In a letter faxed to President Robert Caret on Wednesday afternoon, MHEC chairman John Oliver instructed Towson and its partner institution, the University of Baltimore, to work with Morgan State University to consider a "multi-institutional academic collaboration."
Last month, Morgan objected to Secretary of Higher Education Calvin Burnett's approval of the Towson/UB MBA proposal. Morgan president Earl Richardson said the program would harm Morgan's enrollment and create "unnecessarily duplication," in violation of the state's Partnership Agreement with the Office of Civil Rights to enhance its historically black institutions.Morgan's concerns were brought before the full commission at a hearing last Wednesday. After many hours of deliberation, the commissioners concluded that the new MBA proposal would result in unnecessary duplication.
In an interview Wednesday evening, Caret said he believes the state has taken an "unnecessarily restrictive and somewhat anachronistic approach" to interpreting 1992's United States v. Fordice court decision and 2000's Partnership Agreement with OCR. But he said the University is "making good progress" toward an MBA degree.
"Before they approve it on a sound educational justification, because of the tenets of the OCR agreement, they want to make sure they're not precipitously hurting Morgan," he said. "They've asked Morgan to come to the table to work with UB and Towson on a cooperative and collaborative basis."
Caret said he welcomed a conversation about a joint effort.
"I think it would be good for them, good for us, and good for the state," he said. "I'm eager to begin the conversation anew."
"It really is time to stop having black institutions educate black students and white institutions educate white students, it's time for Maryland institutions to educate Maryland students," he added.
It is unclear whether Morgan will come to the table. An MSU spokesperson said the university was still reviewing the decision and declined to comment.
"We offered on three occasions to partner with Morgan on this joint degree," Caret testified. "I asked them to picture two campuses, one historically black and one historically white, working together, hand in hand, for the common good of the citizens of Maryland. I said if we did that, and walked into Annapolis together, they would throw money at us. Morgan said no to us at every overture. I still do not understand that stance."
When reminded of the remark about Annapolis, Caret laughed.
"They may not throw it at us, but we'd have an easier time, because they'd see that we're working together for the good of the state," he said.
Any collaboration with Morgan would likely be tainted by the recent proceedings. Last week, Caret told the commission that Morgan had "simply not delivered" for the citizens of Maryland.
The commission's suggestion of a multi-school collaboration wasn't an entirely new idea: The Baltimore Sun recommended it last week.
"Clearly a compromise is in order," a Sun editorial concluded on Friday. "...If carefully structured, a three-way partnership among UB, Towson and Morgan might strengthen Morgan's MBA, re-attract white students there and meet the area's expected market for MBAs."
The University of Baltimore has offered an MBA degree for several decades. The joint degree proposal would enhance the current degree by including Towson and adding two specialized tracks.
Excerpt from Chairman John Oliver's letter:
(1) the commission has meaningfully examined whether educationally sound alternatives are available to meet a demonstrated educational need in the state that is not, or cannot soon be, met by the existing public MBA programs at the University of Baltimore and Morgan State University; and
(2) the commission has been presented with a substantive analysis and proposal that addresses whether such demonstrated educational need can be met while enhancing the desegregation and vitality of the MBA program at Morgan State University.
The commission instructs Morgan State University, the University of Baltimore and Towson University to engage each other in a process, under the commission's guidance and coordination, to provide the commission with an analysis and proposal responsive to paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section. Without necessarily dictating the resulting analysis or proposal, the commission asserts that a multi-institutional academic collaboration may be in order to meet the educational needs of the citizens of Maryland and to strengthenthe MBA program at Morgan State University, thereby enhancing the institution."
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