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2020LegislativePresentationPRESENTED TOThe ouse Subcommittee on Education andEconomic DevelopmentThe Senate Subcommittee on Education,Business and AdministrationBy President Charles A. Wight Ph.D.February 2020

S A L I S B U RY U N I V E R S I T Y A Maryland University of National istinctionSupporting State Workforce NeedsSU remains committed to engaging withour community and providing highlyskilled professionals for our State’s mostcritical needs. We are proud to train andprepare successful graduates from aroundthe world but we also are cognizant ofhow important it is to focus on developingtalent in the State of Maryland.Salisbury University’s mission as apublic comprehensive university drives itsfocus on supporting workforcedevelopment for a wide variety of careerfields and in preparing graduates forprofessional growth and career change.SU’s College of Health and HumanServices (CHHS) develops career-readystudents for professional practice andadvanced study utilizing evidence-basedinter-professional and student-centeredstrategies. CHHS graduates are culturallycompetent ethically groundedpractitioners with comprehensiveprofessional expertise. Not only does theCHHS carry out its mission on the EasternShore but its impact also extends acrossthe State and globe through collaborationswith other USM institutions. Governor’sWorkforce Development Initiative (WDI)funding has supported the launch of SU’sCommunity Health Program andexpansion of our undergraduate andgraduate Social Work Programs at theUSM regional center in Hagerstown theestablishment of an M.S. in AppliedHealth Physiology at The Universities atShady Grove and planning for an onlineRN-to-B.S.N. Program.Another focus at SU is the productionof STEM graduates from the HensonSchool of Science and Technology and itsprograms in the biological physicalgeographic and computational sciences.The University recently received approval1to launch an undergraduate Data ScienceProgram the first such program in theState. WDI funding also supportsexpansion of SU’s Information Systemsand Computer Science programs whichhave more than doubled in enrollment overthe past 10 years.SU’s Perdue School of Businesssupports workforce needs in accountinginformation systems marketingmanagement economics financeinternational business entrepreneurshipsales and through its nationally recognizedM.B.A. program. SU’s new Center forEntrepreneurship will expand support ofentrepreneurial business development andcommercialization skills for its students andthe regional community. Similarly throughthe Mid-Atlantic Marketing and SalesInstitute SU’s Perdue School preparesstudents for marketing and professionalsales careers in the corporate smallbusiness and nonprofit sectors.Critical for building pipelines to allcareers are strong PK-12 schools. SUembraces its roots in teacher preparationand has redoubled efforts to recruit andretain students interested in education.SU’s Seidel School of Education hasreceived several grants that support itsstudents including scholarship funding forsecondary science and mathematicsteacher candidates (National ScienceFoundation [NSF] Noyce TeacherScholarship Program) mathematicsteacher preparation and outreach (NSFResearch Experiences for Undergraduates)and a college assistance program forchildren of migrant workers (U.S.Department of Education).SU’s Fulton School of Liberal Artsreflects the breadth of the world at large.With the opportunity to develop stronganalytical interdisciplinary andcommunication skills and anunderstanding of art culture thehumanities and social sciences studentsare well prepared to pursue careers andadvanced study in nearly any discipline.The Fulton School has launched severalinitiatives to connect its strong liberal artsfoundation to workforce skills. Theseinclude the Institute for Public Affairsand Civic Engagement a NonprofitLeadership Alliance certificate programinternational internships andinterdisciplinary minors in severalareas including Cognitive Science;Health Humanities; Law Justice andAdvocacy; and Conflict Analysis andDispute Resolution.

Education for AllSince 2009-10 there has been a56.3% increase in ethnically diversestudents (including undergraduate andgraduate). During the same time periodstudent enrollment has only increased 5%indicating our strong commitment todiversifying the student population at SU.More recently diverse undergraduateand graduate students increased by 3%between fall 2018 and fall 2019. Since2014 diversity has increased 7%.The diversity of new incomingfirst-year students increased 21% between2018 and 2019. The 20 9 first-yearclass was the largest and mostdiverse class in SU’s history.Students from diverse backgroundsrepresented 27.5% of SU’s newfirst-time students.The diversity of our tenured/tenure-track faculty has also growndramatically between 2009-10 to 2019-20increasing 55.1% during this time period.During the same time period the totalnumber tenured/tenure-track facultyincreased by only 15.1%. Minoritytenure/tenure-track faculty represent 21.8%of all tenured/tenure-track faculty.For staff the diversity has increasedbetween 2009-10 to 2019-20 increasing11.4% during this time period. Minoritystaff represent 36.2% of staff members oncampus.In our ongoing efforts to ensure accessto higher education for all who seek it andwith the continued support of Maryland’sGovernor and the General Assembly wewere able to lower the net cost ofattendance for fall of 20 9. We didthis by increasing institutional aid. Overthe last four years SU has more thandoubled support for student aid.The University’s Center for Equity, Justice andInclusion is being developed to provide research,programming and casual recreation space forhistorically marginalized populations on campus.2

S A L I S B U RY U N I V E R S I T Y A Maryland University of National istinctionCommitted to Our CommunityThis year Salisbury University participatedin the Governor’s Day of Service. Studentsfaculty and staff annually participate inthousands of community service hours.In 2020, the University receivedthe Carnegie Foundation’s covetedCommunity Engagement designationfor “excellent alignment among campusmission culture leadership resources andpractices that support dynamic andnoteworthy community engagement.”At SU’s most recent annual I Love Salisbury neighborhood clean-up event466 students volunteered at 56 sites for an approximate total of ,788 hours.At the start of the 2019-2020 school yearover 400 current students volunteered tohelp move-in our new students.The Center for Entrepreneurship to be located in downtown Salisbury designed tosupport the members of the larger Salisbury community and SU students by providingBest Buddies meets every Friday matchingSU students as buddies to local adultswith disabilities.3expertise workspace and programming to budding entrepreneurs. The Center will offeropportunities for members of the business community to share their expertise resourcesand insights with those individuals interested in starting new ventures. The Center willserve as a focal point for a collaborative community of scholars business leaders and theentrepreneurs of yet-to-be-developed enterprises.

Figure : Comparison of Six-Year Graduation Rates(2008 and 20 2 Cohorts)68 66686150%52 4940%4233374324BowieFrostburg0%Source: Utilizing data from IPEDS databaseUMBCSALISBURY10%UMCP20%Towson30%39 371813UMGC6860%Coppin7370%7Utilizing data form IPEDS database.Figure 2: Four-Year Graduation Rates (20 2 P5Source: Utilizing data from IPEDS databaseFigure 3: Six-Year Graduation Rates (20 2 ce: Utilizing data from IPEDS pin40%UB80%TowsonSalisbury University is among the 400 or sobroad-access “comprehensive” public fouryear colleges and universities that are theworkhorses of American post-secondaryeducation. Nationally comprehensivesenroll nearly 70% of all undergraduatestudents who attend four-year institutions.Given the statistics a national commitmentto increase student access and success willrequire that these institutions be front andcenter in the effort.Similarly Maryland’s comprehensiveinstitutions are critical to the State’s effortsto improve degree attainment for ourcitizens. Salisbury University continues tobe recognized across the State and nationas an efficient and effective institutiongraduating more students at lower costthan most other Maryland publicinstitutions (Figure 1). As Figures 2 and 3show SU consistently boasts some of thehighest graduation and retentionrates while maintaining among thelowest average time-to-degree; infact our four-year graduation rate issecond highest in the USM.86 85UB80%UMES90%20122008UMCPProducingMore for Less4

S A L I S B U RY U N I V E R S I T Y A Maryland University of National istinctionFigure 4: Bachelor’s Degrees Per 00 Students in MDPublic Four-Year Institutions (20 6-20 7)MD UB5SALISBURY15.310019.3SSource: MHEC Degree Productivity at Maryland'sPublic Four-Year Institutions from 200 to 2017Figure 5: Four-Year Graduation Rates ofMaryland Community College Transfers (20 4 rg10%UMCP20%SALISBURY30%Source: Transfer Students to the University System of Maryland: Patterns of Enrollment and Success Updated through FY 2017Figure 6: State Funds Per FTES (FY 2020)USM Average 25,00021,121 20,00014,430 15,00010,3685CoppinUMCPUMESUMBCSALISBURYSource: University System of Maryland Fiscal 2020 Budget 12,9379,353 10,000 5,00012,12015,517SU produced the greatest number ofundergraduate degrees per 100 students ofall public comprehensive institutions inMaryland and exceeded all USMinstitutions except UB which has less than50% undergraduate enrollment (Figure 4).SU also produces the second highestfour-year graduation rate of Maryland’scommunity college transfer studentsamong the USM institutions (Figure 5).Clearly additional investment atSU will increase the number ofgraduates in the most efficient andcost-effective manner.Salisbury University remainsamong the State’s most affordableoptions for graduating high schoolseniors compared to our sister USMschools. While institutions across Marylandand the country are experiencing a declinein the number of applications SU’sdemand remains strong. For the fall Classof 2020 we anticipate over 8 500applications for approximately 1 400 seats.Additionally SU expects to maintain itssolid academic profile for its incomingstudents: To date the average SAT foradmitted students is 1217 and the averageGPA is 3.825. We also continue tosuccessfully attract a diverse pool of newstudents including nearly 28% nonmajority first-time students as well asstudents from 34 states and 58 foreigncountries last fall. These students add to therichness of SU’s academic community andmake for a diverse and robust pool ofgraduates. As Figure 6 demonstrateshowever Salisbury University consistentlyreceives among the lowest State fundsper FTES.