Closing the Minority Academic Achievement Gap and New Degree Programs on Regents' Agenda, January 24

ADELPHI, Md. (January 18, 2007) - Closing the academic achievement gap for African-American males and new academic programs at Towson University (TU), University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and University of Maryland University College (UMUC) are among the topics for discussion at the upcoming meeting of the Committee on Education Policy of the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 24, 2007. It will be held in the Margaret Brent Room of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park.

The meeting's information session will include:

  • The instructional workload of USM faculty;
  • Middle States Commission's reaccreditation of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES);
  • Maryland Higher Education Commission's Student Outcome and Achievement (SOAR) Report 2006;
  • USM institutional SAT profiles.

Among the action items before the committee are proposals to establish eight new degree programs in the system:

  • TU - B.A. in art history
  • UMBC - B.A. in media and communication studies
  • UMBC - B.A. in gender and women's studies
  • UMBC - M.A. in management of aging services
  • UMBC - Ph.D. in geography and environmental systems
  • UMUC - B.S. in information assurance
  • UMUC - B.S. in emergency management
  • UMUC - B.S. in homeland security

In addition, the committee will receive an executive summary of the Report on the Task Force on the Education of Maryland's African-American Males from task force co-chairs Dunbar Brooks, vice president of the Maryland State Board of Education, and USM Regent Orlan Johnson. Convened in 2003 by the Maryland K-16 Leadership Council, the task force recently submitted a series of recommendations for state policymakers and agencies to address persistent challenges in academic achievement and educational equity faced by African-American males.

Background information and agendas will be available at the meeting. Sign language interpreters and/or other appropriate accommodations for eligible individuals with disabilities will be provided upon request. Please call 301.445.2756 (voice) or 301.314.7683 (TTY/ITT) to make special arrangements.

For driving directions to UMCP, visit: http://www.cvs.umd.edu/visit/directions.html. Parking will be in the Union Lane Garage located next to the Stamp Student Union.

 

Contact: John Buettner
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: jbuettner@usmd.edu