Opening more doors to higher education at Shady Grove campus

Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2005

On Nov. 22, government, business, civic organizations and higher education will launch a new wave of progress in Montgomery County. Together, we will break ground for the third classroom building at the Universities at Shady Grove, one of the University System of Maryland’s two regional higher education centers.

The sheer magnitude of what this new facility will house is impressive: 192,000 square feet accommodating 29 classrooms, 10 computer classrooms, two distance-learning classrooms, two open computer labs, 81 faculty offices, five conference rooms, an expanded library and instructional resources center, and more.

Equally impressive are the partnerships that enable the Universities at Shady Grove to:

*Provide affordable access to high-quality academic and support programs for a growing and diverse student population.

*Meet regional higher education and statewide workforce needs.

*Extend the reach of USM institutions.

*Strengthen collaboration between USM and Maryland’s community colleges.

Thanks to the tremendous support of state and local governments, ongoing advocacy and advice from various groups and individuals, and the willingness of our higher education sectors to work together, USG is surging ahead. It is earning a well-deserved reputation as a unique and innovative approach for meeting higher education needs. USG’s Board of Advisors, comprising representatives of the region’s business, education and government communities, continues to be particularly helpful.

Tuesday’s groundbreaking is just one more example of how USM is addressing the need to expand higher education capacity in Maryland. We project a 20 percent increase in enrollment demand over this decade. USG will play a key role in helping our institutions meet this demand. When the new building opens in 2007, Shady Grove’s capacity will triple to 6,000 students.

Seven USM institutions bring more than 30 undergraduate and graduate programs to Shady Grove, as well as an extensive portfolio of certificate programs. Through collaboration and resource sharing, the institutions are able to deliver cost-effective academic programs and student support services in a modern, state-of-the-art educational complex. Furthermore, bringing the institutions to a single location provides convenient access to a wide spectrum of USM resources for full- and part-time study.

Offered at Shady Grove are degree opportunities in such vital workforce shortage areas as teacher education and nursing. In addition, academic and professional development offerings support the regional and statewide workforce development and training needs in many areas, including information technology, the biosciences, business, social work, hotel and restaurant management, and construction management technology.

Also significant is the role that USG plays in accommodating the growing number of qualified community college students who want to earn four-year degrees. Partnerships with Montgomery College and other community colleges facilitate easy transfer of students from the two-year institutions to upper-division study at Shady Grove.

Our groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday demonstrates what can happen when groups come together to serve students and communities better — creative solutions, improved access to programs, support for economic development and workforce needs, more effective use of resources, collaborative ventures.

We are positioning the University System of Maryland, through the Universities at Shady Grove and other initiatives, to open more doors to excellent and affordable educational opportunities and to enhance the quality of life for all Marylanders.

William E. Kirwan is chancellor of the University System of Maryland.