The Morgan State University Board of Regents wishes to assure the citizens of Maryland of its continuing commitment to the mission, vision and development of the University. Contrary to what some critics may say, we take seriously our obligations as a governing board with responsibility for the overall management of the institution. The Morgan Board meets the State standard for attendance at regular Board meetings; satisfies the requirements of the by-laws for a quorum, and otherwise invests the time necessary to effectively accomplish the business of the University.
The service commitment of Morgan’s Board meets or exceeds that of other volunteer boards throughout the State. Board members spend an enormous amount of time in strategic planning forums, meeting with the Governor, appearing before legislative committees, cultivating potential donors and supporters, and participating in campus convocations and student orientations, to name only a few examples of activities that demonstrate the level and character of our commitment.
We reject any suggestion of indifference on the part of the University Regents, as well as any attempt to establish a relationship between Board attendance and the recent issue with the campus construction program. The issue simply reflects the realization that though Morgan is well managed, it is not perfect. It is not immune to the challenges that plague much larger and better-supported universities in the State. However, in such instances, we do what any responsible board would do: ensure that the issue is carefully researched and insist that corrective measures are taken to prevent a recurrence.
Unlike incidents at other campuses, any missteps at Morgan become front-page news. The construction issue, specifically, has been prominently featured in 12 lengthy front-page articles and two editorials of the Sun over the last five months. We believe that is unfair to the Morgan administration, faculty, staff and students; and it does a great disservice to our Maryland public.
Our University does extremely well under some very difficult circumstances. It is recognized as the leading producer among Maryland’s traditional four-year institutions of African American undergraduates and among the top twenty in the nation, particularly in science and engineering. Those undergraduates go on to attend graduate and professional schools at ten percentage points beyond the average for all public colleges and universities in the State. A similar pattern is emerging at the doctoral level in the areas of engineering, education and public health. Even more exciting is the vision the University has had for the past two-and-a-half decades, to achieve the same level of distinction with a much larger, and more academically, racially and culturally diverse student population.
The challenge in achieving that goal has not been a lack of commitment and leadership on the part of the governing board. It has been the continuing lack of an appropriate investment in campus resources. Compounding the resource problem is the unfortunate practice of significant mission overlap and unnecessary program duplication among neighboring institutions. This represents a gradual shift in State practice which, in our opinion, does not represent a wise use of taxpayers dollars. Thanks to the Maryland Legislature, a group of well-respected individuals has been engaged to study the resource issue and to make recommendations for addressing it. The study is to be completed by mid-September.
Finally, being a trustee may sometimes be a challenge for some of us because of our responsibilities as business executives, elected officials, professional agency officers, parents, clergy and community leaders. Still we consider our work to be a duty and a privilege. That sense of duty and privilege, more than any state statue or university by-law, is the source of our resolve and commitment to continued service to what we view as a great institution.
Morgan State University Board of Regents:
Mr. Dallas R. Evans, Chairman
The Honorable Laurence Levitan
Ms. Shirley Marcus Allen
Dr. Shirley M. Malcom
The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings
Ms. Sally C. McMillan
Rev. Frances Draper
The Honorable Kweisi Mfume
Mr. Franklin L. Edmonds
Mr. Martin R. Resnick
Mr. Donald E. Frieson
Mr. William R. Roberts
Dr. Linda J. Gilliam
General (Ret.) Johnnie E. Wilson
Dr. Charles W. Griffin
