Update on the conclusion of the 447th legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly

Dear faculty, staff and students,

I write to provide an update on the conclusion of the 447th legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly.

We are grateful that Governor Wes Moore, Senate President Bill Ferguson, House Speaker Adrienne Jones and the entire General Assembly continue to support higher education in the state of Maryland during a challenging budget year. We appreciate the investments made in our capital budget and strong support for quantum research as an economic driver for the state.

We are gratified that we continue to receive strong support for capital projects including Zupnik Hall, below-market graduate student housing, the Health and Human Sciences Complex and campuswide infrastructure projects. Additionally, we commend the legislature on the passage of the annual Academic Revenue Bond bill, which supports important facility renewal projects on campus. The University of Maryland continues to be a diligent steward of state investments, as evidenced by milestone achievements through the MPowering the State strategic partnership with the University of Maryland, Baltimore, including the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing and the new Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine. Additionally, we are pleased to report that the TerpsEXCEED program, which supports students with intellectual disabilities, received legislative support and funding for next year.

The Governor and legislature were able to eliminate the $3 billion budget deficit that existed when the session started. To accomplish this, all state agencies experienced base budget cuts. The University System of Maryland's allocated state operating appropriations were reduced by $155 million, approximately 7 percent. The university is in the midst of preparing the 2026 working budget. We are working with USM to determine the ultimate impact to the university and have issued guidance to colleges and units to slow or curtail spending until the 2026 working budget is completed.

I would like to thank the tireless advocacy by our state government relations staff: Ross Stern, Molly McKee-Seabrook and Amina DeHarde. They work daily in Annapolis to educate our state legislators on the many ways UMD serves our state, inspires Maryland pride and drives economic growth.

This year's budget brings with it some challenges for us to navigate as a community. At the same time, we continue to be recognized for the value we bring to the state through teaching, research, economic impact and service.

Sincerely,

Darryll J. Pines
President, University of Maryland
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