USM Regents to Act on Proposed Programs at Bowie State and Towson, Vote on Revision to Undergraduate Admissions Policy

Adelphi, Md. (Nov. 30, 2009) - The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents at its next meeting will take action on proposed academic programs at Bowie State and Towson universities and vote on a revision to the policy on undergraduate admissions.

The board also will vote on the Salisbury University 2009 facilities master plan update and hear a report on opening fall 2009 enrollment figures.

The public session is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday, December 4, at the Horn Point Laboratory at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). The center is located at 2020 Horns Point Road, Cambridge MD, 21613.

The new academic program proposals under consideration are:

B.S. in Visual Communication & Digital Media Arts at Bowie State University;

B.S. in Information Technology at Towson University.

 

The primary recommended change to the undergraduate admissions policy is the addition of a fourth mathematics course. Under the proposed revision, students who have completed Algebra II before their final year would be required to complete course(s) that include "nontrivial" algebra during the last year of high school enrollment.

The recommendation was developed by a committee comprising faculty, admissions and enrollment management professionals and representatives from the Maryland State Department of Education. If approved at a later meeting of the Board of Regents, the policy would be effective for students entering ninth grade in 2011.

The current Salisbury University Facilities Master Plan (FMP) is an update of the 2003 FMP, which focused on student housing and residence life. Since the plan's approval in 2003, numerous campus construction and renovation projects have been undertaken, including the new Teacher Education and Technology Center. In summer 2009, the university's comprehensive housing renovation project began and will continue during the next five years.

Other action items before the board include:

An authorization for increased resources to support renovation and addition work at the Towson Center Arena at Towson University;

A request for authorization to construct an environmental information center at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science;

A request for authorization to construct an addition to and perform a renovation of Van Munching Hall at the R.H. Smith School of Business.

The regents will hear reports from the councils of university system presidents, faculty, staff, and students. After the public meeting, the board will meet in executive session.

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) for special arrangements.

For driving directions to UMCES and a campus map, click on http://hpl.umces.edu/visitorsInfo/directions2.htm.

Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu