Two years in the past, Maryland settled a half-billion-dollar lawsuit to finish a multi-decade lawsuit claiming that the state intentionally underfunded traditionally Black schools and universities (HBCUs).
The go well with argued that HBCUs have been devalued and underfunded by predominantly white establishments (PWIs) creating duplicative applications close by, thus decreasing attendance at HBCUs.
A 2013 court docket ruling discovered that duplicative applications perpetuate segregation. Now, Morgan State College President David Wilson is accusing Towson of making a replica doctoral enterprise program, in clear violation of the lawsuit. He additionally mentioned that Towson is planning one other duplicative program in bioenvironmental science.
President Wilson despatched letters to Maryland state Sen. Brian Feldman (D-District 15), chair of the Senate Committee on Training, Vitality, and the Surroundings, and Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary (D-District 13), chair of the Home Methods and Means Committee, asking for intervention within the course of. Atterbeary plans to satisfy with Wilson and Maryland Greater Training (MHEC) leaders later this month.
“We consider there’s duplication. Two, the proposed program at Towson would trigger hurt to the present program at Morgan. And three, we should not have an academic justification for the duplication,” mentioned Emily Dow, the MHEC assistant secretary for Tutorial Affairs, throughout a web based assembly on June 14.
“I want to acknowledge the company’s specific effort to encourage Towson to work with Morgan to develop a program that’s not duplicative of Morgan’s current program,” she continued.
Nevertheless, the Maryland Greater Training Fee voted to approve the brand new program at Towson in a 4-3 vote final month whereas in closed session, overriding her previous evaluation.
The chair of the MHEC disagreed with Dow’s ruling.
“The choice is predicated upon the dedication that Towson’s proposed program shouldn’t be unreasonably duplicative of Morgan’s Ph.D. in Enterprise Administration typically or of the focus in Provide Chain and Logistics Administration,” wrote now-previous MHEC Mary Pat Chair Seurkamp, whose time period expired July 1. “The bulk discovered that whereas some parts of the applications had been comparable, in the end the 2 applications have distinct variations of their curricula. This discovering was made with the understanding that Towson’s admission standards for this system are geared towards college students who’ve a STEM background. Moreover, we discovered that there was inadequate proof of demonstrable hurt to the present program at Morgan.”
The first variations between the applications are that Towson’s doctoral program would require a STEM background. Nevertheless, that was not included in Towson’s utility for mentioned program.