University System of Maryland
Encyclopedia
The University System of Maryland (USM) is a public corporation and charter school system comprising 12 Maryland
institutions of higher education
. It is the 12th-largest university system
in the United States
, with over 125,000 undergraduate, 43,000 graduate and roughly 13,000 combined full-time and part-time faculty. In 1988, it was created from the merger of the five University of Maryland institutions and the six members of the State University and College System of Maryland under the name University of Maryland System. In 1997, its name was changed to the University System of Maryland. In 1999, the Maryland General Assembly
transformed the system to the charter model.
The merger creating the University of Maryland System was directed by Governor
William Donald Schaefer
and was overseen by University of Maryland President John S. Toll
, who then became the system's first Chancellor. The current Chancellor is William Kirwan
.
's Morgan State University
and Southern Maryland
's St. Mary's College of Maryland
) opted out of the system and made separate funding arrangements with the state.
The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
, although state-supported, remained outside the system because of its unique status as an institution jointly funded by Maryland and Virginia
. It is a constituent of both the College Park campus and Virginia Tech
, with its main campus at Virginia Tech.
The USM institutions with the words "University of Maryland" in their names are not satellite campuses of the University of Maryland, College Park
. They are independent institutions within the university system.
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
institutions of higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
. It is the 12th-largest university system
University system
A university system is a set of multiple, affiliated universities and colleges that are usually geographically distributed. Typically, all member universities in a university system share a common component among all of their various names...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with over 125,000 undergraduate, 43,000 graduate and roughly 13,000 combined full-time and part-time faculty. In 1988, it was created from the merger of the five University of Maryland institutions and the six members of the State University and College System of Maryland under the name University of Maryland System. In 1997, its name was changed to the University System of Maryland. In 1999, the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
transformed the system to the charter model.
The merger creating the University of Maryland System was directed by Governor
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
William Donald Schaefer
William Donald Schaefer
William Donald Schaefer was an American politician who served in public office for 50 years at both the state and local level in Maryland. A Democrat, he was mayor of Baltimore from 1971 to 1987, the 58th Governor of Maryland from January 21, 1987 to January 18, 1995, and the Comptroller of...
and was overseen by University of Maryland President John S. Toll
John S. Toll
John Sampson Toll was an American physicist and educational administrator.Toll received his bachelor's degree in physics from Yale in 1944, after which he served in the Navy in World War II. He finished his Ph.D...
, who then became the system's first Chancellor. The current Chancellor is William Kirwan
William English Kirwan
William English "Brit" Kirwan is currently the third Chancellor of the University System of Maryland . Prior to that, Kirwan was the 26th President of the University of Maryland, College Park and the 12th President of Ohio State University...
.
Universities
- Bowie State UniversityBowie State UniversityBowie State University , is a public university located on 355½ acres in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, north of the suburban city of Bowie. Bowie State is part of the University System of Maryland...
- Coppin State UniversityCoppin State UniversityCoppin State University is a historically black college located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is part of the University System of Maryland...
- Frostburg State UniversityFrostburg State UniversityFrostburg State University is a four-year university located on a campus in Frostburg, Maryland, in Western Maryland, and is part of the University System of Maryland. FSU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.-History:...
- Salisbury UniversitySalisbury UniversitySalisbury University is a public university in Salisbury, Maryland.According to U.S. News and World Report's 2009 America's Best Colleges index, "In guidebooks and surveys by U.S...
- Towson UniversityTowson UniversityTowson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
- University of BaltimoreUniversity of BaltimoreThe University of Baltimore , located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood at 1420 N. Charles Street, is part of the University System of Maryland. Through the Freshman Initiative or Lower Division Initiative, UB has transformed from an upper division university to a...
- University of Maryland, BaltimoreUniversity of Maryland, BaltimoreUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore, was founded in 1807. It comprises some of the oldest professional schools in the nation and world. It is the original campus of the University System of Maryland. Located on 60 acres in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, it is part of the University System of Maryland...
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College ParkThe University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
(the flagship campus) - University of Maryland Eastern ShoreUniversity of Maryland Eastern ShoreUniversity of Maryland Eastern Shore located on 776 acres in Princess Anne, Maryland, United States, is part of the University System of Maryland...
- University of Maryland University CollegeUniversity of Maryland University CollegeThe University of Maryland University College is located in the unincorporated community of Adelphi in Prince George's County, Maryland in the United States. Serving over 90,000 students worldwide, UMUC is the largest 4-year public university in Maryland and one of the largest distance learning...
Satellite campuses
- Universities at Shady GroveUniversities at Shady GroveEstablished in fall 2000, the Universities at Shady Grove is a facility located in Rockville, Maryland, United States, that offers career-oriented higher education courses to residents of Montgomery County, Maryland and its surrounding region...
- University System of Maryland at HagerstownUniversity System of Maryland at HagerstownEstablished in January 2005, the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown is a facility located in Hagerstown, Maryland that offers upper-level undergraduate and graduate programs to residents of Hagerstown and its surrounding region....
Relationships with other schools
When USM was originally formed in 1988, Maryland's other two state-funded (i.e., public) 4-year institutions (BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
's Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
and Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland in popular usage is composed of the state's southernmost counties on the "Western Shore" of the Chesapeake Bay. This region includes all of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties and sometimes the southern portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties.- History...
's St. Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's College of Maryland, established in 1840, is a public, secular liberal arts college located in St. Mary's City, Maryland. It is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges and designated as a Public Honors College . St. Mary's College is a small college, with about 2,000...
) opted out of the system and made separate funding arrangements with the state.
The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine
The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine is a state-supported college of two states, Virginia and Maryland, filling the need for veterinary medicine education in both states. Students from both states are considered "in-state" students for admissions purposes.VMRCVM is one of...
, although state-supported, remained outside the system because of its unique status as an institution jointly funded by Maryland and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It is a constituent of both the College Park campus and Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
, with its main campus at Virginia Tech.
The USM institutions with the words "University of Maryland" in their names are not satellite campuses of the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. They are independent institutions within the university system.