University of Baltimore Testimony
Senate Budget and Taxation
Subcommittee on Education, Business and Administration

February 17, 2004
By Robert L. Bogomolny, president

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee. I am Robert Bogomolny, president of the University of Baltimore. Thank you for this opportunity to share with you our accomplishments, recent progress and future plans.

UB's Unique Niche
The University of Baltimore (UB) has a unique place in Maryland higher education. We are Maryland's only upper-division university. In fact, UB is the nation's only upper-division and graduate university with a law school. We serve students in the junior and senior years of their undergraduate work and provide professional and graduate programs in law, business and applied liberal arts. With the law, business and public affairs schools maintaining national accreditation, the University of Baltimore is the preeminent school of its kind in the United States.

The UB Student
The University of Baltimore has the most diverse student body in the entire University System of Maryland.

• 4,900 students attend classes at the North Charles Street campus location.
• Our students' average age is 32; many of our adult learners balance their studies with the demands of work and family.
• Half of our students are part time.
• Fifty-eight percent of our students are pursuing graduate or law degrees.
• Of our total student enrollment, 35 percent are minority; African-American students comprise 26 percent of our total student population. (figure 1)
• Eighty-eight percent of our students are Maryland residents; 89 percent of the School of Law student population consists of Maryland residents. (figure 2)
• Our students come from every county in the state. The largest numbers of our student body come from Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County, followed closely by Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties. (figure 3)
  

How We Serve Our Students: Flexibility and Programming
With a large commuter and evening population, the University campus comes alive after sundown. Our hallways are filled with motivated students committed to achieving important goals in their lives. Our students are dedicated to improving their lives and the lives of those around them. They are honing their skill sets, forging their own paths and making their way in an increasingly complex and diversified society. In a word, our students are strivers: They have clear objectives, finely developed life plans and a remarkable and admirable strategy for making the best use of their UB degree.

The University faculty and staff understand the mindset of our student body. We design our services and programming to meet students' needs, from matriculation to graduation, and on to alumni status. The University provides flexible options through evening and weekend classes, as well as Web-based learning. The UB webMBA, for example, was the first fully online AACSB-accredited graduate business degree in the nation, and continues to be ranked as one of the best online graduate programs in the country.

Our responsiveness to student needs has a significant dividend: In the Maryland Higher Education Commission's most recent survey of bachelor degree recipients, UB student satisfaction with education received for employment was rated at 87 percent, while student satisfaction with education received for graduate or professional school was 97.6 percent.

As the state's premiere transfer university, we have a strong commitment to providing a smooth transition for community college students seeking to attain a baccalaureate degree. We accept the vast majority of Maryland's undergraduate and community college students who have attained at least 56 credits at any of Maryland's higher education institutions. The most recent data indicates that 94 percent of the community college students who applied to UB were accepted. (figure 4) Our transfer students understand that UB is here to help them excel and achieve their career dreams.

On the graduate side, it is important to point out just how innovative our institution has been in combining the theoretical and the practical. In the School of Law, for example, students can earn a combined J.D. and LL.M. in taxation by taking as few as 15 additional credits after receiving their law degree. With our proximity to the nation's capital, it makes perfect sense to provide a fast track for up-and-coming experts in tax law - it's one of the most volatile areas of all American law, and UB graduates are in the thick of it.

Academic Excellence
The excellence of UB is most evident in the classroom. UB faculty are skilled at working with motivated and mature students. They offer the practical, hands-on instruction that is necessary for these students to graduate not only with a degree, but also with a clear sense of how to be successful. The following centers and ventures paint a picture of UB's active involvement in meaningful instruction:

• The UB Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics has built partnerships with seven Maryland community colleges to build ethical awareness in our communities. During the last academic year, a combined total of more than 2,000 students, faculty and staff attended ethics programs on each of the campuses.
• The UB Jacob France Institute for Global Business conducts research that meets critical needs of Maryland and Baltimore's business and government constituents.
• The Schaefer Center for Public Policy has trained and partnered with numerous state agencies such as the Departments of Budget and Management, Human Resources, Mental Health and Mental Hygiene, and Transportation to perform evaluations, analyses and planning. Much of the center's recent work has focused on measures of efficiency and competence in the management of public agencies.
• The University of Baltimore Center for Families, Children and the Courts led Maryland's efforts to create a unified family court, a reform movement that succeeded with the passage of a court rule implementing Family Divisions of the Circuit Court. This past year, the center received grants to work with the State Department of Juvenile Services, establish truancy programs within Baltimore City Schools and conduct statewide judicial training on substance abuse.
• The Center for Community Technology Services' mission is to strengthen the ability of the Baltimore region's nonprofit organizations to use information and communications technologies effectively and to successfully integrate new information technologies into their services and operations.
• The Baltimore Community Wealth Collaborative is a new partnership between some of the city's largest foundations, the Open Society Institute and UB designed to help for-profit social ventures in the city become financially viable in order to support their nonprofit parent organizations. Our students are actively involved in building and sustaining the business models that will come out of the collaborative. This is the very definition of service learning.
• UB offers degree programs that respond to the needs of both its students and the state, such as negotiations and conflict management, legal and ethical studies, an M.B.A. leadership track and public administration. The University's School of Law is noted for its practical as well as theoretical approach to legal education, emphasizing an aggressive writing requirement. In the last U.S. News & World Report rankings of law school clinical programs, the University of Baltimore School of Law clinic ranked number 16 in the country.

UB Partnerships and Service
Outside the classroom, our faculty members engage in service and research in areas of vital local, state and national interest.

UB's Vital Presence in Baltimore, Maryland and the Region

• Last year, we told you about our plans for an educational partnership with the city. In fall 2003, the University of Baltimore City Fellows Program was inaugurated, and the first class of recipients began their studies. This innovative program offers six scholarships annually to city of Baltimore employees for graduate work in criminal justice, public administration or business. The University has been successful in attaining corporate sponsorship for the first class of entering City Fellows students.
• The University of Baltimore School of Law formalized the Baltimore Scholars Program to identify and assist students at the Historically Black Universities and Colleges in Maryland who wish to attend law school. The program provides training in legal analysis and writing, with the goal of enhancing undergraduate performance, LSAT scores and the ability to adjust to the law school educational process.
• The Robert G. Merrick School of Business has developed a joint program with the Maryland Institute College of Art, "Business Tools for the Creative Professional." The goal is to provide business skills to the region's community of creative professionals.
• The Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts program in forensic science works in partnership with the Baltimore City Police Crime Laboratory to train students in forensics and criminal investigation. The program produces qualified crime and forensic investigators to help meet Baltimore's need for more skilled workers in this area.
• The University of Baltimore Center for Regional and Baltimore Studies exemplifies UB's commitment to the Baltimore community. With a grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation, the center examines issues of diversity in the Baltimore community, from neighborhoods and church groups to businesses and corporate boardrooms.
• The Community Studies and Civic Engagement Program is an interdisciplinary undergraduate major designed to provide opportunities to students committed to social change. Developed in conjunction with American Humanics, the program will provide Maryland with qualified employees for nonprofit organizations such as the United Way, the Boy Scouts of America and the YMCA.

Our alumni are accomplished professionals, and we are proud of the many distinguished Maryland leaders, governors, legislators and state workers that make up our alumni. Several of the largest accounting firms in Baltimore are led by UB graduates. More than a third of the sitting judges in Maryland hail from UB. Two of Maryland's most recent judicial appointments are University of Baltimore law graduates.

Access & Excellence: Transfer and Community College Students
Our state is experiencing considerable growth in the numbers of college-age students and these numbers are expected to grow steadily through 2010. The USM's Special Task Force on Enrollment Trends examined the state's enrollment projections for Maryland's public higher education institutions. The Task Force confirmed that Maryland faces serious challenges in ensuring access and space for all Marylanders who seek a college education. The University of Baltimore, as the state's preeminent transfer institution, is poised to be an integral part of the answer to those challenges.

Since the 1970s, the University of Baltimore has been a state and national leader in the development of articulation agreements with community colleges to guarantee the smooth transfer of student credits from the lower- to upper-division institution. These agreements are crucial so that students avoid repeating coursework, costing them both time and money. UB also prides itself in providing financial assistance to students. Approximately 56 percent of UB's undergraduate transfer students receive financial aid. Approximately 64 percent of all of our students receive need-based financial aid.

The USM and the state face the fundamental challenge of maintaining access to higher education. In the past year, the University has met this challenge by:

• Setting aside 20 percent of any additional tuition revenue towards financial aid; and
• Extending payment deadlines to ensure to the fullest extent possible that no student interrupts their educational career due to tuition issues.
  

For example, the University's program in digital technology, developed in partnership with Essex, moves a student through two colleges in four years while enrolled in one undergraduate degree program. It is ideal for career-oriented students and is most cost-effective for students and parents.

The University is committed to finding new ways to reach the needs of the changing population and offering opportunities for students at area community colleges. We are excited about providing accessible education to our community college partners and look forward to this growing aspect of our mission.

The baccalaureate degree is essential for the establishment of a competitive work force, and a necessity for the individual student's ability to realize a fulfilling and productive work life. The University, with efficient use of very modest funds, can accommodate more students, answering the state's call for space for all Maryland residents in our University System.

Meeting Budget Challenges
In these challenging economic times, the University recognizes the difficulties faced by this committee, the legislature and the governor. The University of Baltimore, working with the Regents and the University System of Maryland, responded to the call for developing ways to absorb the budget cuts. Last year, the budget-cutting solutions required all universities to seek further cost containment and savings measures. The budget solutions had a substantial impact on Maryland's college student population, as the cuts also required universities to increase tuition costs. The University of Baltimore met these challenges through sound fiscal management, including a variety of administrative reductions.

Over the past year, the University has conducted an assessment of operations to uncover any areas where we can improve or operate more effectively. UB is committed to continued self-evaluation and cost savings measures that minimize impact on student tuition and the quality of our students' experience. At present, we have been able to meet the state's need without unduly compromising student services.

However, further cuts will restrict our ability to maintain the quality of student services and to adequately fulfill our state-mandated mission. We support the governor's FY 2005 budget proposal maintaining level funding for Maryland's public higher education institutions. The University will continue to practice sound fiscal management. We will also seek constructive partnerships with our sister institutions that lead to cost-effective collaboration to meet student and administrative needs. The University looks forward to working with the USM, the legislature and the Governor's Office to ensure that Maryland's taxpayers are not priced out of public education, while also building on the excellence that has been achieved in recent years.

New Approaches for a New Era
The University continues to explore ways to seek increased effectiveness and efficiency while maintaining or increasing the quality of the student experience. Our efforts over the past year have included the creation of a University-wide strategic plan, a master plan for University facilities and public-private partnership ventures.

University-wide Strategic Plan
At this time last year, we were in the midst of an 18-month strategic planning process to create a shared vision that strengthens our community and provides a road map for our future. The plan, which is now complete and available at www.ubalt.edu/strategic_plan/, serves as a valuable management and accountability tool for administrative and academic units campuswide.

All campus constituencies engaged in a series of dialogs concerning mission, vision and core institutional values. Interviews, focus groups, online surveys and open forums all were employed to help us develop the plan. Summaries of the discussions were posted on the University's Web site. From those discussions, measurable institutional goals and objectives were articulated.

The process culminated in January 2004 with the release of "Positioning for the Future: Creating a Shared Vision," the University of Baltimore Strategic Plan 2004 -2007. The document allows us to match University resource allocation to educational goals to most effectively serve students and the state.

We are committed to developing business and operational plans that support our mission. Measurable outcomes will chart our course in changing and challenging times. The plan has ratified our commitment to provide access to excellent education. We will continue to extend that access not only to traditional students, but also to working adults, career-changers and first-generation college students. We remain proud that there is no such thing as the "traditional" UB student, and recognize that our primary mission is to serve the educational needs of the state through excellent teaching and relevant research.

Review of Services
The University also began a systematic review of campus and student services, with the goals of identifying best practices and maximizing efficiencies. Computing and Information Systems received two independent reviews, which led to the reorganization of office structure still in process. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators reviewed the University's financial aid services. Changes implemented from the review resulted in improved processes in awarding aid packages and reduced wait times for student awards. The University's Office of Career Services examined its practices to design services that best suit the needs of students who are preparing for a career.

Technology Implementation
To improve the efficiency of technological services to the community, the University has begun implementation of a new administrative software system. This new system, called MyUB, provides users with Web-based access to student services, human resources information, and financial data and support. MyUB replaces systems formerly in place for 15 years. The University funded all costs for the project, which introduces a range of new technology and service opportunities to students, faculty and staff.

Technology has changed the very nature of higher education, to the point that it is an integral part of campus planning. However, this technology is expensive and now involves many increased costs that didn't exist 10 years ago. We look forward to creative partnerships both within the USM and with business to deliver tech-savvy teaching and learning in order to meet the needs of our students and the research needs of faculty.

University 10-Year Master Plan
The University is currently developing its next 10-year master facilities plan. The tentative date of completion is March 1, 2004. The plan will focus on facilities development in a downtown campus with a long history of providing access to students who might not find an open door elsewhere. The plan will serve as a guideline for academic, auxiliary and private development over the next 10 years and provide all University students with access to improved services and facilities.

This plan includes the construction of a student center—an essential building on any university campus where students gather and services are centralized. The University of Baltimore is the only institution in the University System of Maryland that does not have a student union.

The plan also includes a new learning center designed to house the undergraduate, graduate and law libraries. The center will also house services for students with disabilities and those needing remedial assistance. The University has completed part one of the program plan and has submitted it to the state. We will begin part two this spring.

Creative Public-Private Partnerships
In addition, the University has examined the potential for increasing public-private partnerships to develop University-owned properties. We anticipate that these private partnerships will expand the facilities and services on campus as well as develop new revenue streams to support the budgetary actions of the campus. Following are a few examples:

• Queen Anne Belvedere
  The University of Baltimore Foundation partnered with a private developer to open the Queen Anne Belvedere complex. It houses 74 market-rate apartment units, two restaurants and numerous retail establishments. This project provides housing opportunities for UB students and brings increased retail and economic vitality to the Mount Vernon community. This is a historic renovation project that qualified for historic tax credits at a total cost of approximately $8 million.
• Maryland Plaza
  The Maryland Plaza project involves the creation of a 155-unit market-rate apartment building. The University of Baltimore Foundation is presently working with a private developer through a ground lease arrangement to develop apartments at the corner of Maryland Avenue and Biddle Street. This $13 million project is anticipated to open in the summer of 2005.

The University of Baltimore is proof that the challenges of today can become the opportunities of tomorrow. Our strategic plan brings the best of the business world to the noble mission of the academy. We are committed to continually evaluating what we do, and asking ourselves how we can do it better. Our academic programs will undergo ongoing measurements for relevance and respect. Our administrative services will constantly be benchmarked against best practices. We will continue to meet the educational needs of the state with our unique blend of career-oriented programs in law, business and the applied liberal arts. Above all else, we will always recognize the value of the student experience.

I thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today and will gladly respond to any questions you may have.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert L. Bogomolny