Proposed plan to merge University of Maryland's College Park and Baltimore campuses faces resistance
The Baltimore Sun
October 24, 2011
With the board that oversees Maryland's university system just two months from deciding whether to back a merger of its largest research campuses, Baltimore civic leaders are lining up against any move that would place the city's campus under out-of-town control.
The idea of merging the University of Maryland, Baltimore with the state's flagship campus in College Park initially was floated by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, who says the combined university would become one of the most prestigious in the nation. At Miller's behest, the General Assembly passed legislation this spring requiring the Board of Regents to study the issue and submit a report in December. The regents will hold the first in a series of public hearings on the issue Friday afternoon at UMB and next Friday in College Park.
Critics say Miller, who represents Prince George's County, is trying to boost the renown of College Park at the expense of the Baltimore institution. They say the merger's impact would be the equivalent of Baltimore losing a corporate headquarters that employs thousands and generates more than $400 million a year in research spending.
