I. Introduction

The Board of Regents (BOR) directed the chancellor to develop a framework for responding to joint legislative committee language directing the board to complete a study regarding the potential merger of UMCP and UMB and, if appropriate, propose implementation plans. The primary purpose of this work plan is to describe a methodology or approach to the analysis of the potential merger that is thorough and complete with respect to the issues raised in the JCR language. A secondary purpose is to introduce various organizational matters and “process checks” that should be considered in order to help drive the study to a successful completion by December 15, 2011, the required date of submission to the General Assembly.

a. Legislative Language and Explanation

The 2011 Report on the State Operating Budget (HB 70) and the State Capital Budget (HB 71) and Related Recommendations by the chairs of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and the House Appropriation Committee (the Joint Chairmen’s Report) contains the following language for the University System of Maryland Office (p. 127):

"Add the following language to the unrestricted fund appropriation:

, provided that $1,000,000 of this appropriation may not be expended until the University System of Maryland Board of Regents submits a study examining the advantages and disadvantages of merging the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The study shall include any issues related to merging the two institutions under a single University of Maryland. If the Board of Regents concludes that merging the two institutions is feasible and appropriate, then the Board shall include an outline of how the merger will be accomplished, identify any legislative or other changes needed, and the projected timeline to accomplish the merger. The report shall be submitted to the budget committees by December 15, 2011, and the budget committees shall have 45 days to review and comment on the report. Funds restricted pending the receipt of the report may not be transferred by budget amendment or otherwise to any other purpose and shall be canceled if the report is not submitted to the budget committees.

Explanation: The General Assembly is interested in the potential benefits and costs that a merger of the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) would have for the State, faculty and students.

UMCP is the State’s flagship public higher education institution. It has major undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs with a significant research component generating over $545 million in fiscal 2010. UMB is Maryland’s only combined public academic health, human services, and law center. Seven professional and graduate schools train the majority of the State’s physicians, nurses, dentists, lawyers, social workers, and pharmacists. UMB has few undergraduate programs and there are no public flagship research institutions with the level of research carried out by UMCP that do not have a medical school and a law school as a formal part of the institution. The two institutions are complementary and have few if any duplicative programs.

Combining the two institutions into one world class research and medical institution could encourage and facilitate seamless cross disciplinary cooperation, research, and interaction by removing those barriers that typically exist between institutions.

The University System of Maryland Board of Regents should study the advantages and disadvantages of merging UMCP and UMB under a single university and make a determination if such a merger is beneficial to the institutions involved and the University System of Maryland as a whole. If the findings are such that the proposed merger is of benefit, a merger plan may be developed.”