"We're not going to grow if we don't get money for next year," Caret said in an interview earlier this month.
As he noted in an address to the University Senate last Monday, "all of what we do â€" be it educationally or financially â€" has to do with the size of the student body. It drives everything we do."
But the campus "will run into the red pretty quickly" if it continues to grow without additional monies. That's why Caret now says "growth is no longer possible until resources are available." In the interview, Caret was more blunt: "Literally, unless they put a gun to my head, we're going to stop growing unless we get an answer on that," he said.
An answer on the funding implications of enrollment growth must come from the University System of Maryland Board of Regents.
There is "complete agreement in the system" that Towson should be the primary growth engine for USM, Chancellor Brit Kirwan said, but "we are also equally determined that we're not going to let Towson grow without resources. That could be very harmful."
Over the summer, each USM institution discussed its future goals, and the funding implications of those goals, with the Board of Regents. As part of that process, Towson submitted "reams and reams" of documentation demonstrating how enrollment growth would be financially unreasonable under current models. Caret believes a change in the funding formula is warranted.
"We've done all the work. We've crunched all the numbers. The board had all these questions, and we answered them. They took all that information back, and the board is supposed to do something with that," he said.
At the Senate meeting, Caret put on his chemistry professor hat and said the board needs a catalyst to reach their decisions on enrollment and funding.
The regents are expected to bless the plans later this semester. Kirwan said he expects the board to vote on his recommendations in November or December.
Towson has suggested that the board allot an increase in full-time equivalency (FTE) funding to $5,000 for each new student who ups the University's enrollment. (The University currently receives an average of about $4,600 per student.)
Eventually, Towson hopes the FTE funding would catch up for all students.
"They think it's a good plan," Caret said, referring to the regents. "I think if they had the money to do it, they'd do it."
And there's the hang-up. Towson and the University System of Maryland are awaiting word from the state government about next fiscal year's budget.
"We're working really hard with the state to secure the funding that would make Towson's plans â€" as well as other institutions in the system â€" a reality," Kirwan said.
He said enrollment growth would require some additional state dollars, but didn't put a specific price tag on it.
The governor's budget included a bump in higher education funding last year. Without another increase this winter, Caret may fulfill his commitment not to grow.
Kirwan has met with Governor Robert L. Ehrlich's deputy chief of staff Craig Williams and Secretary of Department Of Budget and Management Cecilia Januszkiewicz to explain USM's budget needs. "No commitments have been made. The budget hasn't been put together by the governor yet. But I think the conversations have gone as well as one could hope for at this point in time," he said.
Towson has been doing its share of lobbying, as well. At the Maryland Association of Counties annual meeting last month, Caret talked to Ehrlich chief of staff James "Chip" DiPaula (a Towson alum) and other key government officials.
When Towson lobbies for additional state funds, it points to the state's goal of access to higher education.
Caret said the state of Maryland has traditionally recognized three priorities rooted in legislation: the flagship University of Maryland College Park campus, the state's historically black colleges and universities, and graduate education in the Baltimore region.
"All three of them are critical â€" plus they're laws, so you can't argue with that â€" but at a time when huge numbers of students want to get into colleges, access and enrollment growth must be taken very seriously."
He sat up in his chair and emphasized his words.
"We need to provide access to students," he said, "and we need to provide funding for that access."
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