When the University System of Maryland Board of Regents met Friday, it was unable to set fall tuition without Gov. Bob Ehrlich’s forthcoming budget, though board members and attendees still had plenty to say about the status of the system’s institutions.
With few pressing items on the agenda, system and university officials were able to discuss at length the impact of past budget cuts and their specific impact on quality, affordability and accessibility.
The board passed the recommendations of the system’s Financial Aid Task Force, which include increasing accessibility by putting more resources into need-based aid as opposed to merit aid, with little discussion.
Earlier in the meeting, system Chancellor Brit Kirwan said cuts are “taking a toll” in his report to the board members.
In regards to the “bump” Ehrlich said the system would get on Student Government Association President Aaron Kraus’ radio show Nov. 30, Kirwan said “we all hope this will be a massive, swollen bump,” which could allow tuition hikes to remain in single digits.
University President Dan Mote said the university needs to look at “irreparable damages” to programs caused by a lack of funding. A decrease in the university’s ability to recruit and retain students that improve programs is largely because of an inability to draw top-notch faculty, which is a direct result of a lack of funds, Mote said.
“Having top people is a cornerstone of rankings,” Mote said.
Kirwan cited the board’s Effectiveness and Efficiency Report as an opportunity to reverse the damages done by budget cuts. He released the report in October and charged its creation in June 2003 to study the use of system resources and make recommendations for reorganizing them.
Ehrlich is expected to release his budget by the end of the month and the board will hold special meetings in January to set tuition.
