NEWS
By Daniel de Vise, The Washington Post | April 3, 2012
University of Maryland University College was academically sound on the day President Susan Aldridge resigned, according to the chancellor of the state university system. That assurance, conveyed by Chancellor William E. Kirwan in an interview last week, is the closest Maryland higher-education officials have come to answering questions about the sudden departure last month by the leader of the nation's largest online-focused public university. Aldridge's decision to step down has drawn notice across the national higher-education community because neither she nor the university system has offered an explanation.
NEWS
By Childs Walker, The Baltimore Sun | March 22, 2012
Susan C. Aldridge will resign as president of University of Maryland, University College, the state's leading online educational institution, at the end of March. Aldridge had been on unexplained administrative leave since the end of February, and Thursday's announcement of her resignation shed little light on the reason for her sudden exit. "Given all that we have accomplished over the past six years, I think this is a good time to step down," Aldridge said in a statement released by the state university system.
NEWS
By Erica L. Green, The Baltimore Sun | March 7, 2012
A career biochemist will take the reins of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on July 1, the university announced Wednesday. Juliette B. Bell, the current provost and vice president for academic affairs at Central State University in Ohio, was appointed president of the college, according to a press release from the university system. She will replace Thelma B. Thompson, who stepped down in August 2011. Bell has two decades of experience in higher education, including research, teaching and administration The first of her family to attend college — she holds bachelor's and doctorate degrees in chemistry biochemistry — Bell has advocated throughout her career for increasing the number of minority scientists and the opportunities for students to participate in scientific research.
NEWS
By Steve Kilar, The Baltimore Sun | February 24, 2012
The faculty at Coppin State University overwhelmingly expressed no confidence in the institution's president, Reginald Avery, in a vote taken Monday, according to letters obtained late Thursday by The Baltimore Sun. Fifty-five faculty members indicated that they are not satisfied with the leadership of Avery, who has been the school's head since January 2008. Thirteen faculty members opposed the no-confidence vote during the all-faculty meeting. "[Avery] has brought neither a clear vision of mission to CSU, nor established a coherent or viable strategic plan, nor wisely allocated resources," wrote Nicholas Eugene, the leader of the university's faculty senate, in a letter dated Wednesday to William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the state's university system.
NEWS
By Childs Walker, The Baltimore Sun | February 1, 2012
The leaders of Maryland's university system say they're grateful that Gov. Martin O'Malley has proposed another increase in higher-education spending for 2012-2013 at a time when many states are slashing support for public universities. University officials were in Annapolis on Wednesday to testify on behalf of the governor's proposed budget, which includes a 0.8 percent increase in operating funds and $215 million in capital projects for the state system. As in previous years, O'Malley chose to "buy down" a systemwide tuition increase, adding $9 million to the budget to limit the increase to 3 percent for a third straight year.
NEWS
December 30, 2011
The Sun's high praise for the course design innovations at the University of Maryland Baltimore County is well deserved ("A Model Institution," Dec. 27). UMBC's success in transforming courses in fundamental chemistry, mathematics and physics has led to better student performance in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines that are so important to moving Maryland forward. The transformation at UMBC reflects an effort throughout the University System of Maryland to increase student performance in a range of gateway introductory courses.