Friday, October 24, 2014
Report to the USM Board of Regents
Chancellor William E. Kirwan
Thank you Mr. Chairman. I begin my report by thanking our “host” today,
Frostburg State University (FSU) and President Jonathan Gibralter. These are very
exciting times at Frostburg. And when you look at all that is happening, it is no
wonder that enrollment at FSU stands at its highest level in the institution’s 116year history, including its largest-ever transfer class.

This very building—the $71 million Center for Communications and
Information Technology—opened just last month. The first new academic
building at FSU in 11 years, it will provide state-of-the-art technology and
academic support for Mass Communication, Graphic Design, Computer
Science & Information Technologies, and Mathematics. And, with LEED Gold
certification as a goal, it sets the highest standards educationally,
architecturally, aesthetically, and environmentally.

GetEducated.com named FSU’s online Masters of Education/Special
Education a Best Buy. This is the FOURTH online program at FSU to earn
that distinction. And with FSU’s Master of Science in Applied Computer
Science degree being offered as a fully online degree option next year, I
wouldn’t be surprised to see that number increase.

Further demonstrating the campus’s commitment to sustainability, President
Gibralter was a presenter at the National Climate Leadership Summit earlier
this month.

And, in keeping with FSU’s national reputation for community service, the
Frostburg Community Coalition has been awarded a five-year, $625,000
federal matching grant to combat high-risk alcohol behaviors of youth in the
Frostburg community.
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I commend and congratulate the entire FSU “family” on these wonderful
achievements. And while it has only been a few weeks since we last met, there has
been no shortage of notable developments across the system.
I want to start by highlighting the very important work being done at the University
of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) in response to Ebola. UMB is a critical resource, for
the state, nation, and globally.
 Getting the facts out to the general public,
 Providing information to travelers returning from countries affected by the
outbreak,
 And beginning clinical trials of Ebola vaccines through the Center for Vaccine
Development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
o This is a challenging time, but I am encouraged by UMB’s work.
In other news . . . the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has
selected the MITRE Corporation, working in partnership with the USM, to operate
the nation’s first federally funded research and development center dedicated to
enhancing cybersecurity and protecting national information systems. The
University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) and the University of Maryland,
Baltimore County (UMBC)—both of which offer strong cybersecurity education and
research components—will work with MITRE to carry out the goals of the new NIST
facility.
In addition, UMBC celebrated the grand opening of its new Performing Arts and
Humanities Building last week. The facility has been honored with the 2014
Wavemaker Award from the Urban Land Institute, which recognizes projects that
are truly unique, innovative, and visionary. Additionally, the American Institute of
Architects Baltimore chapter awarded the building the top prize in its Higher
Education category.
And UMCP is launching its third specialization through Coursera titled
“Entrepreneurship: Launching an Innovative Business.” The specialization will
entail a targeted sequence of massive open online courses—or MOOCs—designed to
build high-demand skills and subject matter expertise.
Bowie State University (BSU) is also making entrepreneurship news. Earlier this
month a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the grand opening of BSU’s Student
Business Hatchery in the Center for Business and Graduate Studies. Along with
BSU’s Entrepreneurship Academy, this facility will help college and high school
students, especially those from at-risk communities, establish and develop their
own businesses. In addition, Bowie received a $400,000 National Science
Foundation grant to develop the Bowie State Applied Biotechnology Initiative. The
grant will support efforts to train biology students in advanced laboratory skills in
biotechnology and provide opportunities for student-driven research projects to
generate scientific discovery.
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Business development and competitiveness were key parts of a meeting I had with
the Greater Salisbury Committee (GSC) just last week. I had the opportunity to
highlight success stories from both Salisbury University (SU) and the University of
Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).
This was part of the fall swing I mentioned at our last meeting. I will be meeting
with several groups throughout the state to update business community leaders on
our strategic plan progress. In addition to the Greater Salisbury Committee, in the
past few weeks I also met with the Baltimore/Washington Chamber of Commerce
and the Tech Council of Maryland. These meetings will continue through the
remainder of the year.
At the GSC meeting I highlighted several business start-ups experienced at UMES,
ranging from mobile tech company Leverage Mobile to craft brewer Realerevival
Brewing. And SU, as home to the Maryland Small Business and Technology
Development Centers for the Eastern region, has seen success with the development
of more than a dozen start-ups. And, as I understand it, today SU will announce the
third year of entrepreneurial grant recipients—up to $200,000—through the Philip
E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation Shore Hatchery.
I am also pleased to note that last week SU broke ground on the $19 million Sea Gull
Stadium. The facility will be a much needed new home for competition for the
football, field hockey, and men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, which together have
earned 18 NCAA Division III National Championships.
And while we are on the subject of champions, the Cyber Padawans—a team of
cybersecurity students, faculty, and alumni from University of Maryland University
College (UMUC)—defeated the world's best, including the three-time defending
champion team from the Netherlands, to win the 2014 Global CyberLympics in
Barcelona, Spain. And the win was no fluke; the Padawans took home silver at the
global event two years ago and are currently defending champions in both the
student and professional divisions of the Maryland Cyber Challenge.
At the University of Baltimore (UB), Tanyeka Alexander, a senior in the Merrick
School of Business, received the prestigious Accountemps Student Scholarship from
the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. More than 1,100 students
nationwide applied for the scholarship; 10 were selected, with Tanyeka the only
student from Maryland to receive the award.
Last month the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)
presented Governor Martin O’Malley with the Reginald V. Truitt Environmental
Award for his environmental leadership. This ceremony also kicked off UMCES’s
90th anniversary celebration, commemorating 90 years of environmental
innovation, leadership, education, and problem solving for a better future.
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Coppin State University (CSU) is also celebrating an anniversary. Earlier this month
CSU commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Helene Fuld School of Nursing, part
of its acclaimed College of Health Professions. The occasion was marked with a
ceremony honoring several School of Nursing alumni with awards including
Distinguished Alumna Award and Distinguished Health Care Professional.
Also earlier this month, more than 300 people gathered at the new Towson
University (TU) in Northeastern Maryland at Harford Community College for
opening ceremonies. Students at HCC will be able to take third- and fourth-year
college courses as Towson students, seamlessly, affordably, and conveniently.
Towson is also preparing to launch the TU Professional Leadership Program for
Women early next year. This new, unique program was designed to help equip
women leaders in Maryland business, education, nonprofit, and government
organizations with the knowledge and skills needed to elevate their careers.
Lastly, returning to UMB on a much more upbeat note, President Jay Perman had the
dream opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch—a perfect "two-seam"
fastball—last month at UMB Night at Camden Yards. And with $5 of each ticket sold
going to charity, the Ronald McDonald House Charities and Habitat for Humanity of
the Chesapeake each received $5,000.
Finally this morning, I want to note that we have been meeting with Governor
O’Malley, members of the legislature, and professionals from the Department of
Budget and Management to discuss USM’s budget for FY 2016. The work is still in
the preliminary stages and I will keep you informed as we make progress. But I can
assure you we are committed to keeping USM priorities aligned with state priorities,
supporting our strategic plan, and maintaining the USM as a genuine funding
priority.
This concludes my report. I would be happy to respond to any questions.
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