MARYLAND’S
REPORT AND
THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE STATE OF MARYLAND
AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS (OCR)
Introduction
Maryland's Report on its System of
Higher Education
Development of the Partnership Process
Partnership Commitments
Maryland Commitments
Commitments of OCR
Monitoring
OCR
Forms
OCR Final Report and Attachments (PDF)
OCR Final Committee I Report
(PDF)
OCR Final Committee II Report
(PDF)
In late October 1999, the State
of Maryland and the United States Department of Education,
Office for Civil Rights (OCR), entered into a Partnership
for the purposes of improving the educational opportunities
for African Americans in Maryland's public institutions of
higher education and ensuring compliance with the State’s
obligations under federal law. As part of the Partnership
process, the State and OCR agreed to examine and address the
status of African Americans regarding access, enrollment,
retention, and graduation at the State’s public institutions
of higher education. The Partnership process has been
a joint, cooperative effort and has not attempted to make
legal findings or to conduct any type of legal proceedings.
The result of the Partnership
process is the following agreement:
Part I of the agreement is Maryland’s
report on its system of public higher education, including
a synopsis of Maryland’s previous five-year desegregation
plan and a summary of the State's recent efforts to increase
African American students' access, retention, and graduation
in higher education.
Part II summarizes the development
and accomplishments of the Partnership process.
Part
III sets forth the commitments that the State and OCR anticipate
will result in agreement that Maryland is in full compliance
with its obligations under federal law, particularly Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. Section 2000d,
et seq.) (Title VI) and the standards set forth in United
States v. Fordice, 505 U.S. 717 (1992) (Fordice)
regarding Maryland's system of public higher education.
The State of Maryland's public
system of postsecondary education consists of 16 community
colleges, 13 public four-year institutions and two public
research centers. The State is also home to 24 independent
four-year institutions, three independent two-year colleges,
and 128 private career schools. For the purpose of this agreement,
all 13 public four-year universities, and all campuses of
the 16 community colleges are included. The Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Maryland are Bowie State
University, Coppin State College, and the University of Maryland
Eastern Shore, which are all part of the University System
of Maryland (USM), and Morgan State University, one of two
four-year public institutions not governed by USM. The Traditionally
White Institutions (TWIs) that are part of USM are Frostburg
State University, Salisbury State University, Towson University,
University of Baltimore, University of Maryland Baltimore,
University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland
College Park and the University of Maryland University College.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland is a four-year public TWI not
governed by USM. The 11 USM institutions are governed by a
Board of Regents with a Chancellor as the chief executive
officer.
The
statewide planning and coordinating body for all postsecondary
institutions in Maryland, including the entire public system,
is the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC or “the
Commission”). The public system includes the 11 USM
institutions, Morgan State University, St. Mary’s College
of Maryland and 16 community colleges: Allegany College of
Maryland, Anne Arundel Community College, Baltimore City Community
College, The Community College of Baltimore County, Carroll
Community College, Cecil Community College, College of Southern
Maryland, Chesapeake College, Frederick Community College,
Garrett College, Hagerstown Community College, Harford Community
College, Howard Community College, Montgomery College, Prince
George's Community College, and Wor-Wic Community College.
The structure of the higher education
system in Maryland reflects its history, culture, statutory
mandates, leadership and political structure, and geography
and demographics.This system of higher education aspires to
provide an accessible, affordable, and diverse system of quality
postsecondary education for all Maryland citizens.The institutions
are accountable for the fulfillment of institutional missions--teaching,
research, and public service—while maintaining efficient and
effective operations.In Maryland, a central coordinating board,
MHEC, serves as the liaison between state government and the
governing boards of individual institutions.The coordinating
board serves as the coordinating and planning agency for the
State and is responsible for the overall growth and development
of higher education in the State, while the governance authority
is vested with the various governing boards.Each public institution
in Maryland has its own governing board with the exception
of the 13 constituent institutions and research centers of
USM which is governed by a single board of regents.Within
this structure, USM supports, facilitates, and encourages
presidents to meet the goals and objectives of the System
and State. Academic and fiscal autonomy enables the System
and individual presidents to provide leadership and to be
held accountable for the accomplishments of their respective
campuses.
In 1969, OCR notified the State of Maryland that it was one of ten states operating
a racially segregated system of higher education in violation
of Title VI and applicable federal law.
Over the next several years, Maryland worked to develop
a plan for dismantling its discriminatory dual system and
eliminating the vestiges of segregation.In 1976, after OCR
advised Maryland of its concerns with the State’s implementation
of its plan, Maryland was granted an injunction prohibiting
OCR from instituting enforcement action to terminate Maryland’s
Federal financial assistance unless certain conditions were
met.In 1982, OCR resumed negotiations with Maryland concerning
the development and implementation of a new desegregation
plan, and a consent decree ending the litigation was entered.
In 1985, OCR and Maryland agreed
on another statewide desegregation plan, entitled A Plan
to Assure Equal Postsecondary Educational Opportunity
(Appendix A) designed to foster equal educational opportunity
in Maryland’s public institutions of higher education. The
Plan was accepted by OCR as one which could meet the requirements
of Title VI.Its principal objectives were (1) the continued
integration of Maryland’s TWIs through a portfolio of enrollment
goals, recruitment measures, retention efforts and affirmative
action plans, and (2) the enhancement of Maryland’s HBCUs
to ensure that they are comparable and competitive with TWIs
with respect to capital facilities, operating budgets and
new academic programs.The Plan provided for a wide range of
measures and activities to meet these objectives, including
enhancement of the HBCUs, desegregating student enrollments
through increased recruitment and improved retention programs
for African American students, and desegregating faculties,
staffs and governing boards, all of which were designed to
meet the mandates of Title VI in the state-supported institutions
of higher education in Maryland.
During the five years the Plan
was implemented, Maryland submitted yearly progress reports
to OCR, with the final report submitted in 1991 (Appendix
B) summarizing the State’s accomplishments achieved under
the Plan.Upon expiration of the Plan, and in the absence of
any further OCR proceedings with respect to Maryland’s compliance
with Title VI, the State continued its efforts to implement
measures to improve equal educational opportunity and to operate
within the command of State and federal law.Maryland has prepared
an analysis of the primary goals and objectives of the 1985
Plan and the 1991 report, reflecting current data.The report
is set forth in Appendix C.
In 1992, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in Fordice,
setting forth the legal standards imposed on former de
jure segregated systems of higher education.Subsequently,
in 1994, OCR issued its Notice of Application of Supreme
Court Decision applying the Fordice standards
to all pending Title VI evaluations of statewide higher education
systems with OCR-accepted desegregation plans that have expired,
including Maryland.
- The breadth and number of efforts devoted to participation and success of African
American students in Maryland higher education attest to
the State’s unflagging commitment to providing equal educational
opportunities to all of its citizens.At
all levels, the State and its public higher education institutions
have developed and implemented far-ranging initiatives designed to maximize higher
education access and success for African Americans.These
efforts include the following:
- accountability processes
through which institutions’ minority achievement efforts
are gauged;
- special grants to HBCUs
for development and implementation of recruitment and retention
initiatives;
- State,
USM, and institutional strategic plans in which goals and
objectives associated with African American achievement
figure prominently;
- reports
and action plans, developed by statewide coalitions, focusing
on African American students in Maryland higher education;and
legislation designed ultimately to improve disadvantaged
students’ college readiness, to improve teacher preparation,
and to increase financial aid available to disadvantaged
students.
These efforts indicate the State’s
ongoing commitment to implementing best practices in the areas
of recruitment and admissions, retention and graduation, campus
climate, faculty and staff diversity, enhancement of HBCUs,
and partnerships between MHEC, USM, St. Mary’s College of
Maryland, Morgan State University, the Maryland State
Department of Education (MSDE) , and other higher education
institutions and elementary and secondary school systems.
The following summary highlights
some of these initiatives but is not intended to be all-inclusive.
The Maryland Higher Education
Commission was created by the Maryland General Assembly in
1988 and given the responsibility for planning and coordination
of higher education in Maryland and the continuation of the
State’s desegregation efforts.
Generally, its responsibilities
include development of and oversight for the State Plan for
Higher Education, ensuring that campus mission statements
are consistent with that Plan, approving the operation of
new colleges and universities, approving academic programs,
reviewing and recommending capital and operating budgets,
and regulating private career schools.MHEC provides statewide
planning, leadership, vision, balance, coordination and advocacy
for all of Maryland’s postsecondary educational institutions
and administers state financial aid.
The Commission is specifically
responsible for developing a program of desegregation and
equal educational opportunity, including an enhancement plan
for HBCUs.In turn, it is responsible for monitoring the progress
made under, and assuring compliance with, the goals, measures
and commitments contained in the desegregation and equal educational
opportunity plan.The Commission, in carrying out its responsibilities
to coordinate and monitor the equal opportunity activities
of public institutions of higher education in the State, may
require institutions to submit plans, reports, and data to
evaluate the effectiveness of institutional efforts and methods.Much
of this is accomplished through the accountability process
set forth in State law, including the use of benchmarks (for
each diversity indicator, five-year goals that the institution
sets for itself) developed through a “bottom up” approach,
to measure campus progress on certain accountability indicators
(recruitment, enrollment, retention, graduation and employment).As
a part of and related to this process, the Commission and
the institutions of higher education prepare Minority
Achievement Reports on the status of their progress in
attaining their benchmarks and indicating where some institutions
are falling short.An annual Performance Accountability
Report for Maryland Public Colleges and Universities is
prepared by the Commission and submitted the Governor and
the Maryland General Assembly.
Recognizing that there is a critical
need to improve student retention and graduation rates at
Maryland’s HBCUs, the State proposed and implemented a plan
of action to address these concerns. This plan, called Access
and Success: A Plan for Maryland’s Historically Black Institutions
(Appendix D), is funded and in operation from 1997-2001.
The primary goal of the plan is to improve retention and graduation
rates. In turn, the plan implements strategies to enhance
the relationship between administration, enrollment management,
and teaching and learning practices on the one hand and student
achievement, improved retention and graduation rates on the
other. The lessons learned through the implementation
of the practices are to be shared with other public and independent
colleges and universities throughout the State.
The Access and Success Multi-Year
Grant Program was implemented in Fiscal Year
1999 and disbursed $500,000 to
each of the State’s four historically black institutions (Bowie
State University, Coppin State College, Morgan State University,
and the University of
Maryland Eastern Shore). The Maryland Higher Education
Commission requested and
received a Grant Program increase of $1,000,000 for Fiscal
Year 2001 and disbursed a total of $3,000,000, $750,000 to
each the participating institution.
Activities
initiated in the first and second year were continued into
the third year and in many instances enhanced with the year
three budget increase of $1,000,000. The year three
activities will continue into year four with all institutions
building on the great strides they have made in implementing
their campus-based initiatives and augmenting the achievements
made toward the goals of the Program at each institution.
Bowie State University’s retention
initiatives have focused on the enhancement of the
academic technology infrastructure and assessment and
faculty and staff development.In the first two years, Bowie
State University has:implemented an Automatic Academic Advising
Program; purchased software and hardware for instructional
laboratories; increased faculty access to technology;
upgraded existing equipment in the Electronic
Music and PRAXIS Laboratories; established the Center for
Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and
the Office of Assessment; sponsored faculty training sessions
through CETL; added a freshman academic counselor to the University
College of Excellence; developed statements of “Bowie State
University’s Expected Student Learning Outcomes”
to be recommended for adoption by the University; initiating
an Alumni Survey to assess student satisfaction,
perceptions, and attitudes about the University.
Coppin
State College’s initiatives have focused on the Division of
Academic Affair
the Division of Student Life. In the first two years,
Coppin State College has: hired new staff for the Academic
Resources Center and the Recruitment-Counseling Programs;
made available alternative modes of tutorial assistance; implemented
the Natural Sciences Bridge Program, Freshman Summer Success
Program (110 students), Pilot Mathematics and Computer Science
Program, Developmental Pilot English Program,
Freshmen Mentoring Program, Attendance Monitoring Program,
and an Academic Advisement Package; expanded support and workshops
offered by the Writing (Grammar, Essay Writing, Internet Research
and Documentation), Reading, and Math Labs.
Morgan State University’s initiatives
have focused on expanding tutoring programs, enhancing educational
programs in residence halls, strengthening advising programs
and enhancing the monitoring of student progress, and the
establishment and development of the Access and Success Summer
Bridge Program. In the first two years, Morgan State University
has:hired 42 tutors; made available tutorial assistance in
the resident halls in the evening; added two advisors to serve
“undeclared majors” and Freshman Studies majors; purchased
software to enable students to make greater used of Computer-Assisted
Instruction and to electronically track student progress;
establishment of a state-of-the-art Learning Computer Laboratory
in Banneker Hall with software focused on mathematics and
basic skills; and enrolled 198 Access and Success students
in the 1999 Summer Bridge Program and provided students academic
advisement through the Advising Center during their first
year; tracked student progress through an advising, course
analysis, and mentoring program known as ACAMP; began the
development of an advising manual for faculty and Access and
Success staff;provided career guidance through the purchase
of the SIGI Plus Career Guidance Software.
University of Maryland Eastern
Shore’s initiatives have focused on refining an infrastructure
for monitoring and assisting at-risk students, which
included developing and improving teaching and learning practice,
enrollment management, student support services, and the tutoring
center. In the first two years, the University of Maryland
Eastern Shore has: participated in faculty and staff conferences
related to retention and advisement; reviewed course syllabi
to improve courses; developed a campus-wide advising manual;
hired additional student support staff, graduate student tutors
for intermediate algebra, and a writing skills specialist;
identified at-risk students, expanded tutoring service, provided
advisement to “undeclared majors,” and constructed a Tutoring
Center to house all of the University’s tutoring activities;
provided funding for retention advisors for 14 of 15 undergraduate
programs; instituted a systematic attendance-monitoring system.
Using federal and State funds,
Maryland is directly addressing campus diversity issues through
grant programs administered by MHEC. The federally funded
initiatives include, or have included, the Dwight D. Eisenhower
Professional Development Grant Program, the Maryland National
Early Intervention Scholarship and Partnership Program, and
GEAR-UP. The State funded initiatives include the Diversity
Grant Program among the graduate student population, the Henry
C. Welcome Fellowship Grant Program among faculty, and the
Incentive Grant Program projects (the Maryland Early Mathematics
Placement Test Program and the Southern Regional Education
Board’s Doctoral Scholarship Program) addressing student achievement
and faculty diversity.
The
College Preparation and Intervention Program, administered
by the Maryland Higher Education Commission in cooperation
with the Maryland State Department of Education, the public
and independent colleges and universities, the Council of
Maryland’s K-16 Partnership and the local school systems is
in its second year of operation. The State appropriation
for this program was used as the match for the proposal to
obtain a five-year federal GEAR UP funding (“Gaining Early
Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs”).
Ten sites serve approximately 2500 students with the goal
of providing low-income, middle to high school students with
challenging academic programs, counseling, tutoring, mentoring,
campus visits and financial aid information needed to pursue
and succeed in postsecondary education. With an emphasis on
these services, a second major focus of the program is to
contribute to the reform and improvement of schools.
A web site is being developed to share information and best
practices between the ten GEAR UP sites and middle and high
schools throughout the State.
In January 1998, MHEC approved
and published a statewide plan for postsecondary education,
entitled Educating for the 21st Century
which was to serve as a blueprint for the Governor, the General
Assembly, and the citizens of the State in developing and
improving postsecondary educational opportunities in Maryland.
Its goals, strategies and tactics addressed (1) the ethnic
diversity of Ph.Ds in faculty and administrative positions
at all institutions, (2) the promotion of campus climates
accepting of diverse groups and the establishment of multicultural
approaches to educational experiences at all levels of Maryland
education, (3) multicultural diversity on Maryland’s campuses,
(4) recruitment and retention of minority students, faculty
members and professional staff, and (5) gender and salary
equity of the faculty and administrative staff of public colleges
and universities.
In August 1998, a task force was
formed to study the governance, coordination, and funding
of USM.In response to the task force’s findings and report,
the General Assembly enacted legislation that made a number
of changes to Maryland’s system of higher education.Among
other things, the legislation called for the adoption of a
new state plan to address present and future needs, capabilities,
priorities and objectives for postsecondary education and
research in the State.The plan was to include the long-range
and short-range objectives and priorities for postsecondary
education and methods and guidelines for achieving and maintaining
them.It was suggested that strategic incentive funds be provided
by the Commission to institutions to encourage attainment
of statewide goals and priorities. The legislation also provided
for the Commission to develop operating and capital budget
funding guidelines.The legislation provided for a president
of a constituent institution of the University System of Maryland
to propose programs if the action was consistent with the
institution’s mission and could be implemented within the
existing program resources of the institution.The Commission
would object if the program proposed was inconsistent with
the institution’s mission, or if unreasonable program duplication
would cause demonstrable harm to another institution, or if
the proposed program violated the State’s equal educational
opportunity obligations under State and federal laws. Further,
the legislation specifically provided that the Commission
shall ensure that the state plan complies with the State’s
equal educational opportunity obligations under State and
federal law, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The Maryland State Plan for
Postsecondary Education 2000 (the Plan) (Appendix E) is
based upon the recognition that a highly educated citizenry
is essential for the welfare and the economic well being of
the State. The new century, more than its predecessors, requires
enhanced and continuous access for all citizens to a coordinated,
cost-effective system of affordable, high-quality institutions.
Maryland enjoys the benefits of a wide array of public and
private postsecondary institutions, which make significant
contributions to the communities in which they are located
and to the State as a whole. The Plan envisions these
institutions being renowned for the quality of the learning,
scholarship and outreach activities they provide in preparing
Marylanders with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute
successfully to society and to thrive in the economy.
It also envisions a time when the possession of an associate’s
degree or higher will be as common in Maryland as the possession
of a high school diploma is today.
Maryland’s
present and future needs for postsecondary education and the
capabilities of Maryland’s postsecondary institutions are
addressed, and eight major statewide goals and a number of
related objectives are set forth in this new Plan. The
statewide goals address quality, access, economic development,
research, teacher education, diversity, information technology,
and accountability. These goals may be summarized as follows:
- achieve
and sustain a preeminent statewide array of postsecondary
educational institutions that are recognized for their distinctiveness
and excellence nationally and internationally;
- provide
affordable and equitable access for every qualified Maryland
citizen;
- contribute
to the further development of Maryland’s economic health
and vitality;
- support
and encourage basic and applied research;
- strengthen
teacher preparation and improve the readiness of students
for postsecondary education;
- provide
high quality academic programs for a population of increasingly
diverse students;
- establish
Maryland as one of the most advanced states in the use of
information technology to improve learning and access; and
- achieve
a cost effective and accountable system of delivering high
quality postsecondary education.
The Plan includes a number of
objectives and strategies for implementing each of these goals.While
the objectives presented in conjunction with these goals are
in most cases statewide, they will be relevant to different
institutions to different degrees.Each institution will determine,
based on its unique capabilities, how it will incorporate
these goals and objectives into its mission and planning process.Each
institution will revise its mission statement, as required
by law, to ensure consistency with the new Plan.
With specific regard for equal
educational opportunity, the objectives and strategies include:
enhancing cross-cultural understanding
to prepare students to live and work in a culturally diverse
environment; including racial and cultural diversity, and
its impact on teaching and learning, in the curriculum of
each teacher preparation program; improving the enrollment,
retention, graduation and transfer rates of African American
and other minority students whose achievements trail the State
average; increasing the racial, ethnic and gender diversity
of faculty and executive/managerial staff at Maryland colleges
and universities; enhancing the missions of HBCUs and their
enrollment of non-African American students; strengthening
the undergraduate and graduate programs at HBCUs; developing
high-demand academic programs at HBCUs;avoiding unnecessary
program duplication at geographically proximate HBCUs and
TWIs; maintaining and expanding the Commission’s Access
and Success program; and, ensuring that, as appropriate,
curricula reflect the perspective of diverse cultures and
the contributions of members of these cultures.
The community colleges serve as
the pipeline for many African Americans because they are local,
open access, quality institutions that offer the least costly
alternative for higher education.As an open access entry point
to higher education, the community college affords learning
experiences to students with a diverse range of interest,
aspirations, and abilities.The community college mission is
to accept individuals, at whatever level they may enter, and
provide them with the opportunity to enhance their knowledge
and skills to achieve their educational goals.
Additionally, the Plan
recognizes that sustaining a desegregated system will require
additional State investments in HBCUs as well as a commitment
to programs that improve the educational opportunities for
African American students.The State noted that it is working
with OCR to develop this partnership agreement in order to
further equal opportunity in Maryland’s postsecondary education
system.
The USM in 2010,
the University System of Maryland’s strategic plan, presents
what, in its view, the System can and ought to be in ten years,
identifies challenges in realizing the plan, and articulates
specific measurable strategies that institutions must undertake
to succeed.The plan identifies the following broad objectives
for the USM:
- Development of an enrollment
growth strategy to increase dramatically the overall number
of Marylanders holding baccalaureate degrees, particularly
in critical, high- demand occupations;
- Increased participation
and achievement of minority students, who will be the key
to expanding the State’s labor force;
- Limiting tuition increases
to assure that USM programs remain affordable;
- Improvements in all
key facets of the higher-education enterprise: faculty quality,
richer experiences for students, use of technology, and
increased opportunities for lifelong learning;
- Greater efforts and
investment in research to position the State as an international
leader in science and new technologies and the USM as both
a valued partner with business and an intellectual asset
to the State; and
- Effective management
of the USM’s resources to achieve national eminence, sustain
the trust Marylanders have placed in the System, and increase
the pride Marylanders have in the quality of the System
and its contributions to the State.
The plan articulates
the need for the breadth of Maryland’s citizens to be educated
at the highest levels if the State is to ensure continuing
economic viability and the highest quality of life for its
citizens.During the next decade, USM institutions must recruit
and retain increasing numbers of minority students, who have
been historically underrepresented in Maryland higher education.African
Americans have been (and continue to be) the single largest
minority group in the State.The USM commits to addressing
minority achievement in a variety of ways: by increasing articulated
programs that link USM institutions with community colleges
with high minority enrollments; by increasing academic programs,
academic- and student-support services; and by enhancing facilities
at the USM’s HBCUs; by developing institutionally appropriate
diversity-education programs; and by including participation
in minority-achievement initiatives in faculty and staff rewards
programs.USM institutions are accomplishing the broad objectives
of the plan both individually and collaboratively, reflecting
the "institution-centric” approach under which the campuses
operate.The USM monitors the implementation of the plan on
an ongoing basis.
In response to the Southern Education
Foundation reports entitled Redeeming the American Promise:Report
of the Panel on Educational Opportunity and Postsecondary
Education (1995) and Miles to Go:A Report on Black
Students and Postsecondary Education in the South (1998),
the State formed the Southern Education Foundation Maryland
Leadership Group and issued “a call to action.”Acknowledging
that Maryland’s efforts to improve access and success for
its African American students are at the forefront among the
19 southern states that once operated dual systems of public
higher education, the group asserted that the State has a
long way to go before it achieves the promise of equal educational
opportunity for all students.In its 1999 report entitled Miles
to Go - Maryland (Appendix F), the State agreed to address
three distinct facets of equal educational opportunity --
college readiness, teacher preparation and financial aid.For
each of these facets, the report detailed specific policy
recommendations to energize changes at the State level that
will facilitate and bolster them and promote the realization
of State and institutional goals.These policy recommendations
continue to guide equal educational opportunity initiatives
at all levels of education in Maryland, including this partnership
agreement.
The Road Taken
contains strategies for implementing the college readiness,
teacher preparation, and financial aid recommendations that
appear in Miles to Go - Maryland.The road to educational
equity and quality in Maryland includes legislative, policy,
and funding actions in these three areas.Action in these areas
is key to educational access and success and to Maryland’s
ability to produce and nurture a highly skilled workforce
and a responsible, responsive citizenry.These strategies are
consistent with approaches that have been advocated and articulated
by a host of stakeholders in Maryland. These views are presented
in reports that include, among others, Making a Difference:
Report of the Task Force on Dropout Prevention, Intervention,
and Recovery (Maryland State Department of Education,
Spring 1998) and Minority Achievement: Increasing Graduation
Rates (University System of Maryland, July 1998).
The overwhelming majority of the strategies recommended
in The Road Taken are grounded in “best practices,”
supported by outcomes data, that have been implemented in
Maryland as well as in other states.
House Bill 1091, which
creates a “Task Force to Study College Readiness for Disadvantaged
and Capable Students,” is based on The Road Taken.The
bill defines “disadvantaged and capable students” as those
who, because of environmental and economic conditions or the
lingering effects of historical patterns of discrimination,
are not achieving at a level that is scholastically up to
their potential abilities.Included among these students are
those who have the potential to complete public high school
successfully and who require special efforts in the areas
of college readiness, and financial aid to succeed in postsecondary
education.With membership from all K-16 segments in Maryland,
the task force will review the college readiness, teacher
preparation, and financial aid findings and recommendations
in Miles to Go - Maryland and The Road Taken
and make recommendations to enhance existing programs and/or
implement new programs to support the comprehensive strategy
it develops.The group will provide an interim report of its
findings and recommendations to the Governor on or before
January 1, 2001, and a final report on or before December
1, 2001.
As a result of and in addition
to the above-referenced efforts, Maryland institutions have
initiated a myriad of equal educational opportunity programs
and initiatives evidencing the State’s efforts to improve
opportunities for African American students to achieve a high
quality higher education in Maryland.These “best practices”
are summarized in Appendix G, and include an Inventory
of University System of Maryland Best Practices (Revised
September 2000) as well as initiatives of Morgan State University,
the community colleges, the K-16 Leadership Council, and the
independent colleges and universities.
Maryland’s public four-year
colleges and universities have engaged in ongoing efforts
and initiatives designed to promote the enrollment, retention,
and graduation of African American students at all levels.To
ensure student access and success, the institutions have implemented
a host of best practices that have increased African American
participation in higher education.
Maryland’s public four-year
institutions have implemented a vast array of initiatives
and activities through which African American students are
recruited.The colleges and universities participate in liaisons
with feeder high schools; engage in partnerships with K-12
to improve students’ college readiness; offer bridge programs,
disseminate publications featuring a range of students; regularly
visit high schools with large numbers of African American
students; and participate in academic program articulation
efforts that span the entire higher education pipeline—from
community college through graduate and professional school.The
institutions provide summer institutes and summer bridge programs
for pre-college students and participate in partnerships with
selected K-12 schools that large numbers of African American
students attend.Other efforts include campus visitation programs,
college fair participation, and need based and merit based
financial support.Additionally, faculty and staff serve on
community committees and boards, and the institutions participate
in partnerships designed to achieve systemic educational reform;
as a result, the institutions increase their networks and
enhance their ability to recruit African American students.Finally,
throughout the State, student movement from the community
college to the public four-year institution is facilitated
through partnerships that enable prospective but non admissible
baccalaureate students to complete courses at community colleges
prior to matriculation at the four-year institutions and through
ARTSYS, a nationally emulated on-line course articulation
system that facilitates student transfer.
Because of the effectiveness
of their efforts designed to improve retention and graduation
rates, Maryland’s four-year public colleges and universities
are among the nation’s top producers of African American baccalaureate
degree recipients.To ensure that students achieve at the postsecondary
level, the community colleges and the baccalaureate degree
granting institutions have offered numerous activities.They
provide orientation programs for new students; provide developmental
or refresher programs in mathematics, English, and reading;
implement academic monitoring and academic advising systems;
provide tutorial support, offer mentoring and peer counseling
programs for minority students; provide incentives to faculty
and staff to develop curricular and co-curricular activities
appealing to minority students; assess campus climate through
surveys administered regularly; sponsor lectures, exhibits,
and performances featuring African Americans; offer financial
aid awareness sessions and conduct exit interviews with students
who “drop out” to ascertain the reasons for their departure
and to obtain information to improve their retention efforts.Additionally,
Maryland’s HBCUs sponsor an annual collaborative summit during
which institutional representatives share student retention
strategies and develop new retention approaches.
All Maryland public four-year institutions have implemented
a variety of campus diversity activities.Multicultural centers,
diversity education and training for faculty and staff, conferences
on multiculturalism, organizations for diverse constituencies,
publications reflecting a commitment to diversity, collaborations
that link HBCUs and TWIs, institutional policies that value
diversity, and curricula that include the contributions of
diverse groups are among the best practices that the institutions
implement.
Maryland public four-year colleges
and universities have sought to employ diverse faculty and
staff.Non-discrimination and equal opportunity policies, diversity/equity/equal
employment officers, mentoring programs and organizations
for minority faculty and staff, and campus diversity networks/structures/systems
contribute to the achievement of this end.Additionally, Maryland
continues to provide institutions with Henry Welcome Fellowships.
The community colleges
are also engaged in effective “best practices” which are increasing
the educational opportunities of African American students.For
example, Chesapeake College is partnering with local community
boards to provide high school juniors and seniors with access
to its Dual Enrollment Program.The initiative, known as the
Culturally Diverse Dual Enrollment Program, links Chesapeake
with the Queen Anne’s County Community Partnerships for Children,
Caroline County Human Services Council, and Dorchester County
Local Management Board.The program has opened doors that otherwise
would not have been opened to students and the students have
used that door to walk right into a college education.There
have been 23 participants from Queen Anne’s County in the
three-year history of the program.Fourteen have gone on to
attend college after graduating from high school, including
nine who have attended Chesapeake College, and three remain
in the Dual Enrollment Program.
Montgomery College and the Public
Schools in Montgomery County are committed to a partnership
aimed at addressing the problems associated with insufficient
readiness for college level studies.The partnership has already
undertaken a pilot effort to test tenth grade students using
the high school version of Montgomery College’s assessment
test.This effort was intended to serve as a “wake-up call”
to students and parents by alerting those who are falling
behind in college preparation.The plan also calls for a series
of intervention strategies, including support for student
success (intervention, tutoring, mentoring), professional
development (team teaching, research collaborations, workshops,
mentoring, monitoring, training), parent/community involvement
(designing supports that promote home-school communications,
ESL initiatives, community input on careers and skills) and
program coordination, evaluation and planning.
Maryland has been actively engaged
in K-16 work for the past four years through a voluntary K-16
Partnership for Teaching and Learning co-chaired by the Chancellor
of the University System of Maryland, the State Superintendent
of Schools, and the Secretary of Higher Education.This collaborative
initiative among all segments of the education community is
one of the most successful efforts of this type in the nation.The
goal of the Partnership is to give all students in the state
the best public education by setting high standards for teaching
and learning.The K-16 Partnership has defined goals and is
on the way to meeting them.In an important first step, the
State Board of Education approved high stakes graduation examinations
that will ensure that every student who graduates will be
prepared to take college level courses if he or she chooses.
In a parallel move, the teacher
training institutions in the state have collaborated on a
redesign of teacher education that will ensure that new teachers
will be held to high performance standards as well.The K-16
Partnership creates a cooperative environment in which all
segments of the education community can engage each other
and engage theissues of education together.Because of the
history of K-16 collaboration, task forces, committees, and
commissions initiated or sponsored by one agency or segment
almost always involve participation from a broad spectrum
of K-16 stakeholders. The following reports suggest the range
of these collaborative efforts. All of the following reports
address the achievement of African American students as part
of the analysis:
-
SOAR report, issued annually
from MHEC,disaggregated by race;
-
The
K-16 Remediation Task Force Report (1998);
-
MSDE
Minority Achievement "State of the State" report
(1999);
-
MSDE
Intervention Task Force Project, "Every Child Achieving"
(October 27, 1999) (mdk12.org/practices/ensure/initiative);
-
MSDE
Middle Years Task Force Report "Middle Grades Matter:
Meeting the Challenge for Systemic Reform" (July
1999);
-
Maryland State Task Force
Report on Reading (Oct 27, 1998); and
-
Making A Difference: Report
of the Task Force on Drop-Out Prevention, Intervention,
and Recovery (Spring, 1988).
In the range and
effectiveness of its efforts to improve African American access
and success, Maryland is a model.The State enjoys this position
because of the effectiveness of the best practices that public
higher-education institutions have implemented over the years.
Black
Issues in Higher Education (BIHE) publishes rankings of
American colleges and universities based on the number of
degrees they award to members of minority groups.
The following data are taken
from the BIHE year 2000 rankings for academic year 1997-98.
The rankings of Maryland institutions are based upon the number
of degrees conferred to African Americans:
Among all American
colleges and universities Morgan State University (MSU) ranked
tenth in awarding baccalaureates in all disciplines combined
and ranked ninth among HBCUs.Among TWIs only, University of
Maryland University College (UMUC) ranked sixth and University
of Maryland College Park (UMCP) ranked seventh.
Maryland institutions appeared within the top five
when looking at specific disciplines: UMCP ranked first in
Social Sciences & History, fourth in English/Lit/Letters,
and fifth in Biological Sciences/Life Science.University of
Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) ranked fifth in Computer
& Information Systems.
Bowie State University
(Bowie) ranked eighth in awarding master’s in all disciplines
combined among all American colleges and universities and
ranked third among HBCUs.In the discipline specific categories
Bowie ranked first in awarding Master’s degrees in Computer
& Information Sciences, second in Psychology, and fourth
in Communications. Additionally, University of Baltimore ranked
first in Law & Legal Studies, Johns Hopkins University
ranked second in Physical Sciences, and UMUC ranked third
in Business Management & Administrative Services.
University
of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) ranked first in First Professional
degrees in all disciplines for TWIs only and ranked fifth
among all institutions combined. Among
the top five rankings for discipline specific categories,
UMB ranked fourth in Health Professions and Related Sciences.
On June 26, 1992, the United States
Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v.
Fordice, 505 U.S. 717 (1992).In Fordice, which
involved the State of Mississippi's former de jure segregated
system of higher education, the Court set forth the legal
standards and requirements for desegregation of a previously
segregated state higher education system.
The Court found that, under the
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and
Title VI, race neutral admissions policies alone are not sufficient
to determine that a state has effectively discharged its affirmative
obligation to dismantle a former dual system of higher education.Id.
According to the standards announced by the Court,
"[i]f policies traceable to the de jure system
are still in force and have discriminatory effects, those
policies too must be reformed to the extent practicable and
consistent with sound educational practices."505 U.S.
at 729-30.
The Court urged an examination of "a wide range of factors to determine
whether [a] state has perpetuated its formerly de jure
segregation in any facet of its institutional system."505
U.S. at 728.As identified by the Court, a few examples of
this wide range of possible factors include, but are not limited
to, the following:admissions standards; program duplication;
institutional mission assignments; and continued operation
of an inappropriately large number of previously segregated
institutions.
The Court went
on to note:
If the State perpetuates policies
and practices traceable to its prior system that continue
to have segregative effects -- whether by influencing student
enrollment decisions or by fostering segregation in other
facets of the university system -- and such polices are without
sound educational justification and can be practicably eliminated,
the State has not satisfied its burden of proving that it
has dismantled its prior system. 505 U.S. at 731.
Responding to inquiries concerning the effect of Fordice, on January
31, 1994, OCR published a Notice in the Federal Register,
59 Fed. Reg. 4271 (1994), outlining the procedures and analysis
that the agency planned to follow in future reviews of states
with a history of de jure segregated systems of higher
education.
The Notice stated that OCR planned to apply the Fordice standard to all
pending Title VI evaluations of statewide higher education
systems with OCR‑accepted desegregation plans that had
expired, including Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania,
Texas, and Virginia.Specifically, the Notice explained that
OCR planned to examine a wide range of factors to ensure that
the vestiges of these States' systems have been eliminated.
The comprehensive array of factors that OCR planned to consider
included those addressed in Fordice and those reflected
in the criteria for acceptable desegregation plans specified
in the Department's "Revised Criteria Specifying the
Ingredients of Acceptable Plans to Desegregate State Systems
of Public Higher Education," published in the Federal
Register on February 12, 1978 (43 Fed. Reg. 6658).59 Fed.
Reg. 4272.
Additionally, OCR reaffirmed in the Notice its position that states may not place
an unfair burden upon African American students and faculty
in the desegregation process and that state systems of higher
education may be required to strengthen and enhance HBCUs.Further,
OCR announced that it planned to "strictly scrutinize
state proposals to close or merge traditionally or historically
black institutions, and any other actions that might impose
undue burdens on black students, faculty, or administrators
or diminish the unique roles of those institutions."59
Fed. Reg. 4272.
From the conclusion of Maryland's five-year Plan in 1989 until the current initiative,
which officially began on October 4, 1999, OCR did not comment
upon the status of the State's compliance with Title VI.However,
in January 1994, Norma V. Cantú, Assistant Secretary for Civil
Rights for the Department, informed the State of OCR's intent
to reexamine the status of Maryland's desegregation efforts
in its state‑supported system of higher education.In
her October 4, 1999 letter to Governor Parris N. Glendening
(Appendix H), Assistant Secretary Cantú acknowledged that
since the conclusion of the five-year desegregation plan,
Maryland has made significant progress in enhancing educational
opportunities for African American students and providing
equal educational opportunities for all Maryland residents.She
also indicated OCR’s desire to work collaboratively with the
State to evaluate the State’s desegregation efforts.
In response to Assistant Secretary
Cantú’s letter, Governor Glendening indicated the State’s
interest in working with OCR on this endeavor (Appendix I),
and on October 25, 1999, an introductory meeting was held
in Annapolis between representatives of the Governor, MHEC
and OCR.MHEC invited OCR to accompany it on a series of previously
scheduled on-site visits to each of Maryland’s HBCUs pursuant
to the State’s Access and Success program.Consequently,
between November 1999 and January 2000, OCR visited all four
Maryland HBCUs: University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Bowie
State University; Coppin State College; and Morgan State University.During
March 2000, OCR also made separate visits to several TWIs:
University of Maryland, Baltimore County; University of Baltimore;
Towson University; Salisbury State University; and Frostburg
State University.OCR made follow-up visits to each of the
HBCUs during May 2000.
The
information from OCR’s visits, as well as the data, documents
and other materials gathered as part of this activity helped
identify several issues of access and equity for African American
students in Maryland.For example, Maryland officials and OCR
recognize that the enhancement of the HBCUs will remain an
important concern even though information provided by Maryland
demonstrates that numerous enhancement initiatives were implemented
as a result of the 1985-1989 desegregation plan and have continued
since that time.
At the October 25, 1999 meeting,
it was agreed that the State of Maryland would engage in this
review through a partnership approach with OCR.During the
meeting, OCR informed Maryland that, based upon its analysis,
it would focus the review on the following issues:
1.Enhancing Maryland’s four HBCUs
in order to improve educational opportunities for African
American students who attend them and to increase their attractiveness
to students of all races, especially white students, including
addressing the problem of unnecessary academic program duplication
among the HBCUs and geographically proximate TWIs;
2.Enhancing initiatives at the
TWIs and community colleges in the following areas:
a) Campus Climate, including
the employment of African Americans at all levels, which
will assist in improving campus climates for African American
students;
b) Student Recruitment; and
c) Student Retention and graduation;
and
3.Access for African Americans
to Maryland’s institutions of higher education, including
need-based and other financial assistance programs, and access
for African American students to, and retention in, graduate
and professional schools in Maryland.
The
Secretary of Higher Education, in her June 9, 2000 letter
(Appendix J), invited key stakeholders to participate in a
workgroup with OCR to formally commence the process which
would conclude in an executed Partnership Agreement.
The State of Maryland is committed
to ensuring equal access to high quality education for all
of the State's citizens regardless of race, color, or national
origin.Thus, the State has been, and will continue to be,
engaged in on‑going efforts to provide African Americans
with the full opportunity to participate in the benefits of
public higher education in Maryland and to assist in providing
equal access, retention, participation and graduation for
African American students in the State.Central to this commitment
is the continuing contributions of the State’s four HBCUs
and the necessity of ensuring that these institutions are
comparable and competitive with the State’s TWIs in all facets
of their operations and programs.The State is committed to
remedying and removing vestiges of past discrimination, if
any, as required under federal law, and expanding educational
opportunities for African American students without placing
unfair burdens on them in the desegregation process, particularly
as related to the unique role of HBCUs and their students,
faculty and staff.
Commitments to enhance the HBCUs,
consistent with this Agreement, will be provided through the
normal budget process based on operating budget funding guidelines
and, as may be necessary, appropriate and available, special
enhancement funding, for a limited period of time, but not
to extend beyond the terms of this agreement.
In October 1999, the State, represented
by the Office of the Governor and MHEC, and OCR embarked on
a joint venture designed to assess and address the challenges
in providing higher education opportunities for African American
students in Maryland.This Partnership was formed in recognition
that both Maryland and the government of the United States,
as well as other interested parties and stakeholders, share
a common goal of continuing and enhancing equal access to
educational opportunity.The Partnership process, as it was
developed here, has been a joint, cooperative effort and has
not attempted to make legal findings or to conduct any type
of legal proceedings.
Throughout the course of the
Partnership activities, it has been the expectation that any
specific concerns that arose in light of the State’s equal
educational opportunity obligations under federal law would
be addressed within the context of the Partnership process.The
commitments are an expression of the continued effort on the
part of the State to enhance the opportunities for African
Americans, and indeed all Marylanders, to participate in the
benefits of higher education and to increase the opportunity
for access, retention, graduation and advancement into graduate
and professional education programs in the State.
OCR has played an integral role
in the Partnership process.OCR proposed the Partnership process
as a cooperative approach to fulfilling its responsibilities
pursuant to Title VI and the Supreme Court decision in Fordice.More
specifically, OCR proposed that the Partnership process would
include the examination of a wide range of factors to ensure
that no vestiges of the prior de jure dual system
of higher education in Maryland continue to exist.
OCR acknowledges the substantial
efforts and accomplishments Maryland has made under its desegregation
plans in support of meeting its obligations under federal
law.These steps demonstrate Maryland's strong commitment to
eliminating the vestiges, if any, of the prior segregated
system as well as ensuring equal access to higher education.OCR
anticipates that successful implementation of the actions
outlined in the commitments will effectively address and resolve
any remaining Title VI and Fordice issues within
the Maryland public system of higher education.
The duration of this agreement will extend from the
date it is signed through December 31, 2005, although it may
be extended as necessary for the completion of certain of
the provisions contained in this agreement. Except as stated
below, during the period of implementation of these commitments,
OCR will not initiate enforcement action against Maryland
based on a claim of statewide segregation of or discrimination
against African Americans in the State's public system of
higher education, unless good faith efforts to resolve such
issues have been attempted and exhausted. Maryland and OCR
acknowledge that many of the implementation details of Maryland’s
commitments, including the commitment to enhance the HBCUs,
will not be finalized until early 2005.Therefore, OCR does
not waive its right to initiate enforcement until Maryland
has submitted its monitoring reports due through May 1, 2005
and OCR has found those reports, and any agreed upon amendments
thereto, acceptable.At the conclusion of the implementation
period, the parties will determine whether these commitments
have been fully implemented and whether the Title VI and Fordice
issues have thereby been resolved.If so, OCR will formally
acknowledge, in writing, that Maryland has eliminated all
vestiges of segregation in the public system of higher education,
in accordance with Fordice, Title VI, and other applicable
federal regulations.It is understood, however, that should
the parties not be able, in good faith, to resolve matters
by means of this process, OCR reserves the right to determine,
by other means, whether the requirements of the law have been
satisfied regarding the outstanding issues set forth herein,
taking into account Maryland's accomplishments under this
Partnership.It is further understood, however, that should
the parties not be able, in good faith, to resolve matters
by means of this process, Maryland reserves the right to seek
a judicial determination of whether the requirements of the
law have been satisfied.
This agreement may be amended
as necessary to enhance the effectiveness of the various initiatives
contained herein, or as required by changes in applicable
law or policy, upon the agreement of the State and OCR.In
the event that either party proposes an amendment, all parties
shall be notified and given the opportunity to respond to
the proposed amendment.All proposed amendments submitted to
OCR shall be responded to within 15 working days.
Although the primary parties
to the Partnership are the State of Maryland (including MHEC,
its sole statewide planning and coordinating body for higher
education), and OCR, USM and each of the public institutions
of higher education are also parties in the sense that each
institution is agreeing to make its best efforts to fulfill,
within the limits of its authority, those commitments within
its purview.It is understood that the commitments agreed to
herein apply to all applicable branch campuses and any new
branch campus(es) that may be established during the life
of the Partnership.In addition, it is agreed and understood
by all parties that, to the extent that any document referenced
herein is inconsistent with the Partnership Commitments, the
Commitments will be controlling. It is also understood by
the parties that when the public agencies or institutions
of higher education in Maryland implement any of the partnership
commitments or operate any other programs, including those
related to admissions or financial aid, they must operate
in conformity with the Fourteenth Amendment to the United
States Constitution, Title VI and its implementing regulation,
and applicable federal case law, including Fordice and
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438
U.S. 265 (1978) and Podberesky v. Kirwan, 38 F.3d
147 (4th Cir. 1994),so long as they are controlling law.
The parties agree and
commit to work cooperatively with each other in implementing
and annually evaluating (1) the existing programs, initiatives
and best practices already in place and/or otherwise described
in section I.C. and the appendices of this Partnership Agreement,
and (2) the commitments hereafter set forth in this Partnership
Agreement, as follows:
Solving the problem of
the teacher shortage and improving the quality of teachers
are among the highest priorities of the State.In addition
to the need for 11,000 more teachers, there continues to be
a substantial under-representation of qualified minority candidates
for teaching positions. While much progress has been made
in implementing the recommendations in the Redesign of
Teacher Education, much work remains to be done.
Maryland postsecondary institutions
will implement or continue initiatives to ensure that all
graduates of Maryland’s public teacher preparation programs
are prepared to help all students succeed in Maryland’s increasingly
diverse educational system, using strategies consistent with
the State Plan identified under Goal 5, Objective
5.5 and The Road Taken, and the recommendations of
the Task Force created by HB 1091.
Specifically, each public four-year
institution offering a teacher education program leading to
certification will identify several of these strategies which,
in its judgment, will continue to enhance diversity in higher
education through the strengthening of academic and teacher
preparation programs and implement them beginning in the 2001-2002
academic year.
2.Strengthening
the Partnership with Elementary and Secondary SchoolStakeholders
If students are to be successful
in college, they must begin to consider college and adequately
prepare for it as early as possible.On the average, there
are substantial differences between African American and white
students in their academic preparation for college as measured
by relevant high school courses and scores on the SAT and
ACT.Therefore, Maryland’s public campuses will give priority
to developing relationships with public schools, particularly
those with high concentrations of low-income and under-prepared
students, in an effort to improve student preparation for
college.
a)
Consistent with the recommendations contained
in The Road Taken, MHEC, in collaboration with all
public colleges and universities, will continue to develop
the K-16 Partnership with the K-16 Leadership Council, the
Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and local school
districts to address the educational needs of African American
students, including their preparation for higher education.
b) MHEC,
in collaboration with USM, the community colleges, the K-16
Leadership Council and MSDE, and consistent with the recommendations
of the task force created by HB1091, will continue to support
the districts, at the elementary, middle and high school levels,
in preparing students for entrance into four-year colleges.
Strategies to accomplish this include: a mechanism to inform
stakeholders about college readiness and effective strategies
for reducing racial disparities in college; a focus on schools
identified with low rates of African American student enrollment
in college in comparison to all students; and, institutional
collaborations between schools and institutions of higher
education.
Collaborations between
the schools and institutions of higher education also include
activities such as: parent involvement activities; student
counseling (such as in the Gear Up Program); tutoring; financial
planning; including in-school application for financial aid
during the senior year; and other strategies as may be identified
in support of the goal.Specifically, each public four-year
institution will identify a school district or group of schools
where, in its judgment, collaborations will continue to enhance
the institution’s diversity and initiate collaborations with
them by the 2001-2002 academic year.
In Maryland, African Americans
are less likely than others to enter higher education. This
is reflected in persistent differences in the rates at which
African American and white public high school graduates enter
college in Maryland.Of the 1997 high school graduates, 35%
of African Americans enrolled in postsecondary education in
Maryland, while 44% of white students enrolled.
This coupled with differences in college retention
rates results in a sizable difference in the rates at which
young African American and white students obtain college degrees.Moreover,
African Americans receive approximately 24% of the baccalaureates,
14% of the Master’s degrees, 4% of the doctorates, and 12
% of the first-professional degrees awarded by Maryland colleges
and universities.A major priority of this Agreement is to
raise the African American entry rates to college and narrow
the gap between the rates at which African American and white
high school graduates enter college, graduate, and pursue
graduate and first professional studies.
a) All public colleges and universities
commit to continuing and expanding their recruitment and admissions
activities, including ongoing self-evaluation of their effectiveness,
to assure that African Americans have equal access to public
higher education in Maryland at the undergraduate, graduate
and professional levels in desegregated institutions, including
desegregated TWIs and HBCUs.In addition, each institution
commits to the improvement and expansion of outreach through
community networks and social or religious organizations and
to targeting recruitment efforts at venues that have significant
numbers of other race students.Each
public four-year institution will identify several of these
recruitment and admission activities which, in its judgment,
can enhance its institutional diversity and implement them
for the 2001-2002 academic year.
b) MHEC will regularly
monitor recruitment and admissions programs.Such programs
include: partnerships with elementary and secondary schools
as identified in 2, above; summer bridge programs; institutional
grants and scholarships; partnerships with community groups;
linkages with community colleges; and linkages between undergraduate
and graduate/professional programs.MHEC will submit a report
to OCR by August 15, 2001detailing the recruitment activities
already undertaken at each public four-year institution.
c) MHEC will provide assistance
to the institutions, as may be needed or appropriate, in the
design, implementation and analysis of self-evaluation measures.MHEC
will also ensure that formal opportunities exist at least
annually for representatives of each institution to learn
about promising practices in this area from each other and
a variety of other experts in the field. This could be accomplished
through a sharing of information regarding successful strategies
implemented to increase minority achievement in the areas
of undergraduate recruitment, enrollment, retention, and graduation
rates.
d) MHEC will review its
current statewide process of administering financial aid to
students seeking higher education with the goal of addressing
needs to heighten the awareness among African American students
of the availability of financial aid, including the types
of aid available, the need to complete applications correctly
and in a timely fashion and other familiarization techniques.
MHEC will report the status of this review to OCR by August
15,2001, submit the final report within 30 days of completion
and begin implementing any changes based on the review by
that date.MHEC, in collaboration with MSDE, will facilitate
the implementation of program activities such as: establishing
a clearinghouse for financial aid, educating students and
their parents about financial aid and the application process,
seeking increased funding for need-based student financial
aid, and implementing flexible deadlines for filing for certain
types of financial aid.
e) The State will expand
the current $ 44 million pool of funds available for need-based
financial assistance for part-time, full-time and transfer
students including those attending community colleges. The
State will also alleviate difficulties that students may encounter
with application processes and deadlines by exploring measures
that eliminate any obstacles that a student may encounter
in applying for financial aid.The State will explore the feasibility
of decentralizing the current need-based grant program to
allow all institutions of higher education to determine eligibility
at the point of a student’s registration.A review of “best
practices” at other states such as California will assist
with this feasibility study. This study will be completed
by December 1, 2001 and a copy of the study sent to OCR by
that date.
f) The
State will explore establishing a first-professional and graduate
scholarship program for high-achieving students at HBCUs to
encourage them to enroll in first-professional and graduate
programs at Maryland’s public and independent institutions
of higher education beginning with the 2002-2003 academic
year and for each year thereafter.HBCUs will work with first
professional and graduate programs to identify prospective
students who have the academic ability to pursue these programs
at Maryland’s public and independent colleges and universities.
Strategies for success, matriculation, and graduation from
these programs include a partnership program with all HBCUs
and Maryland institutions of higher education to help ensure
a larger pool of prospective candidates with adequate counseling,
advising, financial assistance, and academic preparation.
g) If any public college,
university, or first professional school experiences a significant
decline in the proportion of“other race” enrollments at the
undergraduate, graduate, or first professional level as determined
by MHEC, immediate corrective action must be taken by the
institution.After one year of such a decline, the institution
must identify strategies to reverse this situation.If the
decline persists over a two-year period, an action plan must
be submitted by the campus to the MHEC for its approval.At
a minimum, this action plan must identify specific strategies
that the campus will take to immediately remedy the decline
in enrollments.
Statewide, the 4th year
graduation rate for African American first-time full-time
freshman who matriculated in 1995 was 17%, while the rate
for white students in the cohort was 38%.The 6th year graduation
rate for African American freshmen for white students was
40% and 65%, respectively. While
graduation rates for both races are higher than twenty years
ago, the difference in the rates has not changed.Hence, a
major goal of this Partnership Agreement is to significantly
narrow or eliminate the difference in the rates at which African
American and white freshmen are successful in obtaining college
degrees.
a) All public colleges and universities
commit to continuing and expanding retention programs and
activities to ensure that Maryland’s African American students
have equal opportunity for success in higher education. Specifically,each
public institution will identify several of these programs
and activities which, in its judgment, will continue to enhance
its institutional diversity through the strengthening ofstudent
retention and graduation and implement them beginning in the
2001-2002 academic year.By August 15, 2001, MHEC will report
to OCR on retention programs at each public four-year institution
that are to be implemented in the Fall of 2001.
b) MHEC, in collaboration
with the public colleges and universities, will develop assessment
standards to include “risk-factors” to analyze the effectiveness
of retention programs in retaining and graduating African
American students and, based on these assessment standards,
recommend adjustments.
c) MHEC, in collaboration with
the public colleges and universities, will also ensure that
formal opportunities exist at least annually for representatives
of each institution to learn about promising practices in
this area from each other and a variety of other experts in
the field.
d) At the completion
of each academic year, MHEC will report retention and graduation
data to OCR and will provide OCR with copies of each publicinstitution’s
retention program plans for the upcoming academic year.
A welcoming campus environment
is essential to retention and academic success for all students.It
is imperative that campuses provide ongoing programs that
foster a student-friendly campus environment, accommodating
an increase of students of all races.
a)
All public colleges and universities commit to continuing
and expanding their programs and activities designed to ensure
that all students encounter a campus atmosphere which is welcoming
and free of hostility and that the campus atmosphere at each
institution is attractive and welcoming to students of all
races.This includes appropriate recruitment, marketing and
advertising activities attracting African American students
to TWIs and white students to HBCUs.
b)
All public colleges and universities commit to ensuring that
appropriate steps are taken to enhance relations between the
institutional campuses and neighboring communities. These
commitments include activities designed to foster positive
relations between students and campus police and between campus
authorities and local, civilian police.
c)
By August 15, 2001, MHEC will report to OCR each public four-year
institution’s programs that have been implemented.
All
Maryland institutions of higher education commit to continuing
their efforts to attract, recruit and retain racially diverse
faculty and staff.The State particularly acknowledges the
significance of the presence of African American faculty and
staff at the TWIs with respect to the ability of those institutions
to attract and retain African American students.Consistent
with other commitments set forth in this agreement, the State
is committed to promoting the positive perception of all of
its public institutions of higher education, in order to make
them attractive to faculty and staff of all races and to the
development and enforcement of measures necessary to support
this commitment.
a) Each
public four-year institution of higher education will ensure
that its hiring and employment practices are fully implemented
and are in compliance with the State’s Equal Employment Opportunity
Program as set forth in Title 5 of the State Personnel and
Pensions Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, and COMAR
17.04.08 (Appendix K). This includes
the appointment and roles of a Fair Practices Officer and
any Equal Employment Opportunity Officers as required.
b) Public four-year colleges
and universities will continue the regular evaluation of their
recruitment procedures and enhance or develop efforts to increase
the diversity of their faculty and staff.
c) Each institution will enhance
its efforts to advertise vacancies for faculty and upper administrator
positions as widely as possible.
d) Each institution will strengthen
and expand orientation programs, mentoring programs and activities
for newly hired professional employees, particularly other
race faculty and administrators, designed to help them succeed
in their responsibilities, meet tenure requirements, and to
provide information concerning the various diverse cultural
organizations, areas and activities available on campus and
in the surrounding communities.
e) Each public four-year institution
will identify several practices regarded as “best practices”
which, in its judgment, will continue to enhance its institutional
diversity by enhancing faculty and staff diversity and implement
them beginning in the 2001-2002 academic year.By August 15,
2001, MHEC will report to OCR on each public four-year institution’s
“best practices” plan for implementation in the 2001-2002
academic year.
f) Each
USM institution will strive to achieve or maintain diversity
among the members of its Board of Visitors.
In fall 1999, almost 3,000 (21.4%)
of the new full-time freshmen at public two-year institutions
in Maryland were African Americans who are state residents
compared to almost 2,700 (22.5%) of new full-time freshmen
who entered public four-year institutions. Unfortunately,
many African American students who are community college beginners
do not earn associate’s degrees or transfer to four-year institutions.The
ineffectiveness of efforts to increase transfer rates among
these students is suggested in the four-year success rate--the
percentage of students earning a degree or a certificate or
transferring to a four-year institution--of full-time African
America community college students in Maryland, which has
remained flat at approximately 20% in recent years.For the
most recent cohort (1994) of community college beginners,
the success rate for African Americans was 19%, while the
rate for white students was 37%.
As the data indicate, for African
Americans in Maryland, two-year institutions, more affordable
than four-year colleges and universities and focused on meeting
an array of academic needs, are vital to the attainment of
baccalaureate degrees.
Over 71% of the African American
freshmen at community colleges in the fall of 1999 were part-time
students.Many of these students would be more likely to transfer
and seek a baccalaureate degree if they could continue their
studies, both at the community college and the four-year institutions,
as part-time students.They too need financial assistance.
a) MHEC will support expanded
opportunities for two-year institutions serving large numbers
of African American students and four-year institutions to
develop collaboratively 2+2 programs.Institutions will design
and implement, for the academic year 2001-2002 and for each
year thereafter, programs characterized by articulated curricula,
faculty and student services staff collaboration, and dual
admission when feasible.
b)
MHEC and all public colleges and universities will continue
to identify and implement articulation agreements and other
actions needed to facilitate transition from two-year to four-year
institutions.
c)
MHEC will continue to provide information to each two-year
and four-year institution on transition and successful degree-completion
rates of African American community college beginners.
d)
Each public four-year institution will identify articulated
curricula, faculty and student services staff collaborations,
dual admission programs or other actions designed to facilitate
transition from two-year to four-year institutions which,
in its judgment, will continue to enhance its institutional
diversity by improving and expanding 2+2 partnerships and
articulations.
e)
By August 15, 2001, MHEC will report to OCR on each public
four-year institution’s programs for the 2001-2002 academic
year.
As set forth in the State
Plan for Postsecondary Education 2000, the State commits
to developing high-demand academic programs at HBCUs and ensuring
that they are not unnecessarily duplicated at nearby institutions.For
these purposes, “unnecessary program duplication” refers to
those instances in which broadly similar academic programs
(i.e., with respect to overarching purposes, overall curriculum
content, and expectations of program graduates) are offered
in areas other than the core undergraduate liberal arts and
sciences at a TWI and an HBCU that are operated in locations
that are geographically proximate to one another. Maryland
will avoid unnecessary program duplication unless there is
sound educational justification for the dual operation of
broadly similar programs. The commitments in this section
of the Partnership Agreement do not affect academic programs
currently offered at Maryland’s public colleges and universities.
a) Consistent
with State law, by October 30, 2000, each public institution
revised its institutional mission statement to ensure compliance
with the State Plan for Higher Education 2000.The revised
missions will support future establishment of high demand
programs at the HBCUs that will enhance their respective institutional
identities.The missions will ensure that they do not promote
racial identifiability at any of the State’s public institutions
of higher education or otherwise foster segregation and discrimination
by race. MHEC will provide OCR with a copy of the mission
statement submitted by the governing board for each public
four-year institution.
b) Consistent with its
authority under State law, MHEC will review, object to, and
not approve programs which are unnecessarily duplicative unless
there is sound educational justification.
Beginning December 31, 2000, and each year thereafter,
MHEC will provide OCR with a report listing the new programs,
collaborations, and cooperative degree programs it has approved
during the preceding year and its statement that the approved
programs will not result in unnecessary program duplication,
as defined herein, absent a sound educational justification.
c)
Academic program collaboration among institutions for the
benefit of all students is encouraged. Where collaborations
or cooperative degree programs are proposed between TWIs and
HBCUs, the effect of the proposed collaboration on the participating
HBCUs must be ascertained.Collaborations or cooperative degree
programs between TWIs and HBCUs that are likely to adversely
affect the levels of racial diversity at a participating institution
should not be approved.For programs that are approved, the
actual impact of the collaboration or cooperative degree programs
on racial diversity will be addressed as part of the ongoing
evaluation and monitoring of the collaboration or cooperative
degree program.
d) The State will take
appropriate steps to ensure that new unique, high demand and
other programs that are approved for HBCUs by operation of
law or by MHEC, for the purpose of promoting their institutional
competitiveness and ensuring that these institutions attract
students regardless of race, are successfully implemented,
consistent with available resources, and with the mission,
student profiles, academic program mix and degree levels of
the institution.
e) MHEC,
USM, and the public four-year institutions agree that the
delivery of all, or a substantial part, of an approved program
at a classroom site other than the institution’s main campus,
will not unnecessarily duplicate program offerings available
at the campus of any HBCU located near the off-campus site,
unless there is sound educational justification.
Half of all African American
students receiving a bachelor’s degree from a public institution
in Maryland in 1999 received their degree from an HBCU.This
represents an increase from 43% just ten years ago.Hence,
these campuses continue to play a critical role in ensuring
access and equal educational opportunity for African Americans.
While recognizing the significant
enhancement measures initiated by the State on behalf of its
HBCUs since 1985, the State commits to design measures which
ensure that the HBCUs are comparable and competitive with
the TWIs in all facets of their operations and programs, as
soon as possible and before the expiration of this Agreement.
These measures will be designed to ensure that these institutions
provide equal opportunity for a quality education to all students
who choose to attend them and to enable them to compete for
and be attractive to students regardless of race.Consistent
with previous sections of this agreement and as set forth
in this section, this includes, as may be necessary and consistent
with institutional missions, enhancing:
- the distinctiveness
of the HBCUs’ programmatic missions;
- the uniqueness
and mix of quality academic programs that are notunnecessarily
duplicated at proximate TWIs;
- operational funding
consistent with the mix and degree level of academic
programs, support for the development of research
infrastructure, and support consistent with the academic
profile of students;
- lower student-faculty
ratios appropriate to support their missions;
- the
expanse, functionality and architectural quality of physical
facilities;
- the
appearance, attractiveness and ambiance of the campus and
surrounding public infrastructure, including roads, lighting
and public transportation; and
- funding to support
students’ quality of campus life
The State commits, as
set forth below, to the expeditious completion of capital
projects already begun at each of the HBCUs.Included in this
commitment are the enhancement of campus environments at HBCUs
to ensure parity with TWIs with respect to the physical characteristics
of landscape, ambiance and appearance as well as the availability,
quality and adequacy of facilities necessary to support the
missions and programs of the institutions.Facilities which
serve similar functions at HBCUs and TWIs should be comparable
in scope and quality.Moreover, the State is committed to supporting
infrastructure improvements at HBCUs that improve access by
public transportation and which improve appearance and security,
such as landscaping, paths, walkways and lighting.
The State agrees to assess and
incorporate into its established budget and program review
procedures the operating (including academic programs) and
capital enhancement funding proposals for each HBCU.The governing
boards of the public four-year institutions will review enhancement
proposals of the HBCUs and determine by March 1, 2001, which
will be recommended for funding, and the timetable for such
funding, subject to necessary approvals.
To be properly considered, the
enhancement proposals will be submitted annually through the
operating and capital budget cycles as required by the Maryland
Constitution, the Annotated Code of Maryland, and the regulations
and procedures of MHEC, USM, Morgan State University and DBM.The
academic program proposals will be considered only upon submission
as set forth in MHEC’s established procedures for program
approval, consistent with State law.
By March 1, 2001, enhancement
proposals will be submitted to MHEC by the institutions’ respective
governing boards.MHEC will review the proposals in the normal
budget process for recommendations to the Governor and the
Maryland General Assembly.DBM will analyze the proposals for
inclusion in the Operating and Capital Budgets.
The Executive Budgets will be submitted to the Maryland
General Assembly.The Maryland General Assembly will review
the enhancement funds included in the Executive Budgets within
the context of the normal budget review process during the
annual legislative session.The budget committees of General
Assembly will make recommendations to the house floors for
adoption in the annual operating and capital budget bills.The
Governor, as chief executive officer of Maryland, will inform
members of the General Assembly about the commitments and
related goals set forth in this Agreement and will advocate
for adoption by the General Assembly of the enhancement funds
included in the budget.
In the normal course of these
procedures, particular focus will be given at all levels to
the commitments and related goals stated in this Agreement
to ensure that these institutions are comparable to and competitive
with other four-year public colleges and universities in the
State consistent with this Agreement.If this cannot be done
under established procedures, the State will make special
efforts to ensure that the proposals are submitted. Commitments
to enhance the HBCUs, consistent with this Agreement, will
be provided through the normal budget process based on operating
budget funding guidelines and, as may be necessary, appropriate
and available, special enhancement funding, for a limited
period of time, but not to extend beyond the terms of this
Agreement.
In addition to those measures
and commitments previously set forth in this agreement, the
State commits to the following:
a) Enhancing Certain Critical
Activities at HBCUs
For the 2001-2002 academic year,
Maryland’s enhancement funding in the areas of admissions
management, student financial aid administration, and institutional
development programs will be directed toward the identification
of ”best practices” and the development of strategic plans
in each of these areas for each HBCU. Moreover, Maryland will
address retention and fundraising by enhancingits Access and
Success program and the Private Donation Incentive Program.Beginning
with the 2002-2003 academic year, enhancement funding will
be provided to enable each HBCU to implement its strategic
plan in these areas.
Enhancement, at each of its HBCUs, of the admissions management
program and the development and implementation of an admissions
strategy that is competitive with other publicly funded institutions
in recruiting and admitting a racially diverse group of qualified
students.
2) Enhancement, at each of its HBCUs,
of the student financial aid administration designed and implemented
to provide student financial aid counseling as well as timely
and appropriate processing and payment of student financial
assistance.
3) Enhancement, at each of its HBCUs,
of the institutional development program -- including public
relations, governmental relations, community relations, alumni
affairs, and development -- designed and implemented so as
to increase the institution’s visibility within its community
and across Maryland.
4)
Beginning with FY 2002, increase from its current $3,000,000
funding level, with the goal of doubling by FY 2003, Access
and Success, a program to assist students enrolled in
each of its HBCUs.MHEC will provide OCR with a status report
on August 15 of each year.
5) Amend the State’s Private Donation
Incentive Program for each of its HBCUs matching two dollars
of State funds for every one dollar raised by each institution
from the private sector.This enhancement, which represents
an increase from Maryland’s current 1:1 match, will be in
addition to any other funding for which the institution may
be eligible and will remain in effect for the duration of
the agreement beginning with the academic year 2001-2002.MHEC
will report annually on the total amount of funds provided
under this program.
On January 31, 2001,
April 30, 2001 and August 15, 2001, MHEC will provide reports
to OCR on the status and progress of the State’s enhancement
measures consistent with the provisions above.These reports
will include an assessment of the amount and level of funding
proposed and approved and a description of programs and projects
proposed, approved or funded.Thereafter, through the implementation
of this Agreement, MHEC will provide OCR with updates of this
report on January 31, April 30, and August 15 of each year.
b) Capital
Enhancements of HBCUs
1) Maryland
commits to the expeditious completion of the following capital
improvement projects which have been approved to begin at
Bowie, UMES and Morgan:
| Institution |
Project |
Projected Date
of Completion |
| Bowie |
Campus Site
Development |
FY2002 |
|
New Science
Building |
FY2002 |
| UMES |
Food Science
& Technology Center |
FY2002 |
|
Construct Social
Science, Education & Health Sciences Building |
FY2003 |
|
Construct New
Physical Plant Building |
FY2003 |
|
Renovate Waters/Somerset
Halls |
FY2003 |
| Morgan |
Construct New
Community Center |
FY2004 |
|
Construct Science
Research Facility
with Greenhouse |
FY2002 |
|
Montebello
Site Improvements |
FY2001 |
|
|
|
By March 1, 2001, the USM Board
of Regents will submit to MHEC capitalimprovement projects
for expeditious completion at Coppin State College.
On January 31, 2001 and every
year thereafter, MHEC willprovide OCR with a report which
includes a listing of these capital projects, and the appropriations
requested.On April 30, 2001 and August 15, 2001 and every
year thereafter, MHEC will provide OCR with a report on the
status of each project, including the appropriations approved,
the estimated date of completion, and when applicable, the
actual cost and the final date of completion.MHEC will provide
OCR with notice of any change in the construction schedule
within 45 days of the change.
1) In
addition, beginning in January, 2001 and every January thereafter,
for the duration of the this Agreement, the Governor will
request additional state funding for those capital projects
needed in order to ensure that the facilities at Maryland’s
HBCUs are made comparable to those at the TWIs.Such requests
are subject to review and approval of the Maryland General
Assembly.
On January 31, 2001 and
every year thereafter, MHEC will provide OCR with a report
which includes a listing of these capital projects and the
appropriations requested. On April 30, 2001 and August 15,
2001 and every year thereafter, MHEC will provide OCR with
a report on the status of each project, including the appropriations
approved, the estimated date of completion, and when applicable,
the actual cost and the final date of completion.MHEC will
provide OCR with notice of any change in the construction
schedule within 45 days of the change.
c)
Revitalization of Coppin State College
Notwithstanding the commitments
above pertaining to the known enhancement needs of Coppin
State College, Maryland commits to a process for Coppin’s
revitalization, as it enters its second century.
By September 1, 2001, the USM
Board of Regents, in collaboration with MHEC, will complete
an independent study leading to a comprehensive strategic
plan for the revitalization of Coppin. The strategic plan
will provide a vision for the future of Coppin, including
an enhanced mission, academic programs, administrative and
faculty staffing, institutional advancement, fiscal affairs,
and physical plant.The strategic plan will identify the new
construction and renovation of existing facilities needed
to provide campus facilities which are equivalent to those
at other publicly funded institutions.In this study, consideration
will be given to classrooms, laboratories and other instructional
facilities as well as academic, counseling, and administrative
offices, walkways and other common areas.Consideration will
also be given to those facilities as are found in nearby,
publicly funded institutions that provide for parking, childcare,
athletic opportunities, recreation, and other supplementary
services.For this purpose, facilities will be regarded as
“equivalent” if they support the institution’s mission and
provide an atmosphere of safety and security, comfort, and
convenience at a level comparable to TWIs.MHEC will support
the development and approval of additional academic programs
at Coppin, consistent with its revised mission, and provide
any assistance necessary in the development of these new programs,
as well as the strengthening of existing academic program
offerings.In addition, the plan will identify the steps to
be taken in order the ensure a broader mix of students, such
as through the enhancement of an endowment at Coppin to provide
full tuition, four-year, merit scholarships to undergraduate
students. The USM Board of Regents and Coppin State College
will consider the findings and recommendations of the study
as the capital and operating budgets are prepared for the
institution.
Upon completion of the study,
MHEC will provide OCR with a copy of the final report and
recommendations to enhance Coppin State College.
d) Enhancing Boards of Visitors
The presidents of USM’s
HBCUs will ensure that the Boards of Visitors at the HBCUs
in USM are of the highest caliber.For example, for any and
all vacancies occurring during the period of this agreement,
individuals possessing a diversity of experiences and background
will be recruited to serve on the Boards of Visitors of HBCUs.Desired
credentials for Board members include, but are not limited
to, a demonstrated commitment to education and to the relevant
HBCU, successful experience operating medium-size or large
for-profit or non-profit organizations, demonstrated leadership
in the individual’s community or their field of work, demonstrated
knowledge or successful experience in managing personnel and
fiscal/financial affairs, demonstrated success in fundraising,
and other qualifications or experience that would be of use
in ensuring the vitality and future of the HBCUs.
1.OCR commits
to completing an expeditious review of Maryland’s reports,
and providing Maryland, within 30 days of its submission,
with an assessment of whether the strategies, programs, actions,
approved new academic programs, funding appropriations, and
other steps identified in these reports represent adequate
progress toward the commitments contained in this Agreement.
2. OCR
commits to providing technical assistance to MHEC, USM, Morgan
State University and St. Mary’s College, and the community
colleges, as requested, in developing programs and activities
to enhance the climate for minority students, faculty, and
staffs in the campuses of Maryland’s public institutions of
higher education.
3. OCR commits to providing technical
assistance to MHEC, USM, Morgan State University and St. Mary’s
College, and community colleges, as requested, in developing
programs and activities that assure diversity in enrollment
and hiring for faculty and staff.
4. OCR will work cooperatively with
Maryland to implement the commitments set forth in this Partnership
agreement and will provide regular feedback and constructive
assistance to Maryland in meeting these commitments.
5.
During the implementation period, OCR will report to and meet
with the State of Maryland/OCR Workgroup semi-annually on
its efforts to fulfill the commitments adopted herein.
6.
OCR will work collaboratively with MHEC, USM and the Maryland
State Department of Education (MSDE) to host a conference
in Spring 2001 on Teacher Preparation, focusing on preparing
teachers to work effectively with children of diverse backgrounds
and learning styles.
7.
OCR will work collaboratively with MHEC and USM to host a
conference in the Spring/Fall 2001 on campus diversity for
all institutions of postsecondary education in the State.
The State of Maryland,
MHEC, USM, each institution of higher education, and OCR commit
to closely monitoring the implementation of these commitments
through the review of annual reports prepared by each institution.
OCR will conduct annual site visits to selected institutions
to assess and report on the institutions’ success and to provide
technical assistance where necessary.OCR will provide a report
within 60 days of each site visit.A final report will be prepared
by OCR, with discussion and input by MHEC, USM, and the institutions
of higher education, in March 2006.By May 2006, the State
and OCR will determine whether the commitments have been implemented,
thus concluding the review.As set forth herein, if by May
2006 the parties determine that the actions articulated in
the agreement have been implemented and the Title VI and Fordice
issues have thereby been resolved, OCR will acknowledge formally
in writing that Maryland has eliminated all vestiges of segregation
in its public system of higher education.It is also understood,
however, that should the parties not be able to resolve matters
by means of this process, OCR reserves the right to determine
by other means whether the requirements of the law have been
satisfied.It is further understood, however, that should the
parties not be able, in good faith, to resolve matters by
means of this process, Maryland reserves the right to seek
a judicial determination of whether the requirements of the
law have been satisfied.
To effectively monitor
implementation of the Agreement Commitments, MHEC, USM, and
the institutions of higher education will consider the information
provided annually to OCR during the life of this agreement.
Unless otherwise stated, beginning
August 15, 2001, and each year thereafter, MHEC, USM, and
all public four-year institutions, will provide OCR with a
report with a report detailing the strategies, activities,
and programs selected pursuant to the commitments in Part
III. A above, including the methods of implementation, the
standards for determining the success of each strategy, plans
for adjusting or replacing those strategies which have proven
insufficiently effective and relevant data for the commitments
and goals listed below:
1.Strengthening Academic and
Teacher Preparation Programs
2.Strengthening Partnerships
with Elementary and Secondary School Stakeholders
3.Strengthening Recruitment and
Admissions
4.Strengthening Retention and
Graduation
5.Improving Campus Climate and
Environment
6.Improving Diversity of Faculty/Staff
and Governing/Advisory Boards
7.Improving and Expanding 2+2
Partnerships
8.Avoiding Unnecessary Program
Duplication and Expansion of Mission and Program Uniqueness
and Institutional Identity at the HBCUs
9.Enhancing Maryland’s Historically
Black Colleges and Universities
Where applicable, these reports shall incorporate an assessment of
the effectiveness of the activities carried out pursuant to
this agreement and relevant data.
November 14, 2011,
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