2009 Performance Accountability Report Vol. 2 - Maryland Higher ...

In the past ten years, the nursing program has experienced increased enrollment and the number
of nursing graduates. Undoubtedly, much of this growth is due to market opportunities
associated with the national shortage of nurses. Based on pass rates for the NCLEX exam, the
nursing program has progressively improved the level of preparation of its graduates over the
past three years. SU has no control over where nursing graduates select to live and work once
they graduate from SU and pass the NCLEX exam. As a result, it is especially challenging to
control and estimate the annual number of nurses that are employed in the state of Maryland
(Objective 2.3). When compared to the 2008 data, the estimated number of nurses employed in
MD in 2009 increased to 67; just three short of its 2009 goal of 70.
Moreover, a number of Salisbury University’s additional indicators of success are focused on the
nursing program. Data for this year indicates that applications and enrollment into the program
have increased this year despite a slightly lower acceptance rate from last year. The number of
nursing majors enrolled in fall 2009 increased nearly 8% this year.
Teacher Education:
The overall number of teacher education graduates from SU employed in the state of Maryland
(Objective 2.1) declined slightly this year to 112 from 157 in the previous year. This data is
reported to University System of Maryland (USM) from the Maryland State Department of
Education (MSDE) every year. MSDE has indicated that many local education agencies (LEAs)
hired far fewer teachers this year because of budget cuts. As such, the number of teacher
education graduates working in the state of Maryland declined for all but one of the USM
universities this year. Additionally, due to the self reporting process the LEAs use and the time it
takes to get data back from MSDE, the data are estimated to undercount the true number of
teachers hired.
Information Technology:
This year, SU was able to exceed its 2009 goal of 70 graduates and estimates that 80 graduates
were employed in IT-related fields in the state of MD (Objective 2.2). This represents a
substantial increase in the 2008 estimated number, 17. Many factors influence this estimate,
including the number or IT majors and graduates in a given year. Dramatic differences in these
factors from one year to another, as well as economic forces, can radically impact our estimate.
RESPONSES TO COMMISSION’S QUESTIONS
For the 2008 MFR reporting cycle, the commission had the following comments:
1. Objective 2.2 -The estimated number of graduates employed in IT-related fields in Maryland
will increase from 59 in 2004 to 70 in 2009. The estimated number of Salisbury graduates
employed in an IT field in Maryland decreased considerably, from 54 in 2007 to 17 in 2008.
This also marks the lowest number of Salisbury IT graduates employed in Maryland in the
last four years.
Salisbury University Response: Information Technology (IT) programs have experienced
growth and decline that mirrors the national employment market. The estimated number of
graduates employed in the IT field in Maryland (Objective 2.2) can be largely a function of
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