Provosts Report_MEES-USM-committee-final-report

USM COMMITTEE ON MEES: RE-ENVISIONING A SYSTEM LEVEL GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE INTRODUCTION This report was prepared at the request of the University System of Maryland (USM) Academic Affairs Advisory Council (AAAC) A committee comprised of individuals representing the academic units participating in the intercampus graduate program in Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science (MEES) was established to evaluate the MEES program and consider how it can be strengthened USM MEES Committee Dr Paulinus Chigbu – University of Maryland Eastern Shore Dr Reggie Harrell – University of Maryland College Park Dr Rodger Harvey – University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Dr Russell Hill – University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute Dr Ray Hoff – University of Maryland Baltimore County Dr Jennifer Keane-Dawes - University of Maryland Eastern Shore Dr Arthur N Popper - University of Maryland College Park Dr Michael Roman (Chair) - University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Dr Janet Rutledge - University of Maryland Baltimore County Dr Kevin Sowers - University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute Dr Karen Squibb – University of Maryland at Baltimore The charge to our committee, included in Appendix A, is summarized below:  Articulate a mission statement for the program based on a progressive vision  Recommend general curricular changes to accomplish this vision  Identify suitable administrative and funding structures for the program  Recommend goals (and paths to achieve) for how best to interface with existing environmental programs within the system  Identify appropriate target dates and methods for evaluation of the program performance and success Our committee focused on the last three parts of the charge The MEES Program Committee is currently evaluating the curriculum and focus areas of the MEES graduate program in light of the evolution of environmental science education in the last decade Under consideration are the number and subject area of MEES “tracks” of study and recommending a common set of core course requirements for each study area (as recommended by the External Review Committee) The target date to complete this evaluation is by the end of the spring 09 semester ACTIVITIES The committee noted early in its deliberations that the MEES program had not conducted an External Program Review for over a decade, though an Internal Review of the MEES Director and program was conducted in 2002 by Dr Norma Allewell, Dean of the College of Chemical and Life Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) Since there had not been a formal review of the MEES program, this committee requested that Dr Allewell convene an External Review of MEES (Appendix B) As part of the ensuing review process (which, at the direction of the Associate USM Chancellor, followed the review policies and procedures of UMD), the MEES program produced a Self-Study which summarized the structure and activities of the program (Appendix C) Following formal UMD program review policies and procedures, this self-study was provided to an external group of reviewers who visited UMD for several days to meet a diverse group of students and faculty who participate in the MEES program on various campuses, administrators from the MEES campuses, and to provide evaluation of the program Our committee was instrumental in providing guidance in the selection of the external reviewers, in providing input to the charge of the reviewers, and in designing the structure of the review itself The External Review Committee Report (Appendix D) concluded that MEES is an excellent graduate program and an important asset to the mission of the USM Their recommendations with respect to administration of the MEES program included hiring a full-time MEES Director to provide the intellectual and visionary leadership to a systemwide environmental graduate program, and strengthening the interaction between the MEES Director and the Deans, Directors and Provosts of participating campuses The External Review Committee also suggested that the USM and its campuses have an important opportunity to raise the profile and quality of their academic environmental programs by creating and developing synergies that arise by linking existing disciplinary strengths The reviewers noted that USM is well positioned to become a national leader in environmental sciences The External Review Committee recommended that USM develop a structure to coordinate their environmental programs which could serve as an intellectual and visionary umbrella for a federation of environmental science enterprises at the graduate level, of which one such enterprise is a strengthened MEES We have attached a list of several of these USM graduate programs in environmental science (Appendix E) that could be included under such a structure In response to the External Review Committee Report, there was an evaluation report by Dean Norma Allewell of the College of Chemical Life Sciences (Appendix F) followed by Dr Nariman Farvardin, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of UMD (Appendix G) Dean Allewell’s Report is in agreement with the findings of the External Review Committee, including the recruitment of an outstanding leader for the MEES program, creating a high-level USM Council to provide and coordinate campus input on the MEES program, and working towards a system-wide structure to enhance coordination and development of graduate programs in environmental science Dean Allewell also made a specific recommendation that policies and procedures be put in place within MEES to ensure that programmatic changes receive review as defined by UMD and/or USM and other campuses involved in the program The Provost’s Summary Report and Recommendations (Appendix G) also generally concurred with the External Review Committee Report At the same time, several of the issues identified in the Provost’s report merit our response  While the approximate 175 faculty members affiliated with the MEES program appears a substantial group in relation to the number of students enrolled, these faculty have various levels of participation that can enhance the program We endorse the concept proposed by Provost Farvardin to define MEES “core” faculty as those among the 175 who most fully participate in teaching, advising and programmatic oversight and then define “affiliate” faculty from the same group, and from the outside, who may have research interests pertinent to the graduate training of MEES students These “affiliate” members may conduct research relevant to the MEES research areas and can thus enhance the graduate training of the MEES students The MEES Program Committee and current Director should begin to develop the review criteria so that current MEES faculty can be placed in the appropriate categories  The enrollment of MEES doctoral students is driven primarily by the research programs of the MEES faculty While the first 1-2 years of doctoral student support may come from fellowships and teaching assistantships, students are generally supported on the research grants/contracts by their advisors for the majority of their matriculation Given this level of support, the diverse job pool available to MEES graduates in environmental science, and the excellent record of job placement of MEES graduates (as elaborated in the External Review Committee Report), there is no a priori reason at the present time to reduce the number of doctoral students in the MEES program At the same time, recognizing that research funding fluctuates, it is our recommendation that the number of MEES students continue to be dictated by funding levels, with the program having the option of shrinking when funding is not sufficient to provide support for every student, and grow when the program has sufficient funds to support additional students  We concur that an appropriate “business plan” needs to be developed for the MEES program If the MEES program is to develop the necessary administrative infrastructure and support for its graduate students, a thorough cost accounting and financial planning needs to be conducted At present, the College of Chemical and Life Sciences of UMD shoulders the full burden of the administrative costs of the MEES program (approximately $300K/y; see Appendix 4, p 60) A portion (approximately $250K/y) of the MEES tuition funds which are generated from the teaching by UMCES and UMBI faculty are returned by UMD to these institutions where in addition to State operating funds, the tuition funds are used for MEES student fellowships, travel, research and course development Other campus units participating in the MEES program also support MEES administration and students on their campuses but not the main MEES administrative office which manages the overall program, student records and the application processes RECOMMENDATIONS:  If the USM is to realize its full potential and become one of the premier universities in environmental science and sustainability, it needs to bolster the administrative support and visibility of the inter-campus MEES graduate program AND develop an administrative structure which will facilitate and foster communication and collaboration among the various environmental education and research programs within the USM As is clear in the attached inventory of example graduate environmental programs within the USM (Appendix E), the breadth of environmental expertise the USM possesses is extensive Better coordination of this rich spectrum of environmental expertise will enhance our ability to prepare graduate students to deal with the complex environmental challenges of the future Coordination of the USM environmental programs will also stimulate new research opportunities and discoveries  We support the recommendation of the External MEES Review Committee that there is a need for a full-time Director of the MEES program who possesses the scholarly background and vision to lead development of the program and take it to new levels of excellence A full-time MEES Director is needed to administer the program; promote the program within the USM; raise funds for the MEES program activities; oversee the admissions, policies, curricula and course schedules; and, enhance coordination between the MEES program and other relevant USM environmental programs An immediate task for this new full-time MEES Director is to articulate a mission statement for MEES in consultation with the MEES faculty This “mission statement” exercise should lead to a comprehensive strategic plan for MEES with goals and measurable outcomes  At the present time the home of MEES should remain in the College of Chemical and Life Sciences at UMD and report to the dean of that college We also recommend, however, that since MEES is an inter-institutional program a MEES Advisory Board comprised of Provosts, or their representatives, from the participating campuses and Chaired by the USM Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs should be established Regular communication between the MEES Director and this MEES Advisory Board will enhance the viability of MEES on the various campuses, insure uniformity of policies and standards as well as promote better coordination of environmental graduate programs  The current MEES operating/administrative budget is relatively small and provided 100% by the UMD College of Chemical and Life Sciences There is pressing need to increase the funds available for administration of the program, and this will be particularly true when a new director is hired UMD cannot be expected to provide additional administrative funding for operation of the central office Thus, we recommend that a system be developed for additional funds to be provided to the administration of MEES from each unit having MEES students One option would be in the form of a “tax” based on the number of MEES students at that unit averaged over the previous three years (to average out funding)  As described in the External Review of the MEES program “This prominent university system has excellence in all of the important areas of scholarship and education for most of the environmental challenges that face Maryland, the United States, and the world However these pockets of excellence appear to be narrowly constrained because they are rarely brought together around large, interdisciplinary questions – one of the side effects of the decentralized culture.” We support the recommendation of the External Review Committee that USM create an “umbrella” structure (e.g “Maryland Institute of the Environment and Sustainability”) with the goal of coordinating existing USM graduate-level efforts in environment and sustainability, including MEES, to stimulate truly interdisciplinary graduate training This proposed umbrella structure would raise the profile of environmental graduate education and research at USM within the State of Maryland, nationally and internationally This enhanced visibility and coordination of environmental programs would increase the application of the best and brightest graduate students and help with recruiting top-notch faculty who seek interdisciplinary breadth for their research The USM intercampus MEES graduate program is nationally recognized for the quality of the graduate students produced and their interdisciplinary training The MEES program can be enhanced even further by hiring a full-time Director and increasing the coordination of MEES with other USM environmental graduate programs The USM has a unique opportunity to give greater prominence to its leadership in environmental science and sustainability by creating an administrative structure to coordinate and enhance its diverse environmental programs APPENDIX A February 7, 2007 Committee on MEES: Re-envisioning a System Level Graduate Program in Environmental Science Background: The University System of Maryland is unique in being the home of a large and active inter-campus graduate program in environmental science The Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Science (MEES) graduate program has been productive for over 20 years and is one of the largest graduate programs in the system (191 students currently) Students are attracted to the program because of the diversity and depth of faculty and the highly interdisciplinary nature of the program MEES faculty and students reside at many places within the UM System: UMCP, UMBC, UMB, UMES, UMCES, COMB The size and strength of its students and faculty demonstrate the potential value of a system-wide graduate program MEES is currently administered within the College of Life Sciences at College Park and the present director is Dr Ken Paynter (split UMCES/Life Sciences appointment) While the program has been extremely successful in attracting students, it has not undergone a major assessment of its curriculum and administration since its inception A number of concerns about these the curriculum, the funding, and the administration of the program have arisen in the last several years Given these concerns and the fact environmental science is emerging as one of the key research and education areas for the 21st century, the time is ripe to re-evaluate the program and consider how it can be strengthened to: 1) embrace the exciting and fundamental shifts in environmental science research that have occurred in the last decade; 2) take advantage of the academic strengths spread across the University System’s campuses; and 3) improve its governance and administration Part of the fundamental shift in environmental science has been stimulated by environmental crises that are global in nature However, the shifts have also been stimulated by the recognition that society and the environment are tightly linked and the true research frontiers are now in the arena of coupled human-natural systems Social science and policy are now viewed as integral components of environmental science from the perspective of both applied and basic research Garnering the System’s collective strengths in environmental science is an obvious need given the number of diverse campuses and departments across which relevant faculty are spread The need is also reflected in the recent emergence of new programs and centers on various campuses that focus on environmental science Put simply: the System could easily be the home of the top ranked graduate program in environmental science in the country if we forge our collective strengths to build a truly innovative graduate program and it is well administered Committee Charge: By June 1, 2007 provide a report to the AAAC that articulates a new vision for a Systemlevel graduate program in environmental science that is built on cutting-edge scholarship and innovation and that includes strengths from relevant campuses Specifically,  Articulate a mission statement for the program based a progressive vision  Recommend general curricular changes to accomplish this vision  Identify suitable administrative and funding structures for the program (where it should be housed, who the Director reports to, how the program should be funded and at what level by participating institutions, who makes decisions on admissions policies, etc)  Recommend goals (and paths to achieve) for how best to interface with existing environmental programs within the system  Identify appropriate target dates and methods for evaluation of program performance and success APPENDIX B Dean Norma Allewell College of Chemical and Life Sciences University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 July 9, 2007 Dear Dean Allewell: In February 2007, Vice Chancellor Irv Goldstein established a committee to “provide a report to the AAAC that articulates a new vision for a System-level graduate program in environmental science that is built on cutting edge scholarship and innovation and that includes strengths from relevant campuses” The Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science (MEES) graduate program has been a productive inter-campus graduate program for over 20 years Our committee is considering how MEES can take advantage of the new environmental programs that have developed in the University of Maryland System and how MEES can evolve with the new directions in environmental science research It is our understanding that the MEES program has not had the customary detailed self-study and independent review that is characteristic of a campus-based doctoral program for a considerable time We endorse such an outside review and hope that, since MEES is an inter-campus program, the review includes MEES activities at all relevant USM campuses Our hope is that this outside review of MEES can be conducted in parallel to our committee work and that the results of the outside review can be available to us this fall Thank you for considering this request Sincerely yours, Michael Roman CC: I Goldstein, K Paynter APPENDIX C Marine, Estuarine, Environmental Sciences (MEES) Graduate Program Self Study Undertaken under the auspices of the College of Chemical and Life Sciences, University of Maryland College Park April 2008 Submitted by the Marine, Estuarine, Environmental Sciences graduate program Data collected and first draft prepared by Christi Lockard, Debbie Morrin-Nordlund, and Kennedy Paynter First draft reviewed & revised by members of the MEES program committee Second draft submitted to the general MEES faculty for comments Final draft approved for submittal to the external review committee by the program committee Executive Summary This document will present a summary review of the state of the Marine, Estuarine, Environmental Sciences (MEES) graduate program Below is an outline representing the information and data that is included in the self-study Overview of the Program Institutional structure a Participating institutions b Associated institutions Governance a Applications and student management b Budget c Inter-institutional administration Curricular structure a Areas of Specialization b Course offerings c Proposed curricular changes Faculty a Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty b Faculty Research Areas Students a Population and distribution b Statistics Alumni a Recent b Notable Program Strengths and Weaknesses a Issues and Needs Summary 10 Appendix I a Brief history of the program All meetings will take place in Symons Hall, Room 01181 nd Acronyms defined on page Time 7:30 pm 9:00 pm 7:00 8:00 MEETING Sunday May 18 Dinner with Dean Norma Allewell and Associate Dean Arthur Popper Meeting of Committee to discuss review and plans Monday May 19 Breakfast at Inn and Conference Center (Committee) Pickup at Inn and Conference Center 8:30 Provost and VP for Academic Affairs Nariman Farvardin, UMCP 9:15 Dean Norma Allewell, College of Chemical and Life Sciences, UMCP Dr Kennedy Paynter, MEES Director MEES AOS Committee: Russell Hill (UMBI-COMB), Doug Ruby (UMES), Tom Miller (UMCES-CBL), Ming Li (UMCES-HPL), Bill Boicourt (UMCES-HPL), Ray Hoff (UMBC) USM Environmental Review Group: Ray Hoff (UMBC), Paulinus Chigbu (UMES), Charles Ignasias (UMES), Karen Squibb (UMCP), Arthur Popper (UMCP), Kevin Sowers (UMBI-COMB), Russell Hill (UMBI-COMB), Reggie Harrell (UMCP), Roger Harvey (UMCES), Mike Roman (UMCESCBL) Working lunch (Committee) President Donald Boesch, UM Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) SITE Visit UMBC: Faculty - Dr Janet Rutledge, Dr Chris Swan, Dr Ray Hoff, Dr Allen Bush, Dr Andy Miller, Dr Tom Cronin; Students - Nikisa Jordan, Soumya Ganguly, Gwendolyn Stanko, Carrie Depalma, Robin Van Meter, Joshua Jones, Melanie Harrison SITE Visit UMES: Dr Eric May; OTHERS Dean Charles Caramello (UMCP, College Park Graduate School) Dr Robert Schwab (Assoc Dean, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences) Dr Ron Lipsman (Assoc Dean, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences) SITE Visit UMCP: Faculty - Dr Pat Kangas (AGNR), Dr Jim Carton (CMPS), Dr James Dietz (CLFS), Dr Dave Tilley 9:45 10:30 11:15 12:00 1:00 1:30 2:30 3:30 4:00 Location Inn & Conf Ctr Garden Rest Inn & Conf Ctr Carol Granger Main Admin (Popper pickup) Symons 0118 Symons 0118 Symons 0118 Symons 0118 Symons 0118 Symons 0118 IVN IVN Symons 0118 Symons 0118 (AGNR); Students - Beth Zinecker, Alicia Wells, others TBD 5:00 7:00 8:00 8:30 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 3:30 4:00 5:15 5:45 8-10 Return to Inn and Conference Center for dinner and meetings (Committee) Tuesday May 20 Breakfast at Inn and Conference Center (Committee) Pickup and bring to campus SITE Visit UMCES-HPL: TBA Dr C Dennis Ignasias, Assoc VP Academic Affairs, UM Eastern Shore (UMES) Dr Joseph Okoh, Chair, department of Natural Sciences Dr Scott Bass, VP Research, Dean Graduate School, UM Baltimore County (UMBC) Dr Janet Rutledge, Sr Assoc Dean, Grad School Dr Tom Cronin (Biology) President Jennie Hunter-Cevera, UM Biotechnology Institute (UMBI) Dr Yoni Zohar, Director, UMBI-Center for Marine Biotechnology SITE Visit UMBI-COMB: Faculty - Dr Yoni Zohar, Dr Russell Hill, Dr Al Place, Dr Rose Jagus; Students - Kate Gillespie, Kimberly Anderson, Eytan Abraham, Sarah Bembe Working lunch (Committee) SITE Visit UMCES-AL: Faculty - Dr Bob Gardner, Dr Katia Engelhardt, Dr Bob Hilderbrand, Dr Todd Lookingbill, Dr Mark Castro, Dr Keith Eshleman; Students – Chris Moore, Jason Granberg, Marcella Suarez-Rubio, Ryan Utz SITE Visit UMCES-CBL: Faculty - Dr Margaret Palmer, Dr Tom Miller, Dr Rodger Harvey, Dr Chris Rowe, Dr Carys Mitchelmore; Students - Karen Eisenreich, Ryan Woodland, Sarah Downey, Tammy Newcomer, and Bill Connelly Dr Margaret Palmer, Director, UMCES-CBL (University System of Maryland Academic Affairs Advisory Council) Dr Erin Golembewski, Assistant Dean, Graduate School, UM, Baltimore (UMB) Dr Willaim E Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland Dean Cheng-I Wei, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, UMD Dr Frank Coale, Chair, Environmental Science and Technology Return to Inn and Conference Center for group dinner and writing (Committee) Wednesday May 21 Finish report (Committee) Carol Granger Carol Granter IVN Symons 0118 IVN Symons 0118 Symons 0118 IVN Symons 0118 & IVN (some students) Symons 0118 Symons 0118 Symons 0118 Symons 0118 Arthur Popper Inn & Conf Ctr 10 10:30 11:15 12:00 Pick up at hotel (with luggage, checkout) Meet with Dean Allewell Meet with Provost Farvardin Lunch, leave for airports NOTE: IVN polycon dial-in is: 800865 Acronyms AGNR: College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UMCP) CLFS: College of Chemical and Life Sciences (UMCP) CMPS: College of Computer, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences (UMCP) UMB: University of Maryland, Baltimore UMBC: University of Maryland, Baltimore County UMBI: COMB – UMBI Center of Marine Biotechnology UMBI: University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute UMCES: AL – UMCES Appalachian Laboratory UMCES: CBL – UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory UMCES: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science UMCES-HPL: UMCES-Horn Point Laboratory UMCP: University of Maryland, College Park UMES: University of Maryland Eastern Shore USM: University System of Maryland Carol Granger Dean's Office Main Admin APPENDIX E USM ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS UMCP-UMBC-UMB-UMES-UMCES-UMBI Graduate Program in Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Science Frostburg State University Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology Wildlife/Fisheries Biology University of Maryland Baltimore Toxicology University of Maryland Baltimore County Atmospheric Physics Civil and Environmental Engineering Geography and Environmental Systems University of Maryland, College Park Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Behavior Ecology Evolution Systematics Environmental Engineering Environmental Health Environmental Science and Technology Geography Natural Resource Science Policy Studies (Environmental Policy) Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology Urban Studies and Planning Water Quality and Environment University of Maryland Eastern Shore Toxicology University of Maryland University College Environmental Management Towson University Environmental Science Geography and Environmental Planning APPENDIX F Enclosed are the documents from the external review of the System-wide graduate program in Marine, Estuarine, Environmental Science (MEES) that was carried out in FYO8 The documents include the Self Study, the Report of the external review committee (referred to herein as the Report), the response from the Director of the MEES program, and this letter The members of the external review committee were: Dr James A Yodel; Vice President for Academic Programs and Dean, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (chair); Dr George Hornberger, Ernest H Ern Professor of Environmental Science, University of Virginia; Dr Anthony F Michaels, Director of the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Southern California; and Dr Cindy L Van Dover, Director of the Duke University Marine Laboratory and Chair, Division of Marine Science and Conversation, Duke University Associate Dean Arthur Popper managed the external review, in consultation with the USM Environmental Review Group, chaired by Professor Mike Roman, and deserves credit and thanks for executing a complex task so successfully Since the organizational structure of MEES is complex, a brief summary may be useful Further information about the institutional structure, governance, curricular structure, and history of MEES can be found in sections 1-4 and Appendix 1-A of the Self Study The founding director of MEES, Dr Robert Menzer, was a faculty member at UMD The College of Chemical and Life sciences (CLFS) at UMD, or its predecessors, has been the administrative home for the program throughout its existence, and the directors have had their laboratories on the UMD campus MEES faculty members who hold appointments at UMCES and UMBI-COMB are granted regular graduate faculty membership at UMD, and MEES graduate students at UMCES and UMBI-COMB have all the privileges of UMD graduate students Most MEES students, with the exception of students at UMES and UMBC, receive degrees through the UMD Graduate School Although MEES is administered through UMD, there is broad and full participation by several other campuses in the MEES academic program and in policy and management decisions UMCES currently has the largest number of participating faculty (61), followed by UMD (48), UMES (25), UMBI-COMB (17), UMBC (16), and UMB (8) Typically, each of the degree-granting institutions has had a MEES coordinator Throughout the history of MEES, UMCES and UMD, the two campuses with the largest number of participating faculty and students, have worked closely to develop and sustain the MEES program At the same time, the bulk of administrative funding for MEES has come from UMD For example, over the past five years, CLFS has provided an average of $308K/year to MEES, in the form of teaching assistant ships ($83K-$112K), salaries ($172K), supplies/telephone costs ($28K-$52K), and renovation of a laboratory for the Director ($258K) In addition, UMD transfers approximately $250K/year of graduate tuition revenues to UMCES and UMBICOMB Mandatory UMD graduate student activity fees are waived for MEES students from other campuses, at a total cost of approximately $4M since the inception of this policy The primary governing and policy setting body of MEES is the Program Committee, chaired by the Director, and comprised of the Chair and Chair-elect of each of the six Areas of Specialization within MEES The extent to which policy changes have been reviewed by the campuses, USM, and MHEC has been variable I recommend that policies and procedures be put in place within MEES immediately to ensure that all future programmatic changes receive full and correct review as defined by UMD and/or USM and other campuses involved in the program The external reviewers came to a number of important, strongly positive conclusions about the MEES program, its students, and the current leadership First, they found both the MEES program and its students impressive They point out that the MEES program " is excellent and an important asset to the mission of USM” (p of the Report) Second, they believe that the University of Maryland System is well positioned to become a national leader in environmental science They state (p 3) that "USM already has the faculty and programs that define it as a major player in graduate education in the environmental sciences, including ocean sciences, in the U.S." Third, they believe that Dr Paynter, and the program's assistant director, Deborah MorrinNordlund, have done an admirable job of directing, coordinating, and managing the dayto-day operations of the program I concur with the external reviewers' assessment of the quality of the MEES program and its students, and the performance of Dr Paynter and Ms Morrin-Nordlund At the same time, both the Self Study and the Report emphasize that the current organizational structure creates significant challenges, From its inception, MEES has been a "bottom up" program that developed from the commitment of faculty on several USM campuses to environmental issues This has provided flexibility, but it has also resulted in the Director being basically the first among equals, with no authority on individual campuses The absence of a robust administrative structure has hampered development of a coherent vision and has led to a number of practical issues that are presented on p and p 42 of the Self Study The external review committee gave considerable thought to the organizational framework that would best serve USM in developing graduate programs in environmental science in the future As noted above, the reviewers view USM as already well positioned to become a national leader in the environmental sciences The Report proposes two organizational models by which this goal could be achieved with the investment of the necessary resources (p 3-5 of the Report) Option involves strengthening the MEES program, both programmatically and administratively, by implementing the recommendations in the Report Option involves creating a System-wide "umbrella" structure, such as an Environmental Sciences Institute, "with the goal of organizing existing USM graduate level efforts in environment and sustainability, including MEES, to stimulate cooperation and collaboration across truly interdisciplinary lines" (p 3) A strengthened MEES would be one of the "signature strengths" of the Institute (p 4) The external review committee favored Option 2, as does Dr Paynter, while Dr Paynter reports that the MEES faculty, while viewing Option as revolutionary and having many potential benefits, are skeptical that the necessary support and resources would be forthcoming However, Options and are complementary rather than being mutually exclusive I say this since the external committee clearly felt that MEES would be the major graduate component in both Options Consequently, one can imagine concurrently starting to develop a Systemwide program in environmental science (Option 2) while investing in, and working towards, making MEES a truly outstanding graduate program (Option 1) My view is that since MEES is the focus of this review, and there are a number of ways in which it can be improved quickly and at modest cost, this should be the immediate goal Developing a System-wide program in environmental science, while something I strongly support, would clearly require additional assessment and planning, as well as the commitment of major resources, and thus must be a more long-range goal The Report recommends two major changes in the organizational structure of MEES I strongly support both recommendations First, the Report recommends establishment of a high level USM Council with representation from all of the units that participate in MEES, to provide and coordinate campus input I recommend that this Council be chaired by a senior administrator from either USM or UMD A MEES Program Executive Council was, in fact, appointed in 1992 (Self Study Appendix 1-A), and has existed in one form or another since The Report recommends that this committee assume more responsibility and play a larger role in MEES Second, the Report recommends recruitment of an outstanding leader for MEES with an international reputation to develop "a broad, forward-looking vision for the program." The external committee did not see this appointment as eliminating the absolute need for a faculty member to manage and coordinate the program on a day-to-day basis, as Dr Paynter has done very effectively I share that view The Report provides a detailed assessment of all aspects of the MEES program, including student recruitment, stipends, diversity, curriculum, administrative structure, interactions with participating campuses, and student success, and makes a number of very sound recommendations about ways in which the current MEES program could and should be improved (p 5-14 of the Report) I consider the most important of these to be in the areas of curricular development (ensuring that the specializations are aligned with contemporary issues, providing rigorous training in experimental design and in basic and multivariate statistics, developing ties to the social sciences), improving course delivery, advising, recruiting even better students, improving time to graduation, and increasing diversity, on campuses other than UMES The current structure of MEES has enabled a large number of excellent faculty across USM to work together to develop a program that is highly ranked nationally and has produced many excellent alumni who have gone on to successful careers in academic, governmental service, and a number of other venues This excellent Self Study and external Report provide the MEES faculty, the USM administration, and administrators on all of the participating campuses with an opportunity to take a fresh look at the program and develop a robust plan for the future that builds upon our many strengths in environmental science A central question that the external committee did not have the background to consider is the extent to which the development of environmental science across USM should be under central or local control Although this question needs to be examined in depth, I find attractive a model in which there is central coordination by USM, administration by UMD, and the opportunity for each campus to develop excellence in specific areas Regardless of the outcome of these discussions, it is my view that UMD has a unique and critical role to play in any System-wide program in environmental science The campus is ranked 18th among public research universities, has played a leadership role in developing a large, nationally recognized graduate program in Marine Estuarine Environmental Science, and is developing additional strong programs in environmental science As the flagship campus of USM, the UMD campus has had the opportunity to develop an excellent administrative and IT infrastructure, superb research facilities and libraries, and many other resources that benefit both faculty and students Centering the administration of MEES at UMD enables all MEES faculty members, regardless of their administrative home, to be counted among the faculty of the flagship campus of USM, and the 18th ranked public research university in the Nation In the same vein, administering the program from UMD enables students to receive degrees from a major research university For these reasons, I recommend that MEES continue to be administered through UMD, and that UMD play a central role in the development of new System-wide programs in environmental science I have enjoyed the opportunity to participate in and contribute to the development of MEES, and to work with Dr Paynter and his colleagues I recognize that the role that MEES is playing in training the next generation of environmental scientists is of critical national importance The College of Chemical and Life Sciences and I look forward to contributing to this effort in the future APPENDIX G REVIEW OF THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN MARINE, ESTUARINE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (MEES) PROVOST’S SUMMARY REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS November 29, 2008 The 2008 review of the MEES Graduate Program concludes at an opportune time, as the University of Maryland begins implementation of its new strategic plan, “Transforming Maryland: Higher Expectations.” Beginning now, and continuing over the next several years, the University will devote special attention to improving and transforming graduate education, one of the pillars of our mission as the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland We will set high standards of excellence for all of our graduate programs, from ensuring intellectual challenges, improving time to degree and degree completion rates, to the placement of students in prestigious positions and preparing them for leadership positions in their respective fields This, then, is the lens through which the University views both the accomplishments and challenges of the MEES Graduate Program The University values the MEES Program, its students and the contributions of faculty from all of the participating institutions We are proud to take the leading role in its administration and in the awarding of graduate degrees The eminent external reviewers praised the concept of an inter-institutional program that has developed within a decentralized system and has produced “pockets of excellence” in areas of the environment and sustainability However, the reviewers also emphasized challenges that impede the program from fully achieving excellence across the board For the most part, I concur with their major assessments and recommendations, particularly in the need for more faculty engagement, programmatic oversight, and consistent intellectual rigor across the specializations Based on the reports produced in various levels of review and my own interactions with the program director and deans of participating colleges at the University, I have identified the following issues in the MEES Program:     There are about 175 faculty members affiliated with the MEES Program However, there is significant variability in the level of participation of these faculty members, either in teaching, research, or programmatic oversight The MEES curriculum is relevant and important But, the curriculum needs significant updating and, in the words of the external review committee, is “unimaginative” and “old-fashioned.” Perhaps primarily due to a lack of faculty engagement and oversight, the MEES Program does not have adequate focus This is evidenced by programmatic incoherence and lack of consistent rigor The enrollment in the doctoral program is too big for the current level of available resources or faculty participation and oversight  There seems to be a significant variability in how the participating units provide financial support to the MEES Program The following steps must be taken to effect positive changes to the MEES program, its oversight, and its administration particularly given the preeminence of environmental science and sustainability for the state and region, as well as in the national and international arenas The University of Maryland must move forward with all due diligence to ensure that the MEES program can be truly excellent, relevant, and a leader in focused areas of environmental science For the present, I recommend that the administration of the MEES program remain in the College of Chemical and Life Sciences at the University of Maryland In keeping with major strategic initiatives, a reorganization of the University’s environmental studies will be considered that would contain the MEES Program Per the recommendation of the external reviewers, a new faculty director should be appointed That director should be nationally recognized in the primary MEES fields of study Based on the availability of resources, I recommend that this search take place in 2009-2010 An interim director may be appointed prior to appointing a permanent director A group of faculty members forming the core faculty of the MEES Program should be formed The number of core faculty should be significantly smaller than the current level of 175 affiliated with the program The program’s core faculty, including those at the research institutions, should be appointed on a fixed-term, renewable basis Core MEES faculty will be intensely engaged with the program and expected to teach MEES courses, direct and serve on graduate committees, collaborate to advance the MEES research programs, and participate in program oversight on a regular basis Criteria for appointment and continuation and other details should be finalized in spring 2009 with changes effective for the fall 2009 semester A MEES faculty oversight committee, representative of the constituent institutions, should be appointed immediately That committee should be charged with a thorough review of the MEES curriculum for focus, rigor, coherence, and relevance Proposed changes to the curriculum, including to courses, must be vetted thoroughly through all relevant institutional venues This committee should complete its work by the end of fall 2009 Close attention should be paid to improving doctoral education This should include reducing the overall number of doctoral students, enhancing the quality of students recruited to the program, increasing the level of financial support, improving time to degree, and giving more emphasis to the placement of Ph.D graduates at top academic and research institutions The finances of MEES should be reviewed to clarify the role of participating units and to develop an equitable way to provide finance the administrative infrastructure of MEES and its graduate students The MEES Program Director will be responsible for the overall advancement of the program and for the specific implementation of items 3-6 above Furthermore, the Program Director will provide annual progress reports relative to the abovementioned recommendations to the appropriate Deans and the Provost Appendix – Summary of Meetings and Reports A The Self Study, completed in April 2008, produced a set of strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations that included the following: Strengths  Large inter-institutional faculty shared across many disciplines  Widely recognized inter-institutional agreements and cooperation  Cordial and productive working relationships with the provosts, deans, and laboratory directors of participating institutions  Facilities and equipment available at a variety of institutions and laboratories across the state including mountain and shoreline access  Broad training opportunities in both field and laboratory settings  Excellent students with an annually strong applicant pool  30% international students  Annual colloquium  Well developed interactive video network utilization and web-based course support Weaknesses  Dependence on ‘volunteer’ faculty resulting in poor coordination of faculty effort and curriculum  Lack of specific budget lines at each campus and laboratory to support administrative and clerical needs as well as assistantships  Lack of recognition of MEES faculty and students as bona fide members of the academic community at any given campus or college  TA and RA stipends are too low to be competitive nationally  Inequities in graduate student treatment, including office space, comprehensive examinations and stipends, between programs and campuses lower student morale and satisfaction  Too few faculty involved  Differences, sometimes institutional, in expectations of educational outcomes and faculty commitments  Inability to incentivize and encourage the production and submission of training grants Recommendations:  Restructure the MEES organization both within and across participating USM institutions a Create formal commitments of faculty and administrators to a system-wide environmental graduate education program b Create/expand budgetary commitments to support faculty and students participating in this system-wide program c Create administrative structure that facilitates interinstitutional administration, collaboration and cooperation B External Review - Team visit -May 18-21, 2008 Report submitted – June 6, 2008 Team – Dr James A Yoder, Vice President for Academic Programs and Dean, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (Review team chairs); Dr George Hornberger, Ernest H Ern Professor of Environmental Science, University of Virginia; Dr Anthony F Michaels, Director of the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Southern California; and Dr Cindy L Van Dover, Director of the Duke University Marian Laboratory and Chair, Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Findings included the following:  There is insufficient coordination of the curriculum at the course offering level This affects the sequence of courses according to rigor, content, etc  A challenge has been to identify appropriate courses in statistics and quantitative methods  It follows, then, that the most obvious limitation of the MEES curriculum has been to provide rigorous and systematic training in basic and multivariate statistics and in experimental design  Related graduate programs at participating campuses not significantly impact MEES, given that the strength in the MEES graduate programs resides in interdisciplinarity  Funding issues include the lack of funds except for research assistantships from external grants at several institutions, the large disparity in funding levels at UMES, fundraising is unit-based and not geared toward the MEES graduate program  The areas of specialization are topical and relevant, but somewhat unimaginative and “old-fashioned.”  Time to degree for M.S students is far too long and the Ph.D time to degree also should be shortened Recommendations included the following:  Incentives are needed both for new faculty groups to join the program and to keep current faculty engaged  Proposed revisions to the curriculum would benefit from strong and visionary leadership to define the future of MEES  The MEES curriculum committee should ensure that faculty who teach sequential or closely related courses share goals and syllabi to develop complementary courses The appropriate sequence of courses must be developed in each area of specialization   MEES should forge closer ties to the social sciences Core courses for the program should have embedded social science components appropriate to the topics To fulfill other curricular shortcomings or lab training, MEES should consider strategic expansion of short courses C Dean Norma Allewell’s Report Dean Allewell’s report summarizes and clarifies the organizational structure of MEES as well as the administrative funding model The MEES governing and policy setting body is the Program Committee, chaired by the Director, and consisting of the chair and chair-elect of each of the six MEES areas of specialization However, Dean Allewell points out that policy and curriculum changes have not always been reviewed appropriately by the participating institutions She recommends that  Policies and procedures be put in place within MEES immediately to ensure that all future programmatic changes receive full and correct review as defined by UMD and/or USM and other campuses involved n the program Dean Allewell concurs with the external review team’s positive assessment of the overall program, the students, and the current leadership and the UMS is “well-positioned to become a national leader in environmental science.” In regard to the two options articulated by the reviewers for moving MEES forward, Dean Allewell stresses that these options are not mutually exclusive, since a stronger MEES program certainly would be an important component in a system-wide program in environmental science However, Dean Allewell is concerned with the specific review at hand, and points out that the immediate goal should be the improvement of the MEES graduate program To this end Dean Allewell builds on the external review’s following recommendations:     The creation of a high level USM Council with representation from all MEES participating institutions The Chair should be a senior administrator from either USM or UMD The recommendation of a senior leader for MEES would not mean the elimination of a faculty director to manage and coordinate the program on a day to day basis The recommendations of the external review team must be heeded in the areas of curricular development, rigorous training in experimental design and basic and multivariate statistics, developing ties to the social sciences, improving course delivery, and increasing diversity (on campuses other than UMES) MEES should continue to be administered through UMD and UMD should play a central role in the development of new system-wide programs in environmental science ... program, and strengthening the interaction between the MEES Director and the Deans, Directors and Provosts of participating campuses The External Review Committee also suggested that the USM and... recommend, however, that since MEES is an inter-institutional program a MEES Advisory Board comprised of Provosts, or their representatives, from the participating campuses and Chaired by the USM Vice... inter-institutional agreements and cooperation e Cordial and productive working relationships with and among the provosts, deans, and laboratory directors of participating institutions f Facilities and equipment