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Independent Colleges Launch Consumer-Information Initiative |
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MICUA Matters
Fall 2007
As of Sept. 26, the public received access to a new tool in comparing private college facts and figures: the University and College Accountability Network, or U-CAN. Developed by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities—which counts MICUA as a member—the consumer-information initiative is designed to give, in a common format, prospective students and their families concise, web-based consumer-friendly information on individual private colleges and universities. U-CAN is totally free—both to users and to the colleges and universities that choose to participate. With close to 600 participating colleges and universities at its launch, the initiative includes the majority of MICUA institutions.
U-CAN gives consumers easy access to information on average loans at graduation, undergrad class-size breakdown, net tuition, graduation rates, and much more. This information, which comes from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS survey and the Common Data Set, is currently difficult for consumers to find. U-CAN profiles also include information identified by policymakers as important for accountability. Congress and the U.S. Department of Education have called for more consumer information to help the public evaluate and choose colleges, a goal that NAICU strongly supports. For more information, visit www.ucan-network.org.
“I welcome the creation of U-CAN because it allows our institutions greater transparency and appropriate accountability to the public,” says MICUA President Tina Bjarekull. “At the same time, the web site respects the varied and distinctive missions of our colleges and universities, and does not impose ‘one size fits all’ assessments that ignore their diversity.” |
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Emergency Preparedness Summit |
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MICUA Matters
Fall 2007
MICUA will host an emergency preparedness summit in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Public Health Preparedness on Jan. 10, 2008. The agenda will include a half-day workshop examining the structure, creation, and standard elements of emergency response plans, with the goal of providing attendees with the tools to create an institutional response plan or update an existing plan. Presenters will include representatives of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Public Health Preparedness, Virginia Tech, and one of the institutions affected by Hurricane Katrina. The summit is geared toward senior leadership. Leaders of Maryland’s public universities, Maryland’s community colleges, and the Maryland Higher Education Commission are welcome to attend free of cost. For more information, contact Bret Schreiber, Vice President of MICUA, at
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Pop Quiz: What Do You Know about MICUA? |
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MICUA Matters
Fall 2007
1. The first financial support for a college or university in Maryland was awarded by the General Assembly to what college in what year?
a. St. John’s College in 1824
b. Washington College in 1784
c. University of Maryland, College Park in 1850
2. Last year, how much funding did states provide for private higher education?
a. 50 states provided $1.5 billion
b. 24 states provided $1.8 billion
c. 46 states provided $2.3 billion
3. Of the $107 million in need-based aid awarded to MICUA students last year, what percentage was provided by the institution?
a. 49% from institutional sources & 51% from the State and federal governments
b. 74% from institutional sources & 26% from the State and federal governments
c. 64% from institutional sources & 36% from the State and federal governments
4. What percentage of undergraduate students attending Maryland’s independent colleges are Pell Grant eligible? (Average income of a Pell Grant eligible student is $20,000.)
5. From 1995 to 2005 enrollment at MICUA schools grew by 26%. In contrast, enrollment of African-American students grew by:
6. Maryland’s public universities attract $900 million in research grants annually. How much do MICUA institutions attract?
a. $1.5 billion
b. $700 million
c. $1 billion
Answers: 1. b; 2. c; 3. b; 4. a; 5. c; 6. a |
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Four MICUA Colleges Pledge to Eliminate Emissions |
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MICUA Matters
Fall 2007
As part of a nationwide incentive to further the cause of environmental sustainability, four MICUA colleges have joined with leaders of more than 300 institutions of higher learning in signing the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. Launched in December 2006, the Commitment recognizes the unique responsibility that colleges and universities have as role models for their communities and in training the people who will develop the social, economic, and technological solutions to reverse global warming. The Maryland schools that have signed on to the Commitment to date are Frostburg State University; Goucher College; Howard Community College; McDaniel College; Mount St. Mary's University; the University of Maryland, College Park; and Washington College. Johns Hopkins University has also pledged to aggressively cut greenhouse gas emissions caused by its operations and is developing a comprehensive climate strategic plan over the next year.
By signing the Commitment, these colleges have pledged to eliminate greenhouse-gas emissions over time. This major undertaking is fivefold: 1) Completing an emissions inventory; 2) Setting a target date and interim milestones for becoming climate neutral; 3) Taking immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by choosing from a list of short-term actions; 4) Integrating sustainability into the curriculum and making it part of the educational experience; and 5) Making the action plan, inventory, and progress reports publicly available. |
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MICUA Matters Newsletter Archive |
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