IHE: Quick Takes That Illustrate The Role of Higher Ed In This Day and Age

[Wahoo Redux]

It just struck me that all three of these were in my email newsletter this morning.  It's the juxtaposition that hit.

IHE: 2 Congressmen Form Caucus to Preserve Historic College Football Stadiums

The effort, which will include "technological upgrades" and "infrastructure updates," would likely involve federal money.

IHE: Towson Withdraws Proposed Doctoral Program

The move is the latest development in a long saga over the program. The commission's assistant secretary for academic affairs, Emily A. A. Dow, initially told Towson officials in April that the commission rejected the program because it was "unreasonably duplicative" of the business administration doctoral program at Morgan State University, a historically Black university in Baltimore.

IHE: Brandeis, Long Linked to Leonard Bernstein, to End Music Ph.D. Programs

The university, whose list of most famous faculty members included Leonard Bernstein early in its existence, sent a letter to faculty members last week saying that it was no longer in a position to sustain the two Ph.D. programs at the required level

[BadWolf]

I suggest you read the backstory on MHEC and the 4 Maryland HBCU's, if you are interested. There's so much more going on behind the scenes than just that story tells, including the fact MHEC has been without leadership since the new governor took office at the beginning of the year.

Did you know that Maryland is the only state in the country where the state higher education commission can dictate the program offerings at PRIVATE schools? Meaning if you want to offer basketweaving as a degree, it has to go through a months long review process (like mentioned in the Towson article), and if you are not approved you can't offer it. As an example, U. Maryland Eastern Shore (an HBCU, on the Delmarva Peninsula) can object to a program being proposed by Hood College (Frederick, 175 miles away) as duplicative and the state will not approve it being offered.

The story is not necessarily equity and DEI and HBCU's, it's the nightmare of state regulation.

(And yes, I just outed where I am...such is life.)

[dlehman]

I'm not doubting you, but I hope you can explain a bit more about how much of what you are stating is fact and how much is perception and/or current practice.  Most states have education departments that review and "approve" degree programs at both public and private institutions.  Other institutions can object and claim programs are "duplicative."  The states I am aware of permits this but it isn't binding - it does not automatically mean such a program is disallowed.  In some cases, it is a mere formality to send the program proposal to the state agency, but that agency has no real power to approve or disapprove.  What I am wondering about Maryland is how much of what you are stating is correct as a matter of law or policy, or how much does it reflect the current practice of the state agency.  Can you clarify a bit?

[dismalist]

MHEC is a piece of work. One has to give details of a new program, well, in detail. That's bureaucracy!

But they're not idiotic. I have memories that MHEC is worried about duplication in general and threats to HBCU's in particular when this comes at the expense of State funds.

The law governing MHEC has not changed:

A public institution whose new or amended program is not approved may not implement the program.

A non-profit institution may implement a non-approved program but risks losing any State funding as determined by the legislature.

A for-profit institution can do whatever the hell it pleases.

[BadWolf]

I'm not doubting you, but I hope you can explain a bit more about how much of what you are stating is fact and how much is perception and/or current practice.  Most states have education departments that review and "approve" degree programs at both public and private institutions.  Other institutions can object and claim programs are "duplicative."  The states I am aware of permits this but it isn't binding - it does not automatically mean such a program is disallowed.  In some cases, it is a mere formality to send the program proposal to the state agency, but that agency has no real power to approve or disapprove.  What I am wondering about Maryland is how much of what you are stating is correct as a matter of law or policy, or how much does it reflect the current practice of the state agency.  Can you clarify a bit?

It's Maryland law. COMAR (Code of Maryland regulations) Title 13b.