III. The Candidate Questions

a. Mission and Quality of Learning

1. What advantages and disadvantages would merging into a single institution have for UMB and UMCP and their ability to carry out their respective missions?
2. More specifically, what impact would a merged UMB and UMCP have on the ability of the two institutions to—
   1. encourage and facilitate seamless, cross disciplinary collaboration and research,
   2. compete for and secure extramural resources,
   3. expand or enhance academic offerings and student learning opportunities, including developing premier research and academic programs and providing greater access to underserved populations and areas of the state,
   4. exploit opportunities for commercialization and technology transfer, as well Maryland’s unique advantages in location and concentration of research resources?
3. What impact would the merger of UMB and UMCP have on the University System of Maryland as a whole and its ability to carry out its mission and achieve the goals of its strategic plan, particularly those related to educational achievement, economic competitiveness, academic transformation, leveraging resources, and achieving national eminence?
4. What impact would the merger of UMB and UMCP have on the other institutions in the system and their ability to develop and carry out their own mission‐related activities, as well as those of the system as a whole?

b. Quality, Reputation, and Rankings

1. How would a merger affect the competitiveness of UMB, UMCP, and the other USM institutions, or their individual programs, relative to peers on key national and international measures of quality, research, and scholarly activity?

c. Cultural/Locational/Cost/Administrative Issues

1. How would the differences in the distinctive histories, academic “cultures,” and administrative systems of UMB and UMCP, as well as the physical distance separating the two campuses, impact their ability to successfully merge into a single institution?
2. What are the projected costs, both immediate and long‐term, associated with merging UMB and UMCP into a single institution for—
   1. the state,
   2. the two institutions, and
   3. USM and its other institutions?
3. What are the projected savings, or offsetting financial benefits, both immediate and long-term, associated with merging UMB and UMCP into a single institution for—
   1. the state,
   2. the two institutions, and
   3. USM and its other institutions?
4. What impact, immediate and long‐term, would a merger of UMB and UMCP into a single institution have on the economy and quality of life in their surrounding communities and regions, including their attractiveness to donors and alumni, and the reputations they enjoy among funding agencies and business leaders?
5. What additional state or federal legal or administrative requirements, or board policies, would the merged UMB and UMCP be subject to and what impact could they have on research and education‐related activity at the institution? For example, as a result of the merger, how would new programmatic offerings by UMB/UMCP be affected by current Office of Civil Rights or MHEC interpretations of Maryland’s higher education desegregation commitment?

d. Capstone Questions

1. Based on an analysis of the benefits, costs, and other issues associated with a merger detailed above—and recognizing the research and education needs and trends that are emerging at the state, national, and global levels—is a merger of UMB and UMCP the “right thing to do” at this time for the two institutions, and the system as a whole, and the state? Is it a reasonably feasible thing to do at this time?
2. As an alternative to merging the institutions or maintaining the current strategic direction, should additional models be investigated that could enhance the ability of the two institutions to facilitate cross disciplinary learning and exchange, boost research and education programs, and enhance the national and international reputations of not just UMB and UMCP but the system and its institutions as a whole?