Towson President Robert Caret outlined those two scenarios for the University's future at the University System of Maryland Board of Regents' private retreat Wednesday. During the eight-hour retreat, held at the University of Maryland University College in Adelphi, the presidents of each USM institution stressed the need for significant, sustained funding increases.
Caret said the retreat went "extraordinarily well" and better than he expected. "I was worried, with many campuses and a relatively short time, that only 10 percent of what needed to be said would be said," he said. "But I left feeling that all the major issues for all the campuses were on the table at a level they had to be. The board was really interested in some of the challenges we face and I think they're going to look at ways to help."
Caret and several other presidents emphasized a need for funding on a Full Time Equivalency, or per-student, basis. The university system currently receives a lump sum of funding each year, not directly tied to intended enrollment growth.
The presidents of Bowie State University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Salisbury University agreed they'd like to boost their enrollment, but only with adequate state funds.
"We need to make sure that we try to develop a funding strategy, so that the growth that we want to take on, we've got the funding in place for it," regent Michael Gill said. "We talked a lot about that, in terms of how we might do it."
Caret said there was "unequivocal agreement" at the retreat that Towson could grow, but only with adequate funding.
"I made it clear we want to grow, we can grow, here's how we can grow -- but I also made it clear that the easiest path for us is to stay the same size we are," Caret said.
Under Caret's "selective path scenario," TU would "stay the course" and experience only slight growth.
"From a financial standpoint, that has probably the least amount of risk," Gill said. The admissions requirements for Towson would likely become more selective.
The other strategy calls for substantial enrollment growth over the next 10 years. Gill said the growth model is the one the regents are most interested in.
"But there's no way we'd ask Towson to undertake that without giving [Caret] a formula that can financially work," he said.
Gill said the regents discussed ways to align enrollment growth and funding increases to the "economic needs" of the state of Maryland.
He cited Towson's strengths in nursing, education, business and computer sciences. "If those are three or four key areas of need in the state of Maryland, we want to make sure we put the growth and funding in areas that meet the needs of the state," Gill said. Gill, a Towson graduate and former chair for the University's Board of Visitors, called the retreat "tremendously productive." Regent Jim Rosapepe agreed.
"My impression is that most of the regents, and frankly most of the other campus presidents, are supportive of Towson growing," Rosapepe said. "I don't think that's a controversy. I think the only issue is whether the state will come up with enough money, and if the regents will ask the state for enough money, to allow Towson to grow." Many of the presidents discussed how to balance the university system's three priorities: access, affordability and quality.
"We're going to bend over backwards to remain as accessible as possible," Caret said. "But if that begins to get in the way of quality, we're not going to do it."
In the morning, the presidents of each institution discussed funding and enrollment scenarios based on 3, 5 and 7 percent increases in state support. After lunch, the regents met privately to discuss what they had heard.
The board directed chancellor William Kirwan to develop several specific options to the regents, with four-year tuition projections.
"Over the weeks ahead, [Kirwan is] going to work toward developing a school-by-school enrollment strategy," Gill said. "We're trying to develop a set of scenarios and then be able to say to incoming freshmen this fall, here's what we have projected" in terms of tuition.
Kirwan has called it a "four-year financial plan." While the board will likely agree on enrollment growth plans, they may disagree on efforts to secure state funding. The proposals will go before the board sometime this summer.
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