Latest news with #UMES
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UMB, UMES, Morgan State face layoffs, cuts due to budget constraints
The University of Maryland, Baltimore; Morgan State University; and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore are undergoing staff reductions and other cuts due to a budget crunch. Both the UMB and UMES are part of the University System of Maryland, which is comprised of 12 schools and three regional centers. The system is facing shortfalls. The governor's budget called for a $111 million reduction in funding as the state grappled with a $3.3 billion deficit. The universities will get $2.21 billion in state funding in fiscal year 2026. UMB will eliminate around 30 vacant positions and lay off about 30 full-time staff due to the cuts, President Bruce E. Jarrell said in a Monday letter to employees. In addition, 'modest salary reductions' will impact about 1,000 people, while the deans and vice presidents of various departments, as well as Jarrell, will take undetermined pay cuts to offset a portion of the budget deficit. Moore did announce in March a 1% cost-of-living adjustment for all state employees this past legislative session, which includes state-funded regular faculty and staff positions, including collective bargaining unit employees. 'We are all in this together and must stand together,' Jarrell wrote. UMES will eliminate all positions that have been vacant for three or more years and institute a hiring freeze with 'rare exceptions.' The historically Black university also plans to reduce costs through attrition, cuts to the temporary workforce and furloughs, among other initiatives. 'We are enacting these measures to minimize the impact on our faculty, staff, and their families,' UMES President Heidi M. Anderson said in a Tuesday statement. 'This will be a difficult period for everyone, but these efforts will make our university, our region and our state all the stronger moving forward.' UMES employees will receive a 'modest' cost of living adjustment with their pay, the school announced. To offset cuts, Morgan State, which is a public university, implemented a hiring freeze on nonessential roles, eliminated 35 vacant positions and plans to lay off 15 staff members, almost half of earlier projections, by making cuts in other areas, according to a university spokesperson Tuesday. No tenured or tenure-track faculty positions were affected. 'We are deeply mindful of the potential job loss this process may entail for some members of our dedicated staff,' Morgan State officials said in a statement. 'The University did not arrive at these decisions lightly. Every step taken was grounded in sound fiscal management and compassionate leadership, with the goal of protecting the long-term health and sustainability of the institution.' Towson University has instituted a hiring pause for fiscal year 2025 but is still planning for fiscal 2026, according to a university spokesperson Tuesday. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Frostburg State University said they are still assessing their budgets. Salisbury University said it was not planning any layoffs. The University of Maryland, College Park said Tuesday that it didn't have any information to provide; and the University of Baltimore, Bowie State University and Coppin State University did not respond to questions. 'There are many reasons to be pessimistic, but I am not,' Jarrell wrote. 'This moment, though challenging, also provides an opportunity — for collaboration, innovation, and growth. I know that we will find our way through this, we will maintain our mission, and we will find new opportunities to excel. We will come out stronger, together.' Other schools nationwide have also implemented hiring freezes, such as the University of Vermont, North Carolina State University, the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego, according to a report by the Associated Press. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@ or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FAMU board interviews presidential search finalist, alum Rondall Allen during campus visit
As Florida A&M University begins hosting campus visits during an ongoing presidential search, finalist Rondall Allen returns to the 'Highest of Seven Hills' as the first of the candidates being interviewed by the Board of Trustees. The FAMU alumnus comes with over 20 years of leadership experience in higher education across four different states. But he says most importantly, he's a product of his alma mater. 'I'm a son of FAMU,' Allen said May 12 during an interview with the FAMU board in the university's Grand Ballroom. He currently serves as the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), where he is also a professor of pharmacy. 'When students look at me, they can see themselves,' he added. 'I've walked some of the same halls, I've stood in some of the same lines and I've sat in some of the same seats as most students.' Allen is one of FAMU's four presidential finalists, which include University of Central Florida Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Gerald Hector, Charter Communications' Group Vice President of State Government Affairs Marva Johnson – an ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis who is strongly disliked by many in the university community – and FAMU Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Donald Palm, who is lauded. FAMU's presidential search comes after former President Larry Robinson stepped down last year, which led to interim President Timothy Beard stepping in to serve in the role since August for a one-year term. But on the forefront of discussions regarding the search are circulating rumors about political influence and a lack of transparency. Despite the ongoing controversies, the hunt for FAMU's 13th leader is moving closer to its end as the university hopes to have its new president named by this summer. Allen graduated from FAMU's College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in pharmacy before going on to earn his doctoral degree in pharmacy from Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) in 1993. Besides serving as a current administrator and professor at UMES, Allen has also served in roles including acting vice president for Strategic Initiatives for several months and dean of the university's School of Pharmacy and Health Professions for over six years. UMES is a public, 1890 land-grant HBCU (historically Black college or university) – similar to FAMU – and is located in Princess Anne, Maryland. It has approximately 2,900 students enrolled compared to FAMU's enrollment of nearly 10,000 students. During Allen's interview on campus, four trustees – chair Kristin Harper, vice chair Deveron Gibbons, Nicole Washington and FAMU Student Body President Zayla Bryant – were the only board members who attended in person while the others participated virtually. 'Leading a university requires a confident and receptive administrator who can make critical decisions and pursue strategic courses of action,' Harper told Allen as she asked him to describe one of the challenges he faced during his career, how he navigated it and the results. Allen referred to his experience of taking on a dean position at UMES during a time when the university's Physician Assistant Program was placed on probation. He says his team was able to help 'bring the program back' with three graduating classes that all had first-time pass rates over 90%. When it comes to the university's rankings in the U.S. News and World Report, Allen's vision for FAMU consists of getting it to first place among public and private HBCUs while also getting it to the top 50 among public national universities. Currently, the university is ranked No. 3 among both public and private HBCUs – while maintaining its No. 1 place in the public category for five consecutive years – and No. 81 among the nation's public schools. 'FAMU right now needs someone who is intentional and knows how to grow the academic portfolio,' Allen said. 'We need someone who can secure strategic funding as I've done in the past. Someone who's committed to student success... making sure that our retention rates are up and making sure faculty development is in place.' Following the four days of campus visits this week, the university's trustees will meet May 16 to vote and select a sole finalist for president. Their selection will be subject to an interview and confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors. 'As the interim president of FAMU, I and my administrative team will be committed to ensure a smooth and successful transition occurs when the 13th president is selected,' Beard said in a video clip that was rolled at the end of Allen's interview. Following Allen's interview with the trustees are other sessions in his packed daily schedule during the campus visit, which includes meetings with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. 'It's an honor for me to be a finalist,' Allen said. 'FAMU molded and shaped me. The values that I have today are because of my experience here at FAMU. I want to be a part of the innovation and all the great things happening right now and that will continue to happen, and it would be a privilege for me to be able to come back and give to this institution that has given so much to me.' Additional details about the finalists and the daily campus visit schedules can be found on FAMU's Presidential Search website at Tarah Jean is a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at tjean@ Follow her on X: @tarahjean_. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU trustees interview presidential search finalist Rondall Allen
CBS News
05-03-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Restored decades-old federal scholarship program for HBCUs supports nation's food supply
A decades-old federal scholarship program designed for 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities has been restored after it was temporarily suspended by the Trump administration's Department of Agriculture. The 1890 National Scholarship pays the full tuition of selected students from underserved communities to study sciences, such as agriculture and food safety. The 1890 scholar program is accepting applications for the next school year. The deadline is March 15. Maryland HBCU highlights program's efforts The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is highlighting the work of its students and how this federal funding is helping those students support the nation's food supply. "People don't know that agriculture is everything," said student Almazi Matthews. "It's very hard to be in a field that is outside of agriculture in some way." Also known as UMEC, the school has been known for several decades to matriculate students directly into the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the 1890 National Scholars Program. The program provides full tuition to students studying agriculture at 19 HBCUs across the country. "A lot of our students who receive training and work in the lab are first-generation students from underrepresented communities," said Dr. Sadanand Dhekney, a professor at UMES. "Our main goal is just to improve food safety and quality of different types of food," said Dr. Salina Parveen, a UMES professor. Protecting the nation's food supply Through UMES' School of Food Science and Technology, students and their faculty work hand-in-hand perfecting their craft to protect our nation's food supply. In one lab, they are working to prevent food contamination and illness. "To address this issue, our lab is conducting research on different aspects of food safety, such as poultry, seafood and fresh produce," Parveen said. "On the other hand, if you look at these plants, they're completely clean," Dhekney added. Vital and tedious work happens in these labs to get food safely from the farm to the fork. "Our role is to find the genetic mechanism of resistance," Dhekney said. "Why does one species of grapes have extreme resistance to a disease where the other species of grapes are so susceptible?" "It's about keeping our food system secure from the start of the chain to the end," Matthews said. "It's like, OK, can we grow it, can we package it, can we sell it, is it safe? So there is a lot that goes into it before it gets to the grocery store." Restoring the 1890 program The security and stability of the program came under attack in February when the USDA suspended the program before restoring it days later Dr. Heidi Anderson, UMES's 16th president, immediately got to work. "We were able to work behind the scenes, working with our federal agencies and with our congressional leadership, and were able to get the scholarships reversed," Anderson said. Inspired For now, at least, upon graduation, scholars like Matthews are able to join the USDA to work in the area where she studied and served summer internships.
