Compliance with USM Textbook Policy: May 1 Publication

The Board of Regents passed the USM Policy on Textbook Affordability Measures at the February 13 meeting held at Towson University.  One of the more progressive portions requires all textbook selections to be finalized and published by May 1 for fall semesters and December 1 for spring semesters in II.1 of the policy.  This allows both for early access for students and assurances for the bookstore on which books will be used in the coming semester.  This advance knowledge allows bookstores to purchase textbooks at a higher price during buy-back.  The policy reads (III.10.II.1):

All University System of Maryland degree-granting institutions shall post on the institutional website ISBN, title, author, publisher, and edition for required course material as soon as faculty members and the bookstore have finalized the textbook selection but no later than May 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester.  In the case that a course has not been assigned a faculty member by the given deadline, textbook selection shall be conducted and communicated to enrolled students expeditiously upon selection of the materials.

As of May 1, today, 7 USM institutions have complied with the USM policy.  They include:

• University of Maryland, Baltimore County
  
• University of Maryland, College Park
  
• Bowie State University
  
• Towson University
  
• Salisbury University
  
• University of Baltimore
• University of Maryland, Baltimore

 Four institutions have not complied with the USM Policy:

• University of Maryland University College
• Coppin State University
• University of Maryland, Eastern Shore
• Frostburg State University
  

I have been in contact with USM officials on this issue.  Preliminary discussion yields that the USM is under the impression that the newly passed state legislation "trumps" the USM Policy in this area.  The state legislation requires that universities publish textbook selections on their websites three weeks after the original selection by the professor and one week after for other bookstores.  There is no specific drop-date as in the USM policy.

But there are a few problems with the USM intepretation.  First, the USM Policy should be in effect already becuase it goes into implementation with the textbook selection process for classes in Fall 2009.  Second, and more importantly, the USM policy goes further than the state legislation, in setting a drop-date deadline (May 1 for fall and December 1 for spring) and requires immediate publication upon finalization of the order.

Because compliance with the USM policy does not preclude compliance with state law, why cannot the USM policy be followed?  The language goes further than the state legislation.  More details and updates to come...

Tution Freeze Vote set for Thursday, what do you think?

The Board of Regents will meet in a special session on Thursday, April 23 at 11am at Towson University to vote on tuition and mandatory fee rates for the 2009-2010 academic year.  The Board will consider a tuition freeze for in-state, undergraduate students.  Out-of-state tuition increases for undergraduate students does not exceed 4%, and for graduate students does not exceed 7%.  The Governor is set to hold a press conference to announce the Board's decision immediately after.  If the Board chooses to approve the tuition freeze, in-state, undergraduate students will not have seen an increase in tuition in five years.

The Chancellor has recommended, specifically, the tuition freeze for in-state undergraduates.  The Governor in his original proposed budget set aside $16 million to fund the lost revenue from the tuition freeze.  The legislature cut $5.9 from the base budget and a one-time fund balance cut of $9 million.  Additionally, the $16 million now is funded through the federal stimulus dollars, which will run dry after two years.

I support the proposed tuition freeze, becuase I believe that the provided budget serves the system well in maintaining quality and expanding access for in-state undergraduates.  While the subsequent cuts from the legislature will be felt, Maryland sits better than all other states during this diffucult time.

Members of the USM Student Council echoed its previous concerns of an "unfunded" tuition freeze, of which this is partially unfunded.  Members explained that they were concerned that politics was taking control of tuition.  Further, they expressed that policy leaders must engage in long-term planning to prevent major tuition increases in out years.  They explained that tuition predictability was just as important as affordability.  The USMSC has asked to address the Board of Regents at the meeting.

Even with the lost tuition revenues from the in-state, undergraduate tuition freeze, the operating budget fares better in the USM than any other place in the United States.  Despite the proposed budget cuts, USM saw an increase in state support.

What are your thoughts on a tuition freeze?

Student Costs in Higher Education

"How much does it cost to go to college?"  Too many of us have simply looked at the "tuition" dollar and assumed that was it.  Yet, those of us in school know this is only the beginning.  And the next question most of us ask is "where does our money go?"  So, here are some answers!

Costs in Higher Education:

• Tuition (UMBC - $6484 in-state/$9500 state for in-state students/$15216 out of state) - This money is used to operate the university function.  This means most everything besides the student union, athletics, residential life, and dining services.  Out-of-state students see the real cost of tuition, while in-state students receive a hefty "supplement" from the state government that goes directly to the university.
• Mandatory Fees (UMBC - $2296) - Everyone pays the same for this.  These fees help pay for non-primary functions, such as transportation, athletics, and student activities.  It also helps repay debt service for non-primary buildings on campus, such as the student union and other facilities.  
• Room (UMBC - 5500 for a dorm room) - Room costs pay for residential life facility use and for programming.  Prices range on the availability of amenities like a kitchen, bathroom, etc.  Also, the status of a single room can also cost more.  Apartment style is usually the most expensive option.
• Board (UMBC - 3460 full meal plan) - Means plans can cost a lot for students.  Students can purchase smaller plans, but here is the full cost of food if one chooses to eat on campus.
• Lab Fees - Lab fees vary, but usually occur more in science and technology courses.  
• Textbooks (Average $1000 per year) - Textbooks.  They cost a lot (although check out this policy  that I helped pass through the USM to lower the cost.)  Again, this cost depends on discipline.  Some courses can get away with more inexpensive options, while others cannot.  100 level courses often have the most burdensome selections with bundles and many supplemental materials.
• other institutional costs ( a range) - This can include transcript fees, graduation fees, lost books, parking tickets, student event tickets, etc.
• Total cost - for an out-of-state student, costs reach close to $35,000.  For in-state students, they reach about $20,000.

So there's the breakdown.  It's a lot of money, but the pot is sectioned off for sure.  Thoughts on cost?

Tuition Freeze: Keeping it in Perspective

I have long been a supporter of funded tuition freezes.  As with any meaningful policy, students range in perspective on the issue of tuition freezes.  Hard-line affordability advocates have long cried that colleges waste student tuition dollars on frivolous expenditures, and that holding the line on revenues would force universities to cut the fat.  Other students have criticized tuition freezes as "political" policy, at the expense of educational quality.  In other words, politicians sacrifice the quality of education for students in exchange for votes.

The sound bite of "tuition freeze" does not do justice to the full policy.  It describes the tuition revenues with out the accompanying state revenues.  Some tuition freezes are really tuition subsidies, in which the state covers the bill for increased tuition for in-state, undergraduate students.  Others are true caps on tuition without state subsidy support, decreasing the real revenue for the university (adjusted for inflation).  So,a funded tuition freeze is like an across-the-board scholarship for students from the state.  An unfunded tuition freeze is like the BGE cap on electricity rates.  The result in the latter scenario is large increases when the cap comes off.

In Maryland, we have experienced three tuition freezes and are expecting a fourth.  The first, under the Ehrlich  Administration, is characterized as an "unfunded" tuition freeze.  The latter two and proposed fourth, under the O'Malley Administration, are considered funded tuition freezes.  I support funded tuition freezes, and don't support unfunded freezes.  In response to critics who describe the waste in higher education, I highlight the Effectiveness and Efficiency Initiative , which has derived cost savings for the USM of 1 to 2 % of the budget.  The tuition subsidy proposed in the FY2010 budget amounts to $16.9 million.  The USM Board of Regents has established an arrangement with the Governor that he must "buy" tuition freezes up and above the proposed operating budget allocations.

I had the opportunity to talk with a reporter from The State News, the Michigan State University independent newspaper regarding the tuition freeze policy in Maryland.  I described the policy in Maryland, and also cautioned about the possible negative impacts of suffering quality that can derive from artificial revenue caps.  Check out the article  to see for yourself.

I am often found defending the policy under its current merits, and rarely explain the caveats of which I include in my position.  I support funded tuition freezes, but only if not at the cost of decreasing quality.

The Sun: More Maryland families choosing USM institutions

The Sun highlighted today in an article a trend of more Maryland high school students choosing to attend public institutions in Maryland.  

The article highlights that admission applications are up at USM schools.  While this is great for our schools and for Marylanders, the consequence is that students who likely would have been admitted to USM institutions previously many not be admitted now.  As the demand increases, the supply cannot respond as quickly.

USM Passes Policy on Textbook Affordability Measures

The USM Board of Regents unanimously supported the Policy on textbook Affordability Measures yesterday at a meeting at Towson University.  The policy is excepted to cut textbook costs for students by 20-30%.  

The Sun  the Policy and also wrote anin support of the action.

Coverage on the development:

The Sun (covered /  editorial )

Washington Post

The Capital

The Diamondback

Board of Regents set to approve Textbook Policy

The Board of Regents will consider the proposed "Policy on Textbook Affordability Measures" at tomorrow's full Board meeting at Towson University.  The effort stems from the Textbook Affordability Summit held on November 24th by the USM.  The policy includes a number of provisions, that when coupled with the federal law addressing textbooks, will significantly decrease the cost for students.  

The policy ensures that:

• students recieve ISBN numbers and other information regarding textbook selections well in advance of the beginning of the semester to ensure that students can shop competitively outside the bookstore
• deadlines for book finalization are set prior to the conclusion of classes in order to maximize the book buy-back process
• best practices for faculty regarding new editions of textbooks and bundling
• faculty can allow students to purchase older editions of an assigned book of the content is of relevant educational content
• bookstores stock both unbundled and bundled versions of materials
• students have the opportunity to review the use of course materails through final course evaluations
• faculty are educated of the policy each semester.

While legislation has been proposed by state legislators to address the problem, I question how provisions in this bill could negatively impact students.  The bill generally reiterates, in a number of places, positive provisions included in the federal textbook bill and the USM policy.  Yet, additional costs will likely rise for students as additional red-tape and regulation is inserted in the textbook adoption process, in the form of increased cost of books at the campus bookstore.  Additionally, limitations and unnecessary burdens on faculty could limit and frustrate the work and academic freedom of faculty.

The policy should pass the Board of Regents tomorrow, and should provide a comprehensive and workable policy to help lower the cost of textbooks.

Stacking up the House and Senate Stimulus Package

Higher Ed Watch provides a thorough review  of the developments in the federal stimulus package.  Generally, the Senate version of the bill has significantly less funding for higher education.  The cut in state stabilization dollars could have a significant impact on higher education funding and the proposed tuition freeze.  Here is a chart stacking the two proposals side-by-side.

USM Textbook Policy to be passed

Chancellor Kirwan, USM staff, and the Board of Regents were very receptive to amendments to the textbook policy at yesterday's Education Policy Committee Meeting of the Board of Regents.  After some conversation, the Board agreed to adopt the policy in principle, with expectations for amendments in coming days.  The Board is set to vote on the policy at its February 13th meeting at Towson. (Copy of new draft / marked-up version).

The policy is quite timely, considering that the Senate's Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee will review the textbook legislation (SB 183).  This legislation causes some concern, with possible undue burdens on bookstores and institutions, evenutally increasing costs for students.  I have draft testimony for your consideration--let me know what you think.

Also, see an article from The Diamondback on yesterday's meeting.

Board of Regents Considers Textbook Policy

The Board of Regents and the University System of Maryland sponsored a Textbook Affordability Summit in December.  The BOR's Effectiveness and Efficiency Workgroup, led by Regent David Nevins, took up the task and has since developed a draft policy for the USM.

The Education Policy Committee will meet today at UMCP to discuss the policy.  See a copy of the policy, with my proposed amendments outlined in red.  

At debate will be to what extent should the BOR mandate clauses, as opposed to make broad suggestions and guidelines.  The debate is rooted in two principles of delegation of authority: academic freedom for faculty and institutional autonomy.

The policy has significant implications, in light of pending state legislation (HB 85 / SB 183).  The System my very well be able to stymie state regulation if the policy is broad and strict enough to meet expectations of legislators.  At the same time, a strict policy may be opposed by institutional and faculty representatives.

Of note, the policy with my amendments includes regulations that:

- release textbooks selections by December 1 for Spring Semester and May 1 for the fall semesters (include ISBN, author, edition, publisher, copyright date, and title)

- ensure that faculty consider the price before assigning a book

- have faculty consider using the same textbook for multiple semesters in a row

- ensure professors only assign new editions when necessary, and have them list all editions that are acceptable for use

- encourage faculty to unbundle book selections

- permit students to access electronic versions of books

- encourage faculty to use online documents and resources in class

- encourage faculty to be judicious in selecting books

- outline the procedure for assigning "recommended" materials

- require the assignment of "integrated" textbooks to be approved by Provosts

- include the use of textbooks as a measure for course evaluations

Tuition Freeze Debated, Front and Center

The policy debate of freezing tuition for in-state, undergraduate students has come to the spotlight in recent days.  Despite the challenging financial times in the state, the Governor has brought the proposal to the fore heralding it as one of his highlights of the budget proposal.  In his State of the State Address, O'Malley took on critics directly:

Is the fight for affordable college about politics??? You’re darn right it’s about politics. It’s about the politics of inclusion. It’s about the politics of prosperity. It’s about the politics of opportunity. It’s about the politics of posterity. It’s about the politics of my kids and yours. It’s about the politics of the hardworking people we serve. You’re darn right it’s about politics.

Legislative leaders have a different perspective on the issue, particularly Senate President Mike Miller, highlighted in The Sun today.  House Speaker Mike Busch has spoken out, explaining that increased investment should be made in community colleges.  The Governor has invested $16.9 million in the FY2010 budget to fund the tuition freeze.

USM officials, though, stand strong behind the Governor.  Chancellor Kirwan highlights the psycological access impediment of "sticker shock."  As many of us know, relying solely upon financial aid and loans for funding a college education is unreliable and stressful.

The Commission to Develop the Maryland Model for Funding Higher Education, commonly known as the Bohanan Comission, proposed in its final report that Maryland strive to reach the 50th percentile in tuition costs in the United States.  Currently, tuition at public institutions ranks 16th in the US and will rank 18th if a tuition freeze is funded this year.  Notably, after two years of double-digit increases in tuition under the Ehrlich administration, tuition in Maryland shot up to 6th nationally.

It's important to put the cost of education into perspective for Maryland families.  Between 2002 and 2007, tuition costs grew by 44.7%.  At the same time, median income grew by only 16.4%.  In other words, tuition is growing three times as fast as family wealth, making higher education significantly less affordable for Maryland families.  Trends like this make higher education less and less a public comodity and more for those who can afford it or earn merit scholarships.  And, in tough fiscal times, families who are not eligible for financial aid are struggling to pay for college otherwise.

USM officials and the Governor recognize the need to maintain affordability for Maryland students and families.  Instead of expanding quality during tough times, legislators should maintain their dedication to holding the line on affordability to ensure that college remains a public good.

A Night with the UMB USGA

Wednesday night, I had the opportunity to meet with about 40 student leaders of the USGA at the University of Maryland, Baltimore to discuss happenings in Annapolis and throughout the USM.  The vast majority were graduate students, a change-up of sorts for me because by nature of enrollments, most students that I interact with are undergraduates.

We spoke about the realities of funding of graduate schools and that from the state's perspective, is often a secondary priority.  The Governor has emboldened his support for a tuition freeze this week for in-state, undergraduate students.  Many graduate students have argued that such a policy sets up graduate students to pay for undergraduate tuition freezes.  I explained that the USM has made it a strong policy that only through full-funding of the operating budget with the USM agree to a tuition freeze.  In other words, the Board of Regents will only approve a tuition freeze if all other costs are covered.

Other issues were raised during the meeting, such as the varying increases in tuition for in-state and out-of-state students.  For instance, in the law school at UMB, out-of-state fees raised 4.3% last year, while in-state tuition increased 7.4%.  The intention of such a move is to attract the best and brightest out-of-state students to UMB Law to drive up the prestige.  I look forward to continued conversations regarding tuition policies for graduate students.

Without a doubt, graduate students are a vital component of the Maryland workforce.  The question we analyze is what is most efficient and fair use of dollars appropriated to higher education, between undergraduate and graduate students.

Ice storm a sign of things to come??

I couldn't help but draw the connection this morning between this unusually heavy ice storm and the Governor's proposed tuition freeze.  Most of us were "frozen" out of our cars, buildings, and sidewalks.  Check out this picture of Annapolis frozen over (from The Sun).

The Governor continues to make it clear that he wants to hold the line on the tuition freeze.  Last night, he sent a note to supporters reiterating his intentions:

January 27, 2009

A Message from Governor O'Malley

Dear Friends,
Recently, we gathered to release the FY 2010 budget for the State of Maryland. The proposed budget closes a projected $2 billion shortfall due to the national recession and at the same time protects the progress we have made in improving public education, workforce investments and making college more affordable.
We are committed to ensuring that college is both affordable and accessible for anyone who is willing to work hard for a better future, which is why we are providing a fourth straight year of zero percent increase for in-state college tuition, expanding opportunities for higher education so our children will not have their college dreams deferred. This means that students entering Maryland's University System four years ago will graduate this year without their tuition ever having gone up.
Our investments in higher education are evidenced by the selection of four Maryland campuses among the nation's top 50 "Best value" public colleges by the Princeton Review: Towson University, Salisbury University, St. Mary's College of Maryland and the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
In our efforts to protect our higher education progress, we are proposing:

• To include $16.9 million in the FY2010 budget to continue the tuition freeze; and
• To continue the "tuition freeze" for in-state undergraduates at Maryland's public 4-year higher education institutions for a fourth consecutive year.

As a result of the commitment we have made together to higher education, the University System of Maryland (USM) will have gone from having the sixth highest tuition in the nation in 2004 to having the 18^th, according to an analysis of national public university tuition data. Working together, we can continue to ensure that tomorrow's workforce will benefit from the investments we are making today.
Martin O'Malley
Governor

If nothing else, I guess last night's freezing storm is simply a warning sign to those who are thinking about standing in the way...

Higher Ed's Corner of the State Budget

In the fall of 2007, many of us spent time lobbying state legislators and policymakers to establish the first ever dedicated funding source for higher education in the United States.  You may recall emails from the administration or SGA volunteers asking you to contact your legislators to lobby for increased funding for higher education.  And, a number of student leaders participated in a Higher Education Rally in Annapolis during the heart of the 2007 Special Session.  The vehicle for this funding was the Higher Education Investment Fund, or HEIF.

Specifically, the HEIF is funded through a half-percent increase in the corporate income tax.  It is estimated that the state could recieve upwards of $66.5 million this coming year from the fund, according to the 2009 Dept. of Legislative Services Fiscal Briefing.  Originally intended to "supplement" and not "supplant" current funding in higher education, it's unclear whether on not the fund actually brings more money to higher education.  Possibly the fund is more symbolic than anything else, suring up a mandate for higher education, albeit a small fraction of the state's usual support for higher education.

The original passage of HEIF had a sunset clause included for 2009, as an emergency valve if slots did not pass in November 2008.  Slots passed, and so the Governor has proposed to reauthorize the dedicated funding source.  It seems like the bill will pass the legislature.

The real question, though, is whether the HEIF will return to "supplemental" status, as opposed to "supplanting" status, if/when fiscal times looks better.

Need-based Financial Aid...with a twist

A research institute out of New York, MDRC, recently conducted research  through its "Open Doors" grant program.  Unlike other need-based college access programs, "Open Doors" includes a performance-based component, requiring students to obtain a "C" average in courses and be enrolled at least part-time.  The study found that these Louisiana community college students stayed in school longer, achieved more credits, and earned higher GPAs.


While this specific program is designed for community college students, the concept could be transferred to higher education.  While some merit-based scholarship programs may consider need, why not include some performance standards for need-based financial aid?

Textbooks: Progress for some, others lagging

Textbook affordability has been a "hot-button" issue in the University System of Maryland, resulting from pending legislation in Annapolis and a Summit held by the USM Board of Regents.  Suffice it to say, faculty, bookstores, and publishers have been questioned and pressured to make the best textbook selections by considering the cost of books in the process.

One of the most basic, but significant changes, is the publication of the universal book identifier, ISBN number.  The ISBN allows students to identify the specific textbook through outside providers in order to shop competitively outside the university bookstore.  At the beginning of the Spring 2009 semester, where do USM institutions stand?

• University of Maryland, College Park, UMBC, and Towson all publish ISBN numbers on their public, bookstore webpages.
• At UMB and UB, the bookstore provides a detailed description, including title, edition, publisher, and author, on their webpage.  Of note, these two institutions do not provide ISBN numbers.
• At Bowie, UMES, and Salisbury, the bookstore simply provides the title of the textbook selection and the author.  No ISBN or edition number is provided.
• At Coppin, there is no online list of textbook selections.
• At UMUC and Frostburg, the bookstore can only be accessed through a student log-in, so I was unable to access the list.

Some progress has been made on "opening" the market of textbooks.  Students at UMCP, UMBC, Towson, UMB, and UB could fairly easily find textbooks outside of the university bookstore, while students at other campuses would struggle to do so.  UMCP, UMBC, and Towson should be commended for taking the progressive step of publishing ISBN numbers.

O'Malley's FY 2010 Budget Proposed, Tuition Freeze Included

The Governor presented his proposed FY2010 budget today.  Specific to higher education, the Governor has included a tuition freeze for in-state, undergraduate students for the fourth straight year.  As highlighted on The Sun's Maryland Politics Blog, this is the first time in 25 years that expenditures will shrink for the Maryland state budget (by 1.3%).  The Governor is making his pitch loud and clear that affordable higher education is a priority of his administration, increasing funding for colleges amidst major state cutbacks.  This trend in investment is unique, whereas most Governors view higher education as true discretionary cost that should be cut during hard fiscal times.  Such is the case across the United States today, and was the case in 2003 under the Ehrlich Administration.

The Forgotten Cost in Higher Education: Textbooks

That first trip to the bookstore during our freshman year took most of us for surprise.  Accustomed to textbooks being provided in high school, few of us had any idea how expensive textbooks could be.  On average, books cost about 10% of the cost of tuition, which is quite a burden for students struggling to pay for college.

The Maryland Legislature has considered legislation in the past that would help regulate the sale of textbooks.  Fundamentally, the textbook market is flawed because those who select the good (professors) do not purchase the good (students).  In other words, without the appropriate attention to the cost of textbooks, market forces do not drive down the cost.

Textbook publishers over the years have taken advantage of this arrangement through a number of strategies.  Some providers simply do not provide the cost of materials when advertising books to professors.  Others bundle books with unnecessary supplemental materials.  Publishers also update copies of textbooks as frequently as every 18 to 24 months, in order to make old editions obsolete.

Delegate Craig Rice and Senator Paul Pinsky are sponsoring legislation, House Bill 85 , regulating the sale of textbooks in Maryland.  Highlights of the bill include requiring institutions to publish textbook selections with ISBN numbers well before the beginning of the semester, requiring bundled and unbundled packages to be sold, requiring that publishers provide the cost of textbooks to professors during textbook selection, and requiring the development of a process to ensure professors recognize the cost of course materials.

I support the bill wholeheartedly, although there likely will have to be some minor revisions to ensure passage. What are your thoughts?  What have been your experiences buying textbooks?  What could be included in legislation to make the cost of textbooks more affordable for you?

Tuition Freeze says the Governor

The Maryland General Assembly opened session yesterday.  With the budget at the fore, higher education state support will be up for debate.  Currently, 22% of the discretionary budget is directed to the University System of Maryland.  The level of state support for higher education has two related impacts on students:  quality and affordability.  As in the past and at public universities across the country, tuition is raised to offset declining state investment.

Maryland is in a bit of a different scenario because the Governor has made it a priority of his administration to increase affordability in higher education through tuition freezes.  In-state, undergradautes attending 4-year colleges have enjoyed three straight years of tuition freezes.  The Governor has vowed to do it once again, but will be challenged by the legislature.  The Governor will likely ask for an increase of $25 to $30 million for higher education alone.  A tuition freeze alone costs approximately $16 million.

Senate President Mike Miller has already spoken out against the idea of a tuition freeze, in light of proposed state layoffs possibly extending to1000 employees.  Speaker of the House Mike Busch has floated the idea if differentiated tuition increases, particularly at UMCP.  

The Governor recognizes the great need to maintain the cost of college for Maryland residents--it's one of the drivers of our state's economy and its a short-term investment that helps us retain Maryland citizens who might relocate if they attend college elsewhere.  But, what cannot happen is that quality bottoms out at our institutions through decreased state revenue support not offset by any tuition increase at all.  In other words, higher education and Maryland future cannot get caught in the middle of politics.

For the national picture, check out this article.

Coming weeks and months will be telling.  What are your thoughts on a tuition freeze?  Increasing funding for higher education while laying off state workers?

USMstudents Returns & Legislative Session Begins

Hi all.  I regret not writing for the past month, but am excited to get back in communication with you all.  With the Fall 2008 semester over and a new year and Spring 2009 semester ahead of us, we all have a lot to look forward to.

As I write, I am headed out the door to Annapolis for the official opening of the 2009 Session of the Maryland General Assembly.  The Session lasts 90 days.  This year's session will inevitably be crowded by the looming budget revenue shortfalls that have already impacted every part of state government.

For higher education, two major priorities will shadow most lobbying efforts.  First, affordability will be at the forefront of discussions at the intersection of state budget support and tuition rates.  Should the legislature choose to cut higher education significantly from the budget, the likely response will be a hefty tuition increase to offset the lost support.

The other major issue will be textbook regulation legislation.  Senator Pinsky will likely propose legislation similar to last year's Senate Bill 657 .  Some changes will be made to ensure that this bill passes this session.  Also, expect other changes at the institution level from the Textbook Affordability Summit held last month.

Other issues are expected to arise during the session that will affect higher education, such as tuition for undocumented immigrants and funding for capital projects.  I look forward to keeping in touch with you through USMstudents during the 2009 Legislative Session.