Photo by Kanji Takeno

Goodbye, Annapolis

2008 legislative session ends with minimal

cuts for higher education

By Jan Lucas

Despite fiscal difficulties, Gov. Martin O’Malley and the Maryland General Assembly continued to make education—especially higher education—a priority throughout the 425th legislative session.

Jennifer Gajewski, assistant to the president for governmental relations, says Gov. O’Malley increased overall funding for higher education by 9 percent. A minimal cut of $6.8 million to the University System of Maryland (USM) was achieved with the aid of one-time funds deposited in the Higher Education Investment Fund. TU’s share of the USM cut amounts to about $600,000.

Barring any further cuts, Chancellor Brit Kirwan is prepared to recommend to the USM Board of Regents that it freeze in-state undergraduate tuition for the third consecutive year.

“Governor O’Malley is very supportive of higher education,” Gajewski adds. “He continues to endorse the tuition freeze, and for the third year in a row he added money to the base budget to offset any losses to the institutions.”

The state allocated more than $200 million for USM capital projects, which includes $18.5 million to TU for Phase 1 of the campus-wide site, safety and circulation project, plus $9.3 million for the College of Liberal Arts project, to include Phase 1 equipment purchases and funds for Phase 2 design.

“In terms of TU’s capital budget, we received everything we requested,” says Gajewski.

Other good news:   

• Cuts were restored to the USM Hagerstown Center, enabling TU to maintain its nursing program there.

• TU enrollment will grow by 500 FTE during FY2009.

• State employees will receive a 2 percent cost-of-living increase. Funds also were allotted for merit increases.

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