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

Faculty members in Natural Sciences have been awarded a five-year grant by the National
Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration in the amount of $12.5 million dollars for a Living
Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center.
Satisfaction Surveys
Overall, UMES student satisfaction with their preparation for jobs as well as for
graduate/professional school has been above 80% over the last five years and increasing. This
speaks well for the University’s ability to deliver its academic and service mission. Based on the
National Clearinghouse data, 107 out of 448 UMES students (23.8%) who graduated with
baccalaureate degrees in academic year 2006-2007 went to graduate school after attending
UMES. During academic year 2003-2005, the University initiated several internal surveys to
assess current and former student satisfaction with academic programs and the campus
environment. Results from these surveys have greatly assisted and continue to assist in the
development of new and revised programs that will enhance retention, graduation, and the
matriculation experience of students.
Enrollment
Educational Access
UMES continues to make a significant contribution to the State of Maryland by reaching out to
first-generation college students and maintaining its commitment to the representation of this
group. In the fall of 2008, demographic information from incoming freshmen confirmed that
46.1% of the first-time students were first generation (Objective 2.1). Over 90% of our students
receive one form of financial aid or another. In addition, diversity is particularly evident at
UMES where over 40 countries are represented (Objective 2.2) and over 20% of the fall 2008
enrollment was non-African American students. Between fall 2007 and fall 2008 the overall
headcount enrollment for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) grew by 5.0% (i.e.,
from 4,086 to 4,290), among the highest in the traditional four-year public institutions of the
University System of Maryland. The overall growth over the last decade was made possible in
large part by the favorable economic conditions of the 1990’s. The growth has also been due to
the increase in high school graduates in counties with large minority populations, such as Prince
George’s and Baltimore from which a significant number of UMES’ students come, and the
institution’s programs and social appeal to these students. Current projections (1992-2022) of
high school graduates for Maryland (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education,
Knocking at the College Door, March 2008, p. 84) indicate that the peak for these students was
reached in the academic year 2007-08, with 67,748 graduates for the State of Maryland. Since
the two racial groups that are projected to continue to grow beyond the 2008-2009 level are
Hispanic and Asian American, UMES will need to strengthen its strategies for recruiting more
non-African American students (i.e., Hispanics, Asians, and foreign) to achieve its projected
growth to 5,000 by 2011, if resources become available.
The UMES enrollment profile shows great diversity in its student population, and unlike most
historically black institutions, the African American population has ranged between 73.9%
(2003) and 77.2% (2008), compared to peer institution African American student enrollment
profiles that range from 89.1% (Prairie View A & M University) to 95.8% (Alabama A & M
University).
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