USM Chancellor Caret Launches Statewide Bus Listening Tour
With
Funding from SECU, Four-Day Bus Tour Will Enhance USM Value to Business and
Community Leaders
Adelphi, Md. (Oct. 11, 2015) -- University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor
Robert L. Caret on Monday, October 12 will embark on his inaugural, four-day
statewide bus listening tour, a focused effort to meet with regional opinion
leaders and community members representing such sectors as government,
business, education, and community organizations.
Chancellor
Caret's listening tour will begin with a stop in Southern Maryland. The tour includes
visits to the greater Baltimore region, Maryland's Eastern Shore, Prince
George's County and western Maryland, before ending in Montgomery County.
Thanks to a generous
gift from the State Employees Credit Union (SECU), the costs of bus
transportation are completely privately funded.
The
listening tour serves as a critical initiative during Chancellor Caret's first
year to listen to views on how USM is serving distinct geographic regions in
Maryland and the state overall.
A primary
focus of the listening tour is for Chancellor Caret to obtain feedback on where
the USM is succeeding and learn how the USM can improve in its efforts to
benefit the state.
The four-day
tour will lend itself to the potential growth of partnerships designed to
better serve students, the business community, and all of Maryland.
"We are
fortunate in Maryland that our state officials enthusiastically support the USM
and its mission," Caret said. "In a national climate in which state support for
public higher education is challenged, this listening tour is an opportunity
for the University System of Maryland to demonstrate its value to our citizens.
"The
listening tour is an important opportunity to build on our commitment to making
higher education affordable, promoting workforce development, and improving
quality of life in Maryland."
Stops on the
tour include a tour of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant and roundtable
discussion with leadership at that facility. There will be a visit to the
Towson University Center in Harford County, a partnership with Harford
Community College that Caret developed during his years as Towson University
president. Other meetings include a morning breakfast with a panel of minority
leaders in the City of Baltimore and visits with Eastern Shore business groups
in Salisbury and western Maryland economic development officials in Cumberland.
Caret began
his service as USM chancellor on July 1, when he returned to Maryland after
four years as president of the University of Massachusetts system. This
inaugural bus listening tour for Maryland is part of the chancellor's
comprehensive effort to reach out to USM community members as well as external
constituencies.
Throughout
the 2015-16 academic year, Caret will continue a series of presentations to
major business and economic development groups statewide.
Follow Updates from Chancellor Caret's Listening Tour
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
