President Mote's Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly, University of Maryland

University of Maryland, College Park
Response to Legislative Budget Analysis
Operating Budget
February, 2001
Dr. C.D. Mote, Jr.

Issues

College of Education's Plan--How Will It Impact the Teacher Shortage?

The President should brief the committees on the progress made to date in implementing the strategic plan for the College of Education. The discussion should include an assessment of whether the current strategy will impact the shortage of certified teachers. Moreover, the university should comment on its future plan, if any, to further expand access, to market to the potential candidate pool (middle and high school students) and to work in collaboration with other relevant entities to develop alternative certification programs.

Below I have briefly listed our response to this critical problem. Also, in the Legislative Testimony, I have addressed our College of Education's plan to address the teacher shortage issue. Additionally, Edna Szymanski, the Dean of the College of Education, is with me today to address any other questions you may have about this problem.
- The College of Education is re-balancing its portfolio of programs to increase enrollment in areas of shortage, especially in secondary education. The College is planning to produce at least 45 more secondary teachers each year by 2004. We believe that this is a conservative estimate.
- Just this year, we have made major changes to our secondary education programs in order to increase the numbers of students with disciplinary degrees (e.g., math, science) who complete requirements for teacher certification. We now have multiple pathways for students with degrees in arts and science disciplines to pursue teacher certification.
- We are working actively with the deans and faculty in the arts and sciences colleges (i.e., Computer, Mathematics, and Physical Science; Life Sciences; Arts and Humanities; and Behavioral and Social Sciences) to coordinate curricula and recruit talented students into teaching careers.
- Through a grant received by the University System of Maryland, we will be preparing an additional 50 teachers in shortage areas for Prince George's County over the next few years.
- In addition, we are in the process of meeting with Prince George's County to examine ways we can assist with other short-term solutions through the state's resident teacher certification program. Dean Szymanski is working closely with Dr. Metts, Superintendent of Prince George's County Schools, to address teacher shortage problems.
Bioscience Initiative

The President should brief the committees on the new initiative and respond to the following concerns:
- whether the development of the initiative was collaboratively approached among all the USM institutions, not only in terms of an assessment of existing capacity systemwide and the potential for expansion, but also to provide for a well coordinated USM response to the challenge that growth in bioscience presents;
  
  The Biosciences Initiative at the University of Maryland was developed in part as a response to recommendations in both a Blue Ribbon Committee of the Board of Regents in 1992-1993 and the follow-up 1995 Report to the Chancellor on the State of the Life Sciences in the UMS by an ad hoc committee. These reports both stated emphatically that the Life Sciences should be strengthened at USM institutions, "with consideration to the missions and responsibilities of the individual institutions." The University of Maryland, College Park, in particular was singled out for its strength in basic research. We are devoting our efforts to building areas of distinction that are in accord with our mission, that draw on our wide multidisciplinary strengths, and that do not overlap with the clinical or applied emphases of research of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, or the Maryland Biotechnology Institute. As our programs attract major researchers and achieve the national standing that is our goal, they will become resources of significant magnitude both for the growing biotechnology industry in Maryland and for collaborative work with the other institutions of higher education in the State.
- whether a long-term demand will exist for the programs and the facility;
  
  The curve of expenditures for the biological sciences in federal research funds, with no end in sight, is evidence of the national, long-term commitment to advances in the biological sciences (see attached chart). In addition, our strengths are increasing in areas in which future advances promise to have major impact, bioinformatics, neurosciences, and proteomics. In the February 13, 2001, issue of the New York Times, Business Section is the following assessment of future development:
  
  "Moreover, if a human might have only a third more genes than a roundworm, which has 19,000, that indicates that genes alone cannot explain human biology. So companies and investors will gravitate toward the next big buzzword, proteomics, the study of proteins."
- whether the university will be able to establish a brand name in this specialized area; and
  
  We see clear opportunities to establish our preeminence in the Life Sciences, building on our special strengths in computational biology and bioinformatics, biological machines and proteomics, bioengineering, virology, neurosciences, and cellular bases for development and biodiversity. The University also has a tradition of interdisciplinary work that will be a major asset in this field and it can draw on special ties to federal agencies, such as NIH and FDA. Our proposed enhancements are based on a strategic development that will allow us to maximize our strengths and have the flexibility to seize emerging opportunities.
- whether the initiative will address the current needs of biotechnology firms who have identified a shortage in hands-on technicians.
  
  The University of Maryland graduates more undergraduate bioscience majors than all the other universities in the State combined. We are offering the upper division part of our biological sciences major at Shady Grove, beginning in Fall 2001, and this new outreach will undoubtedly add to the number of graduates. With outstanding programs of a national caliber, we will continue to produce undergraduates and graduate students at every level with the strong training in state-of-the-art research, access to the most up-to-date equipment and procedures and the special skills needed to support the biotechnology industry. Some will go as technicians; others as researchers.

Recommended Actions

Reduce general funding for the Bioscience Initiative because the new facility will not be available until fiscal 2005 at the earliest. The funds were to provide for 30 full-time faculty and specialized equipment that cannot be accommodated in the overcrowded existing facilities. Amount Reduction $2,900,000

I would like to make clear the fact that the biosciences initiative is not limited to one discipline, but draws on the broad strengths of the University across a variety of fields. This multi-disciplinary strength is one of the reasons we are positioned to succeed in becoming a national leader, and we are hiring faculty to bolster our strength across many disciplines. Work of major importance in this area is occurring in the new Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, which draws expertise from faculty in computer science and computer engineering; work in the agricultural and natural sciences disciplines, which includes environmental research and research on the impact of nutrition on diseases; and in such multi-disciplinary areas as neurosciences and auditory evolution, where we are national leaders.

The internal planning process that takes place between submission of the Regents' budget and the legislative hearings has dictated some changes in our priorities. We recently hired a new dean in life sciences, who has conducted a thorough review of our current position, challenges, and options and has recommended changes in the priorities for investment of our funds. To get a jumpstart on our biosciences initiative in the Life Sciences College, prior to the construction of a new building, she has identified renovations of approximately $1M for each of the next three years in existing buildings in which bioscience research is already well underway. This will enable hires in FY02. Furthermore, funds must be available so we can initiate hiring efforts immediately, plan for appropriate start-up costs, which are significant for outstanding researchers in the biosciences areas, and be ready to take advantage of as many opportunistic hires as possible.

Our internal planning process has also identified other areas in which opportunities have arisen for immediate impact in attaining a new level of distinction; for example, research in atomic, molecular, and optical physics, to be built in cooperation with NIST. In addition, we intend to fund initiatives in the College of Education that focus on Professional Development Schools and new hires and initiatives in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. These activities are consistent with our long-range planning and emphasis on building targeted areas of excellence, and we must seize these opportunities as they occur to take full advantage of their potential benefits. We apologize if the information we sent to the Legislative Analyst caused any confusion. Listed below is a brief summary of our plans to enhance targeted academic programs.

Targeted Academic Programs Summary Budget-Totaling $4.38 Million
1. Building Greater Strength in the Biological Sciences and Related Disciplines:
  1. a. Life Sciences-8 FTE-$750,000
  2. Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics - 5 FTE - $500,000
  3. Facilities Renewal - $1,000,000
  4. Agro-ecology Center - 2 FTE - $200,000
  5. Neurosciences and Auditory Development - 2 FTE - $150,000
2. Other Academic Priorities
  1. Gemstone - 2 FTE - $180,000
  2. Strengthening the Professional Schools
    1. College of Education - 3 FTE - $170,000
    2. Merrill School of Journalism - 3 FTE - $170,000
  3. Opportunity Hires - 4 FTE - $400,000
  4. Music - 4 FTE - $333,122
  5. Earth System Science - 4 FTE - $ 274,000
  6. Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics - 3 FTE - $250,000
I have also included a more detailed summary of our proposed academic enhancement initiatives for FY2002.

Targeted Academic Programs
1. Building Greater Strength in the Biological Sciences and Related Disciplines:
  1. Faculty in Life Sciences: We are continuing to target the biological sciences for major enhancement so that we can provide educational and research excellence comparable to our peers. We will devote $750,000 of our enhancement funds to recruit 8 distinguished faculty members.
  2. Facilities Renewal. State-of-the-art facilities are essential to attracting outstanding faculty and students, and using the enhancement funds we will increase our base-budget in this area by $1,000,000, especially to begin targeted renewal of our existing life science facilities in the Chemistry Building, the Microbiology Building, the Biology-Psychology Building and H.J. Patterson Hall.
  3. Center for Computational Biology. We will use $500,000 to hire 5 additional faculty in Computer Science and Computer Engineering with research expertise that will develop our strengths in computational biology and Bioinformatics and who will assist in teaching the more than 2300 undergraduate majors.
  4. Agro-ecology Center. This Center was established with a grant from the federal government for the purposes of improving the public understanding of the interrelationships and interdependencies among land users, developers and preservationists and of fostering environmentally sound agricultural practices within the State through research, education and outreach. We will use $200,000 to establish the Center on a permanent footing by hiring an Assistant Director and a Director of Outreach Activities
  5. Neuroscience and Auditory Development. We will use $150,000 to hire two additional faculty to enhance the new collaborative agreement between the Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing, the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Graduate Program, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
2. Other Academic Priorities:
  1. Gemstone Program. To ensure the continuing success and expand its size, we will apply $180,000 of the enhancement funds to our nationally recognized and innovative Gemstone program for high achieving undergraduates.
  2. Strengthening the University's Professional Schools. To meet the state's educational reforms that require student teaching in Professional Development Schools, we will use $170,000 for the College of Education to expand the number of Professional Development Schools in which it participates. The Merrill College of Journalism will be enhanced with $170,000 in matching funds for the recently announced $10M gift from Philip Merrill. These funds will be used to recruit additional faculty to the School, including David Broder from the Washington Post, whose appointment was recently announced.
  3. Recruitment of Outstanding Faculty. The University has been very aggressive in pursuing special opportunities for the recruitment and retention of world-class faculty, who are instrumental in the University's rapid advancement. We will apply $400,000 of our enhancement funds to this endeavor, and some current examples include the recruitment of Professor Benjamin Barber from Rutgers University to join our Civil Society and Democratic Reconstruction programs, Anthony Busalacchi from NASA to head our Earth Systems Science Interdisciplinary Center, National Academy of Science and distinguished Psychology professor Richard Shiffrin (note: deal not quite completed) from Indiana University; and prolific author, award-winning researcher, and Professor of Marketing, Roland Rust, recruited from Vanderbilt University.
  4. School of Music. To continue to strengthen our School of Music, we will apply $333,122 of the enhancement funds to appoint 3 distinguished faculty and/or Artists in residence, such as pianist Andre Watts, who will bring specialization in performance capability to attract national attention to the University's School of Music and make the Clarice E. Smith Performing Arts Center a crown jewel for the University, Prince George's County and the State.
  5. Earth System Science. The University is quickly emerging as one of the national leaders in Earth System Science, because of the outstanding faculty that we have recruited in the last two years and because of our extensive and strong working relationship with NASA and NOAA, and we will use $274,000 of the enhancement funds to continue to strengthen this exciting interdisciplinary area.
  6. Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics. The University is working with NIST to establish a world-class research group in the area of atomic, molecular, and optical physics, and we will use $250,000 of the enhancement funds to recruit additional physics faculty to join this effort.
Reduce sales and services of auxiliary enterprises revenues by $3.5 million due to the likelihood of an overestimated budget. Amount Reduction $3,500,000

We do not object to this proposed reduction, if the conditions specified occur.


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