Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to Calvin W. Burnett, November 10, 2005

ATTACHMENT I ft “= и IE, 11 Щ STATE OF MARYLAND OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR wm МП'.' - - ■ T?PTi November 10, 2005 ROBERT L EHRLICH, 1/R. OFFICE OF THE ШищтФ' Calvin W. Burnett, Ph.D. Secretary, Maryland Higher Education Commission 839 Bestgate Road, Suite 400 ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND 21401-1925 (410) 974-3901 TOLL FREE: 1-800-81 1-8336 TTY USERS CALL VIA MD RELAY oj7 jjbiigaic i\uau, ou Annapolis, MD 21401 Dear Dr. Burnett: I write to you regarding the Maryland Higher Education Commissioners’ decision yesterday to affirm your March 15th decision to grant a Joint Masters of Business Administration degree program to Towson University and the University of Baltimore. I recognize and respect the position that the Maryland Higher Education Commission has taken that there is sound educational justification for an additional program option in the Baltimore area for Maryland students in this critical field. As you know, despite strong efforts on the part of MHEC and outside facilitators to help foster an agreement among these universities, including Morgan State University, an agreement was unable to be reached after several months of discussion. Maryland’s success in higher education and business preparation means that all programs offered in Maryland should be strong and successful ones to fully prepare our students for the demands of the 21st century. Accordingly, I request that you undertake a review of Morgan State University’s MBA program to determine how we can work with the University to build upon the program’s historic and current successes. In this review of Morgan State University’s MBA program, I ask that you analyze the program and its history and make recommendations for sustaining and strengthening its future. It is my hope that your analysis, conducted in collaboration with Morgan State University, will include all relevant educational and financial factors regarding the vitality of the program, including student enrollment, faculty recruitment, funding levels, and any other educational or financial factors relevant to your program analysis. At your discretion, you may also consider use of external resources to complete this report. Please complete this analysis and specifically include any recommendations relevant to strengthening the program and send this report to me by December 15th. Thank you for your leadership and your efforts to improve higher education for all Marylanders and all of its institutions of higher education. Very truly yours, Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Governor