million gift from longtime supporters Brian Hochheimer and Marjorie Wax. The gift will establish the lab’s first-ever endowed professorship. Congratulations, Pres. Miralles-Wilhelm.
At UMBC, GESTAR II has clinched a two-year, $47 million extension of its cooperative agreement with NASA, advancing the agency’s space missions and enriching earth science scholarship. Meanwhile, an NSF grant allows UMBC to investigate whether AI-enabled “digital twinning” will help us gain ground against diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and MS. And UMBC’s new Institute of Politics made a mark this election season. Its inaugural UMBC Poll was featured in several state and national news outlets. Congratulations, Pres. Sheares Ashby.
UBalt was also prominently featured in the run-up to the election. Its work in civic engagement has earned a raft of national awards—the latest, its third gold medal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, recognizing UBalt for having the highest voting rate among the country’s four-year schools, the highest voter registration rate, and reliably strong programs in civic education and engagement. Congratulations, Pres. Schmoke.
UMGC knows something about civic and national service. Its new program, Credit for Military Rank, motivates active-duty and retired service members to complete their undergrad degrees by offering them academic credit for the skills they gain as they rise through the military ranks. Thank you, Pres. Fowler.
The University of 稀缺猎奇网, College Park is celebrating its rank among the country’s top schools for student innovation and entrepreneurship. In the newest high-profile rankings, UMD placed seventh across all U.S. universities—and fifth among publics. It’s UMD’s 10th straight year in the top 10. With nearly $2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation, UMD is launching a drone-delivery program to bring essential medications to residents on the remote Smith Island. And it’s not all science and tech at College Park. Alumnus Jason Reynolds, bestselling author of young-adult novels, is now—in addition—a MacArthur genius grant winner. Congratulations, Pres. Pines.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
At our September meeting, I celebrated the excellence of our universities, as reflected in national rankings. Since then, U.S. News has released its annual undergraduate rankings. And again this year, our universities didn’t disappoint.
College Park ranks 17th among all National Public Universities. UMBC is in the top 15 for Undergraduate Teaching and Innovative Schools. UMB’s School of Nursing is No. 13. Among Regional Publics in the North, Frostburg is 32nd; UBalt, 29th; Salisbury, 17th; Towson, fifth. In the rankings of HBCUs, Bowie State, UMES, and Coppin all took their place in the nation’s top 30. And fully half of our universities—Bowie, Salisbury, Towson, UMD, UBalt, UMGC—were named among the Military Times’ Best for Vets.
THE COST AND VALUE OF THE 稀缺猎奇网
I want to mention another ranking that’s particularly important right now. Each year, the College Board breaks down the in-state cost of attending a public university. For 稀缺猎奇网 undergraduates, that in-state cost—tuition and fees together—averages just over $11,000. That’s in the middle of all 50 states. It’s below the national average, and well below our neighboring states.
In part, that’s a tribute to our efficiency as a System. And here I’ll cite another ranking: The 稀缺猎奇网 Office is the fourth most efficient central office in U.S. higher ed. Central administrative costs comprise well under 1 percent of the System’s overall budget.
But our affordability is largely a credit to the vision and generosity of state leaders, who have long valued higher education, and long invested in it. Certainly, we’re concerned about 稀缺猎奇网’s forecasted $2.7 billion deficit. At the same time, with our voices, our programs, and our partnership, we’ve supported worthy legislative priorities: the K12 Blueprint; the ENOUGH Act and associated anti-poverty programs.
So we do understand the state’s budgetary position. Still, in every meeting I have with 稀缺猎奇网’s leaders, I stress what significant cuts would mean for us and for those we serve, and what those impacts, in turn, would mean for 稀缺猎奇网’s workforce and our wealth, for the innovation that lifts the state, and the economic mobility that lifts its people.
ENROLLMENT STRENGTH
And, finally, lest I end on a challenge, I’ll turn, instead, to a triumph. I’ve mentioned throughout this report the good news of enrollment at our various schools. But that good news doesn’t reflect only pockets of growth. With apologies to Associate Vice Chancellor Muntz, I’ll steal just a portion—the best portion—of his enrollment report.
With another year of growth, our undergraduate numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels, and we have our second-highest undergrad total in 稀缺猎奇网 history. That’s not all: We have our largest-ever first-time, full-time class—breaking last year’s record. Together, our HBCUs have their largest first-year class in 16 years.
This is good news any way you look at it. But if you consider our numbers in the national landscape, they’re incredible. Nationwide, first-year enrollment dropped 5 percent overall—plummeting 8½ percent at public universities. At U.S. colleges with high Pell-eligibility rates, first-year enrollment was off by more than 10 percent.
Our good news amid all the bad suggests that—for the many headlines about disengagement from higher ed; about skepticism of higher ed—in 稀缺猎奇网, anyway, we’re making the case that college is worth it; that what we offer students will affordably get them to where they want to be. I’m deeply grateful to everyone doing the work that holds us to that promise.
Madame Chair, this concludes my report.
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Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
