2011
TESTIMONY MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY to the
Presented by Dr. Wallace D. Loh President, University of Maryland
Highlights I. RESEARCH, INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP • $545 million in research funding
Table of Contents
• Maryland Cybersecurity Center founded
• STEM majors increase 23% over 4 years
• 30 entrepreneurship courses offered
• Wall Street Journal names UM among “Top Recruiter Picks”
• Lockheed Martin signs partnership with UM
HIGHLIGHTS
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INTRODUCTION
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• Department of Energy funds alternative energy research
I. RESEARCH, INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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• Green Business Incubator partners with UM
II. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
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III. 21ST CENTURY LAND-GRANT MISSION
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PARTNERING FOR THE FUTURE
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II. STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT • #5 in Kiplinger’s “Best Values in Public Colleges”
• $3.2 million NSF grant advances female science faculty • $800 million raised for Great Expectations
• UM chosen “Center of Academic Excellence” for Intelligence
III. 21ST CENTURY LAND-GRANT MISSION • UM Extension serves one million Marylanders • Veteran students’ success grant for $400,000 • Princeton Review’s “Green College Honor Roll” names UM • UM is a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers
2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
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DESPITE THE DIFFICULT ECONOMY, UM’S FOCUS IS STEADFAST. Its education mission blends seamlessly with research, entrepreneurship and service to the State of Maryland. As a research leader, the University continues to drive discoveries and inventions. It also responds to critical needs arising in the State and the nation: producing more graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); certifying more STEM teachers in K–12; training more citizens to speak foreign languages proficiently; creating new technologies that provide clean energy; improving health care; and advancing cybersecurity. A growing number of
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2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
partnerships across private and public spheres are maximizing the impact that the University has on the economy, national security, climate change and foreign relations, among a host of other topics. The economic challenges of the past year have driven the University to innovate more, collaborate more actively, and refocus its mission on the educational needs of the 21st century. As a result, its research funding has jumped to record highs; several innovative academic initiatives have been born; and student internships have expanded. The University is proud to be a beacon of economic recovery for the State of Maryland. 2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
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UM Contract and Grant Award Activity, fy01–fy10
$545 M $519 M
I. Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship “The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation.” – President Barack Obama, January 25, 2011 State of the Union Address
$352 M
$352 M $310 M
FY01
$329 M
$322 M
FY02
FY04
FY03
FY05
$407 M
$401 M
FY07
FY08
$349 M
FY06
FY09
FY10
“No other state has the concentration of federal innovation assets that Maryland has.” —Milken Institute’s 2010 State Technology and Science Index
Innovation is the fuel that fires the economy. It creates jobs. It inspires investment. And most importantly, it tackles society’s biggest challenges in health, security, the environment and more. But innovation must be fed by discovery and invention. In University laboratories and classrooms these dynamics are thriving. Top researchers are working with private industry and federal agencies to bring the best teams to the table. Innovation born of these creative mixes is our most powerful asset in this troubled economy. The University of Maryland is uniquely positioned to lead the way in science and technology. Here are just some of the strengths we are building on.
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2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
RECORD HIGH RESEARCH FUNDING: With $545 M in grants and contracts in FY10, UM research is leading several evolving fields: biofuels, intelligence, security, climate change and cancer research, among others. The research total for FY10 is up 5% over FY09. Just a few examples of the cuttingedge research funded this year are: The National Science Foundation’s Plant Genome Research Project awarded UM a $3.2 M four-year grant to research the potential of turning poplar trees into high-yield crops for biofuels including ethanol. The U.S. Department of Education awarded $1.5 M to UM’s Robert H. Smith School of Business to operate its Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), focused on how the business
fy10 Combined Research Awards, by sponsor
Federal Government 74% 74%
State Government 9% Corporations 5%
9% 5% 3% 10%
Foundations 3% Other Non-Federal 10% Total $544,861,252 m
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2010 Federal Research Awards, by agency Department of Defense (DoD) 25% National Science Foundation (NSF) 19% NSF 19%
Department of Commerce (DoC) 14% DoD 25%
DoC 14%
DHHS 13%
NASA 11%
ED 2% DHS 3% DoE 3% USDA 5% Other 5%
Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) 13% National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) 11% All Other Federal 5% Department of Agriculture (USDA) 5% Department of Energy (DoE) 3% Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 3% Department of Education (ED) 2% Total $384,974,371 m
landscape has been transformed by the most recent economic crisis. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded UM $500,000 for energy research based on green technology. The project aims to increase America’s competitiveness in grid-scale energy storage, power electronics and energy-efficient cooling systems. The Milken Institute’s 2010 State Technology and Science Index ranked the State of Maryland #2 in the nation (up from fourth in 2002). The index ranks each state’s science and technology capabilities, as well as its success in converting them into companies and high-paying jobs. Part of the research ranking is based on the ability to garner federal funding. Maryland is ranked first in the nation in federal R&D per capita. With top-notch research facilities,
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2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
extensive partnerships and commercialization offices, UM attracts federal funding in record amounts. The University’s Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) continues to help inventors navigate the requirements of business and industry, with guidance on intellectual property rights, patents and license agreements for the University and inventors. In FY10 OTC processed 156 invention disclosures across seven colleges and schools. Sixteen patents were issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for University inventions, and 27 technologies were licensed under 13 different license agreements (seven of them with Maryland companies).
TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP: With over 1,200 students enrolled in 30 entrepreneurship courses last year, UM continues to be a hub for entrepreneurship education. The Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) plays a large role in UM’s growing entrepreneurial reputation. Hinman CEOs, the nation’s first living-and-learning entrepreneurship program, was honored again this year when two of its graduates’ companies appeared on the Inc. 500 list of the country’s fastest-growing companies. Squarespace (Web publishing platform) and Lurn (e-learning technologies) were started by former Hinman CEOs students while in the program. Mtech continues to be a launching pad for profitable companies, with the second sale of an Mtech-graduated company, Martek Biosciences, for over $1 B this year. Another Mtech incubator graduate, Paice, licensed 23 of its hybrid vehiclerelated patents to Toyota and one to Ford in 2010. The U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship also recognizes UM’s strengths, awarding the director of UM entrepreneurship education, James Green, first place in the 2011 Learning Innovative Entrepreneurship Education Competition. Green’s innovative approach to teaching creative decision making, applied in the Hinman CEOs program that he created, drew the admiration of judges and fellow competitors. Entrepreneurship is greatly enhanced by outstanding facilities and the State is partnering with UM on constructing the latest ones. UM broke ground last year on a state-ofthe-art research facility in the physical sciences. When completed, it will house the University’s Astronomy and Physics Departments, the interdisciplinary Institute for Physical Sciences and Technology, and the Laboratory
for Advanced Quantum Science and Joint Quantum Institute. The last two are partnerships of the University of Maryland with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). CREATING NEW COMPANIES: Mtech’s Bioprocess Scale-Up Facility will double its facilities and staff, expand into Shady Grove and create a pilot plant for biofuels in College Park through the support of a $200,000 grant from the Maryland Biotechnology Center. The modern bioprocessing laboratory helps companies scale-up and manufacture biotechnology products and processes, and provides practical training for the region’s workforce and students. Mtech’s programs served nearly 370 Maryland companies around the State in 2010, including 111 through the Manufacturing Assistance Program, which helps Maryland manufacturers grow and become more competitive. Mtech’s Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program funded 33 tech product development projects, worth $6.3 M last year. 2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
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Researchers working at the National Cancer Institute.
A Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Award for 2010 was taken by yet another Mtech/University of Maryland company, FlexEl, which develops rechargeable, flexible, ultrathin batteries. SECURING THE STATE: The University of Maryland also launched a cybersecurity initiative aimed at stimulating public-private partnerships and addressing national vulnerabilities. Poised to better connect the region’s burgeoning federal and private cyber sector, the new Maryland Cybersecurity Center (MC2) will draw on cybersecurity research already underway at the University, including wireless and network security, cryptography, secure programming, cyber supply chain research and multimedia forensics, among other areas. The University formalized its longterm partnership with Lockheed Martin Corporation, signing an agreement to collaborate on logistics and sustainment, climate change and cybersecurity projects. Focusing on Centers of Collaboration, joint pursuit of business opportunities and enhanced research and development, the initiative will be funded by
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2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
Lockheed Martin investments of $1 M per year for three years. The partnership is aimed at producing innovative solutions for global and national security challenges. Mtech is also partnering with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory on the Maryland Proof of Concept Alliance to provide small, targeted grants to fund demonstration projects. With $5.1 M in federal funding, a wide array of emerging technologies will be helped to bridge the gap from laboratory to marketplace. GROWING THE GREEN ECONOMY: UM is partnering with the Bethesda Green Business Incubator in Montgomery County to promote sustainable development through green energy. Bethesda Green helps to identify its clients who might benefit from licensing University-developed technologies, while the University offers business and technical consulting services as well as research expertise. Together they will help to create jobs and spur innovation statewide. IMPROVING HEALTH: An agreement between the University of Maryland and the Center for Cancer Research
at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) established the Collaborative Research and Graduate Partnership Program in Cancer Technology. The collaboration allows Maryland graduate students to train with cell biologists and cancer experts at the NCI, investigating new diagnostic tools and treatments. Other collaborative efforts between Maryland faculty and the NCI researchers will involve genomics and gene sequencing. With the goal of bridging the gap between minority communities and academic health science professionals, the University’s School of Public Health has recruited a team of five nationally recognized faculty-researchers to lead the Maryland Center for Health Equity. The Center aims to improve primary care and expand public health outreach, thus reducing the high rates of chronic disease in Maryland’s medically underserved communities. BUILDING THE LOCAL ECONOMY: The redevelopment of East Campus is progressing steadily, despite the challenging economy. The initiative will create a vibrant district of retail, residential, office, hotel and entertainment in downtown College Park. The University is negotiating with the Cordish Companies to manage the development, and has purchased The Washington Post plant located on 18 acres in Greenbelt, now known as the Severn Building, to house many of the support services now located on East Campus. The State has approved $10 M for infrastructure support, and another $15 M in support is expected over a three-year period.
through the UM Center for Integrated Transportation Systems Management, was one of eight awarded to universities to tackle the nation’s most serious transportation challenges. INTERNATIONALIZING INVESTMENT: UM’s international incubator continues to thrive with 13 companies from six countries installed and three more in the pipeline. The State of Maryland’s Department of Business and Economic Development and China’s Zhejiang Province signed an MOU at the incubator last year, striving to attract more Chinese business to the Universitybased facility. For a sixth year the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship awarded $10,000 in prizes in the China Business Plan Competition. In partnership with Peking University in Beijing, the competition was the culmination of a business plan course for the Smith MBA students. PARTNERING FOR PROGRESS: UM and the Smithsonian Institution (SI) funded their first joint seed grant projects this year, fulfilling their 2009 commitment to increase collaborations. Four out of 19 proposed projects were awarded funding, with each team composed of researchers from UM and from SI and spanning disciplines across the arts and humanities, as well as the sciences.
MANAGING TRANSPORTATION: The University of Maryland was awarded a $900,000 U.S. Department of Transportation grant to develop new technologies and improved processes for some of the nation’s transportation problems. The grant, administered 2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
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“The foundation of innovation is education. It’s one of the most important investments we make together.” —Governor Martin O’Malley, February 3, 2011
The University of Maryland is speeding into the 21st century, evolving to meet the needs of a changing world in visionary ways. Increased college completion rates along with more STEM initiatives are critical to the future of the State and the nation. With new degrees, increased scholarship funding and innovative approaches to learning, the University is an incubator of highimpact education. It is also improving access and affordability so that the diverse talent in the State of Maryland is maximized.
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2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
ACHIEVING 55% GRADUATION: College completion for Americans is a top priority of President Obama and Governor O’Malley. With the goal of 55% of Marylanders having a postbaccalaureate degree by 2025, UM is doing its part by graduating the most students in the University System of Maryland. The efforts of the Coalition for Student Success, a committee from Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and the colleges, strengthened minority student connections to their academic units in FY10 through: improved advising, tutoring and the development of an on-campus work/internship program,
expanded advising; and special teaching initiatives in introductory classes. STEM INITIATIVES: Preparing our graduates to be productive members of the labor force is a top priority. Following President Obama’s and Governor O’Malley’s leads, UM is giving special attention to the production of graduates and teachers in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Increasing the number of graduates in STEM disciplines is critical to the economy of the State as well as the nation. Numerous initiatives are enhancing recruitment, retention and graduation of students in life sciences, physical sciences, computer science and engineering at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The number of undergraduate majors in STEM disciplines in
Six-Year Undergraduate Graduation Rates Six-year graduation rates
II. Student Achievement
and creation of more student academic organizations. The Student Academic Success-Degree Completion Policy (regular advising, four-year graduation plans, benchmarks for majors) is continuing to improve retention rates across several groups. Most notable, the gap in six-year graduation rates between African Americans and all graduates was reduced from 14% in FY08 to 11% in FY09. Our College Success Scholars program provided academic and personal support to multi-ethnic male students in FY10 with the goal of increasing students’ retention and academic success. The Provost’s Task Force on Student Retention and Graduation submitted its final report in August with several salient recommendations to be implemented in FY12: early identification of students facing academic challenges;
100%
80%
60%
American Indian Asian 40%
Black/African-American Hispanic Total
20%
’01
’02
’03
’04
’05
’06
’07
’08
’09
’10
2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
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Researchers running tests in the neutral buoyancy tank.
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Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Chemical and Life Sciences, and Engineering increased 23% from Fall 2006 to Fall 2010. The number of graduate students in the STEM disciplines increased 8% in the same period. The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded UM $15.5 M to develop and implement a national NIST measurement science and engineering fellowship program. Open to undergraduate and graduate students from Maryland the program will bring 50 fellows per year over three years to work at NIST laboratories in Maryland and South Carolina.
2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
Recognizing the need for more math and science teachers in Maryland middle and high schools, the University serves on the Leadership Collaborative of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Science and Mathematics Teacher Imperative (SMTI), a national initiative for preparing STEM teachers. The University’s goal is to triple the number of STEM teacher graduates from FY09 to FY15. UM is also the lead institution for the State on a national initiative to develop a performance-based teacher assessment and licensure process for teachers. A new University of Maryland program seeks to increase the repre-
sentation of female faculty members in STEM fields at the University. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the five-year, $3.2 M ADVANCE Program for Inclusive Excellence will build on the University’s achievements in inclusiveness and equity and promote the professional growth of female faculty in STEM. The University of Maryland’s Space Systems Laboratory was cited by Popular Science magazine among the nation’s “30 Awesome College Labs.” The lab allows students to don space suits and climb into a neutral buoyancy tank to conduct low- and zero-gravity tests on next-generation astronaut gear, as well as operate space- and deep-sea-bound robots. The 50-footdiameter tank is one of only two in the U.S., and the only one at a university. This past year, the College of Chemical and Life Sciences and College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences were integrated to form the new College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences. This newly formed college brings our faculty in physical and life sciences together into a single college, enhancing research opportunities in areas such as bioinformatics, computational biology and biotechnology. This effort, combined with the newly constituted Institute for Biotechnology and Bioscience Research (IBBR), positions us optimally for technology transfer in these rapidly growing areas. ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY: Within this competitive climate and strained economy, access and affordability continue to be priorities for the University. In FY10 $39.7 M in campus financial aid was distributed, including $12 M in need-based aid. Addressing the unique financial circumstances of undergraduates through three distinct components, the Pathways program aims to reduce
the debt burden faced by many students upon graduation. Through a “zero-debt-at-graduation” program, work-study options and caps on accumulated debt, Maryland Pathways awarded $5.2 M in FY10—compared to $3.2 M in FY09—to students whose resources were significantly limited. Financial aid appeals also grew significantly in FY11, with 1,800 appeals already submitted and more anticipated by July 1, 2011. This compares to only 1,400 in FY10, and 900 in FY09. The cost of funding student appeals grew from $500,000 in FY09 to approximately $2.5 M in FY10.
Student Appeals for Financial Aid 1,800 appeals*
1,451 appeals
912 appeals
306 appeals
2007–08
2008–09
2009–10
2010–11
*As of March 1, 2011
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NATIONAL STATURE: Describing the University of Maryland as “a stellar education at an affordable price,” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine bumped UM up from #8 to #5 in its rating of “Best Values in Public Colleges.” Equally impressive is Maryland’s sixth-place ranking by Kiplinger’s for out-of-state value, up from 11th in 2010. UM maintained its coveted place at number 18 on U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of national public universities. The number of UM programs in U.S. News & World Report’s Top 25 list stands at 78, with 29 programs ranked among the Top 10 in the nation. The 2011 issue cited three undergraduate education initiatives as “Programs to Look For”—First Year Experiences, Learning Communities and Service Learning. Among majors ranked by the publication, UM ranked in the top 10 for Engineering (third), Accounting (seventh) and Computer Science (10th), and had 60 graduate programs in the Top 25. The University of Maryland was ranked eighth in The Wall Street Journal’s listing of top schools from which employers like to recruit. Newsweek Education put UM at #15
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among “25 Most Desirable Large Schools.” UM is also a leader internationally. It was ranked 36th in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities—up from 37th last year, the highest ranking in eight years of publication. Among U.S. publics, UM remained at 12th. The University of Maryland has been designated an Intelligence Community “Center of Academic Excellence” by the U.S. government, increasing its ability to prepare students for government service and leadership positions in the intelligence community. With only 14 other universities nationwide selected, the exclusive program creates new educational opportunities and internships in a broad range of areas, from information and cybersecurity to foreign language acquisition, crosscultural studies, mathematics, physical sciences and engineering. GRADUATE EDUCATION: Well over half of 56 ranked University of Maryland graduate programs were among the top 25 programs in their fields based on a long-awaited National Research Council study of Ph.D. programs at 212 of the nation’s best
universities. Designed by the National Academies, the study classified over half of UM programs as “highly rated” based on 20 program criteria including student support, time to degree, diversity and research productivity by faculty, among others. An additional eight programs were deemed “very highly rated”—aerospace engineering, agriculture and resource economics, comparative literature, computer science, geography, linguistics, atmospheric and oceanic science and public policy. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: UM’s commitment to high-quality education continues to attract the most talented students in the State. The University’s upward trajectory is reflected in its number of applicants in Fall 2010: over 25,500 for about 4,075 first-year spaces. Students already enrolled are also breaking records for highly competitive national awards to further their studies. In 2010 a record 13 University students won Fulbrights for international study or work, making UM a “Top Producer of Fulbright Awards” as cited by The Chronicle of Higher Education. A record four UM students
won Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships to pursue studies in sciences, engineering and mathematics, and 24 UM graduate students were awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships—double the number from last year. Maryland students also excel at collaborative problem-solving. For the third year in a row, the UM team won the undergraduate division of NASA’s 2010 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage, a contest that challenges students to solve reallife space exploration problems. A team of Clark School mechanical engineering students won first place among U.S. teams in the 2010 Baja SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Carolina competition. A team of UM students, faculty and mentors has earned one of 20 spots in the elite international Solar Decathlon competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. It is the fourth time the Terp team has made it to the finals in the competition to build a house that is fully and creatively powered by solar energy. The team received a $50,000 “Energy to Educate” grant from Constellation
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At the Universities at Shady Grove, we continue to grow our existing programs. In Fall 2011, our College of Information Studies will bring its Master of Information Management to the Shady Grove campus, and our College of Education, in collaboration with the School of Public Health, will offer a Physical Education track in the Master’s Certification program. The University of Maryland is also offering a new B.S. in Engineering at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center. This initiative will increase the number of Southern Marylanders prepared to provide advanced engineering skills to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River and companies that partner with it.
Multimedia journalism students working on a project.
Energy to be used for research, design and construction of the 2011 solarpowered house. DIVERSITY: Thirty-eight percent of the Fall 2010 freshman class identified themselves as students of color, while 43% of new faculty in 2010-2011 identified as people of color. Creating an educational environment that is inclusive and rich in diversity prepares students to succeed in a multicultural world. In 2010 the University approved a new diversity strategic plan that includes: the appointment of a Chief Diversity Officer and a representative Diversity Advisory Council; initiatives to recruit a diverse faculty and staff; a “Building Community” fund; expansion of study abroad; and new General Education diversity requirements that teach students about plural societies and cultural competence. ACADEMIC INITIATIVES: This has also been a year of advancing new academic initiatives. A new Certificate in Global Health reflects growing interest in public health as an international,
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2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
as well as a local, priority. Biology and engineering are collaborating even further with new specializations in bioengineering created in the Professional Masters of Engineering and the Professional Certificate in Engineering. Training in mental health services is also growing with a new Graduate Certificate in Professional Studies in Applied Counseling and Human Services. Staying current in the use of multimedia is essential. The new Professional Certificate in Multimedia Journalism is keeping journalists well-trained in this evolving field. Even more specialized communication technologies can now be studied with a Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction approved to start in Fall 2011. The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation is also combining several strengths for a greater whole, establishing two dual degree programs for Fall 2011: one in Real Estate Development and Historic Preservation and the other in Real Estate Development and Architecture.
IMPROVED GENERAL EDUCATION: UM has begun to introduce its new General Education program, scheduled for full implementation in Fall 2012. To this end, UM offered a pilot program of 24 “I-Series” courses in Spring 2010 to assess faculty and student engagement. The courses, which require students to use “intellect and imagination” to tackle contemporary problems such as the energy crisis and sustainability, were an extraordinary success. This current academic year, 70 I-Series courses are being offered. Among other curricular changes, a new category of “Scholarship in Practice” is being added to expose students to many of the activities of a major research university. Two additional areas, “Understanding Plural Societies” and “Cultural Competence,” will address diversity issues and examine ethical frameworks for a just society.
FUNDRAISING: Keep Me Maryland (KMM), an emergency financial aid program, continues to help students and families facing severe economic strain. Begun in 2009, the initiative has raised $575,000 over two years from donors, alumni, friends and even students themselves. In 2010 KMM raised $135,000 to help current UM students stay in school. Despite the tough economy, the Great Expectations campaign continues, with remarkable generosity from University friends, alums and supporters. With the total at $800 M, the $1 B campaign is moving into the final stretch. Of that total, $222 M has been raised for scholarships, with a final goal of $350 M for scholarships.
$1 B
$1 BILLION
$900 M $800 M $700 M $600 M $500 M $400 M
campaign total
$300 M
$800 MILLION
$200 M
as of Feb. 1, 2011
$100 M
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III. The 21st Century Land-Grant Mission “Innovation is more important than ever. It is the key to good, new jobs for the 21st century.”
—President Barack Obama, August 5, 2009
The 21st century land-grant mission has evolved considerably since the 1859 founding of the Maryland Agricultural College. It has both deepened and expanded. It now meets the needs of both urban and rural communities. Its service to the State now includes teaching entrepreneurial skills and promoting innovation. It also collaborates with international partners, enhancing business in the State and preparing Marylanders for the global economy. Public service was integral to the original mission of the landgrant university and it continues to be today. Programs such as University of Maryland Extension (UME) continue to provide invaluable services to residents of Maryland. Blending innovation and
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2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
entrepreneurship with Extension services, the mission has a greater impact on jobs, on businesses and on people. Excellence in education continues to be at the center of the University’s mission of service. The education that Marylanders receive prepares them for the State’s knowledge economy and for the workforce of the future. FEDERAL SERVICE: UM’s unique Federal Semester program combines a fall seminar on public policy with a spring internship in the federal government. This year’s program expanded to over 80 students, whose academic experiences are complimented by internships in federal agencies, Congressional offices and
other policy-related sites. The program expanded to a fourth policy area in 2010, now offering internships in health care, homeland security, foreign policy, energy and the environment. More than half of the 40 Federal Semester students interning at federal agencies during FY10 were offered additional professional opportunities and many of the program’s graduates have entered paid careers in public service. VETERAN STUDENTS: Veteran student success is another priority on campus that is winning accolades off campus. The U.S. Department of Education chose UM as one of 15 institutions nationally to receive a Veterans Students Success grant of $395,000. Over three years the grant will allow UM to create a new Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, with full-time staffing and increased programming outreach. A generous $125,000 gift from Gordon England, a University trustee and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, will allow a new Veterans Center to be established. Open to veteran students, faculty and staff, the Center will help veterans to make smooth transitions to the University by providing a space for mentoring, study, leadership activities and career assistance. University President Wallace Loh, along with Maryland State government and other higher education administrators, signed the Maryland Campus Compact for Student Veterans in January, pledging to help make the University System more accommodating to student veterans in order to facilitate their success. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION (UME): Rooted in service to the people, UM educational programming improves the quality of life of Marylanders while advancing the well-being of the State. UME continues to offer citizens innovative programs
and services. Initiatives on gardening, nutrition and finances through UME serve over one million people each year. In only its second year, the Grow It Eat It program is teaching residents in 15 counties and Baltimore City how to grow food sustainably in their own gardens. With over 7,000 residents joining the Grow It Eat It network in 2010, the program reached another 40,000 people last year with answers to food gardening questions and nutrition information through its websites, classes and blogs. UME has a strong urban presence in Baltimore City where UME educators have helped establish over 40 community gardens that produced over 63,000 pounds of fresh produce in 2010. More than 45,000 Maryland residents participated in Master Gardener classes, clinics and presentations in 2010. Expanding global literacy among Prince George’s County students who are underrepresented in college study abroad programs is part of UM’s commitment to diversity. The UM College of Education continues to partner with the Office of the County Executive toward this end, with five outstanding UM students who graduated from Prince George’s County 2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
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20 properties for sale to individuals who work in College Park. Last year Capital One Bank donated $10,000 to the College Park City University Partnership toward the landscaping of the WLCP properties, improving the appearance around each singlefamily home.
A Dining Services effort to provide sustainable food.
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SUSTAINABILITY LEADER: Serving the people of Maryland also means responsibility to the environment of the campus and beyond. Several developments this year highlight the continued leadership in this area. The University of Maryland was named one of 18 universities on the Princeton Review’s “Green College Honor Roll” and was cited in Forbes.com’s November 2010 article on “America’s Greenest Colleges and Universities” for increasing the number of cars in its auto fleet that run public high schools studying abroad on ethanol-based fuel. The University in South Africa, El Salvador, France, was named a “Campus Sustainability Chile, Jamaica and Spain last year. Leader” with an “A-”grade by the Enrolling a third cohort for 2011, the College Sustainability Report Card Prince George’s County International issued by the Sustainable Endowments Ambassador Study Abroad Scholar Institute—up from a “C” rating in 2007. ships received additional help from The U.S. Environmental Protection the University’s Office of the Provost Agency ranked UM at #6 on its list of this year. “Top 20 Colleges and Universities” for Two non-profits in Prince George’s the largest purchasers of green power County benefited from the philan(derived from renewable resources). thropy of UM students enrolled in Students purchased 66 million kilothe College Park Scholars Public watt-hours of green power using their Leadership Program. The Hillside Student Sustainability Fee, which funds Work-Scholarship Connection was enough green power to meet 26% of awarded $9,000 and the Cultural the University’s electricity use. Academy for Excellence, $11,000, for Knight Hall and South Campus their work to empower youth through Commons 7 were both awarded LEED innovative educational programs. Both Gold ratings, from the Green Building were selected following a rigorous evalCertification Institute. A $630,000 uation by students in a philanthropy grant from the Maryland Energy class, aimed to teach the process of Administration will allow UM to install identifying strong, focused programs a 630 kilowatt collection of solar panfor philanthropic support. els on the recently acquired Severn Work and Live in College Park Building. The University completed its (WLCP), a partnership with the College third comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Park Housing Authority, continues to inventory and two more green roofs grow, acquiring and renovating over
2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
UM’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders continued its exceptional work around the world, with projects in Brazil, Peru, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION: in 2010. Student volunteers led enviInternationalization of the University is ronmentally sustainable engineering one of the campus’ top three strategic projects to improve the quality of life in initiatives, which includes expansion of diverse sites. Ongoing projects include study abroad, increased international the design and installation of water activities and heightened visibility for pumps and disinfection systems, as its international agenda. well as irrigation, lighting and bridge Twenty-first-century citizens, govern- construction. In 2010 the National ments and companies must operate Council of Examiners for Engineering in a rapidly changing world. They are and Surveying recognized the UM participating in the global economy chapter of Engineers Without Borders in ways that were unimaginable 50 for its work on a solar battery-recharge years ago. This means that students project in Burkina Faso. must gain international experience. UM was ranked in the Peace Corps’ Companies must compete with foreign 2011 List of Top 25 producers of volinvestors, but also collaborate with unteers among large universities. 2010 others. Community service is no longer was a milestone for UM, which boasts just a local phenomenon but extends to over 1,000 former Terps who have our neighbors around the world. signed on to the Peace Corps since The University of Maryland is one its inception. of 32 institutions of higher education Twenty-five UM students partnered in the United States chosen to parwith students from Howard University ticipate in the General Education for a to travel to Haiti over spring break. Global Century curriculum and faculty They spent a week helping to train development project. An initiative of Haitians to build houses in the wake the Association of American Colleges of a devastating earthquake there in and Universities, this project will help January 2010. ensure that our students have the interUM helped 19 students from Paint national focus needed to be effective Branch Elementary School to travel citizens in a global community. to China through the Chinese Culture Enrollment in study abroad rose and Language Program. The Confucius 11% in FY10 with 2,015 students studyInstitute of Maryland provided funds ing abroad. This growth builds on the to support the trip, which built on previous year’s 10% jump, another the 2009 partnership with Nankai sign that international experience is Elementary School. The Confucius becoming increasingly valued. The Institute developed one of its first U.S. Department of State’s Bureau “Confucius Classrooms” with a full-time of Educational and Cultural Affairs Chinese language arts teacher at Paint awarded UM students five “critical lanBranch Elementary to engage students guage scholarships” to study abroad, in studying and exploring Chinese while 16 more students received fundculture and language. It also sponing for international study through sored a January 2011 trip for 16 Nankai the Gilman International Scholarship Elementary school students to visit Program. Maryland for an education summit. were installed on campus, reducing runoff into nearby creeks and improving heating and cooling efficiency.
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Partnering for the Future DEDICATED FACULTY AND STAFF have absorbed significant burdens from the economic downturn, with layoffs, furloughs and increasing workloads. The University’s total reversion to the State since the FY08 downturn is now over $113 M, including a third year of furloughs that saved the State $10.3 M in FY11. Additionally, the cuts resulted in the layoff of 50 employees in FY11. The University System of Maryland intends to grow by 20% over the next decade, according to projections by the Board of Regents. The University of Maryland is poised to lead the way in this ambitious surge in enrollment. Already the largest producer of STEM graduates in the State system, UM is ready to contribute to the Board of Regents’ goal of increasing the number of graduates in science,
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2011 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly
technology, engineering and mathematics by 40% by 2020. Across all disciplines UM will continue to ensure that Marylanders are better prepared for high-impact jobs. UM research and teaching will continue to fuel the economy with discoveries and technologies and nurture the leadership that will invent our future. These are the valuable returns of the State’s investment in higher education. Innovation and entrepreneurship continue to be essential components of UM’s approach to education. Interdisciplinary research and teaching will help address the challenges faced by our society at the same time that they build the economy. UM has committed to creating 100 new companies by 2019, as described in the 2009 Presidential Task Force on Research and Economic Competitiveness. The
University is also dedicated to helping the University System of Maryland reach its goal of doubling externally sponsored research and development in a decade. We have the talent and the drive to accomplish this, and its benefits will be felt across the State. But we will not sacrifice quality for quantity. The University takes pride in its standards of academic excellence and is committed to offering them to talented students who will join our ranks. The economic slump is a challenge for all of us, but investment in higher education will pay high dividends. A better educated workforce. A more innovative State. A more entrepreneurial region. Our graduates will be better prepared to contribute to the 21st century global economy. To tackle this bold plan, the University needs the State’s support
to shrink the significant gap in funding per FTE student, in comparison to our peers. The FY09 gap stands at $3,024 per FTE.1 This figure creates a shortfall of $90.7 M for 30,000 FTE students to meet State funding guidelines. The University has reallocated $11.5 M internally in FY11 to continue funding its strategic goals. To fulfill our goals, we must partner with the State. We know that the State is as committed to excellence as we are. We cannot compromise on quality because too much is at stake. The 21st century economy relies on a 21st century education, entrepreneurship and innovation. The University of Maryland is providing that now and will continue to do so, strengthening the State, improving the economy and helping the nation. 1
Latest data available from peer universities.
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