Key Legislative and Budgetary Priorities

Support for State and County investment in capital projects:  Capital, both new construction and renovation, projects across all three campuses are needed to provide modern classrooms and labs, and capacity to serve more students. Many students are turned away from science and engineering programs vital to the growing tech sector in the County.  Construction of the Rockville Science Center must begin this summer. Several projects, including a new physical plant building and renovation of existing science buildings, are vital to expanding capacity on this overcrowded and aging campus.  At the Germantown Campus, the design of the Bioscience and Education Center must be completed on time.  Students cannot afford to wait another year for these projects.   As the expansion of the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus nears completion; renovation funds to modernize and maximize existing space are imperative to fully revitalize this campus. 

Protect State and County operating budget support:  Montgomery College is second only to the University of Maryland at College Park in the size of its student body.  Enrollment continues to grow.  Demand will continue, as 80% of the jobs of the future require a college degree.  Potential workforce shortages loom as the baby boomer generation prepares to retire.  Public support is essential to ensure tuition remains affordable, and the broadest array of classes are available to both meet workforce creation demands and serve the students who most need us.  The Board of Trustees appreciates the legislature’s revisions to the Cade funding formula that enhances state aid to community colleges and the County’s continued support.  The College seeks full funding of the State’s Cade formula in FY 09 and seeks County funds to enhance access including support to meet enrollment growth, open new facilities and efforts to enhance learning outcomes.

Assure that community colleges continue to be affordable and accessible to all who live in our community:  Support funding that keeps tuition affordable. State financial aid programs should be better targeted to meet the needs of community college students as well as transfer students.

Quality and Affordability

Access and affordability:  MC is an open-access institution.  Tuition is approximately half that of a public four-year institution and far less than a private college.  Students can enroll in more than 100 degree and certificate programs.   Students bear their fair share of the College’s operating costs.

Special programs:  MC offers the Montgomery Scholars Program, a selective admission honors program with summer study at Cambridge University, England.  A variety of specialty Institutes include the Information Technology Institute, the Macklin Business Institute, the Paul Peck Humanities Institute, and the Gudelsky Institute for Technical Education.  The College Institute provides early college access for high school students.  Tech Prep provides programs for early-entering high school students to career programs.  Developmental courses are available for students not yet fully prepared for the academic rigors of college-level course work.

Services for international and multicultural students:  Students whose first language is not English can take specialized courses and receive advising, orientation, and special activities at one of three campus-based centers and several off campus continuing education sites.  In the last year, some 3,079 students were enrolled in English language credit courses; another 7,053 were trying to better their English skills in introductory non-credit courses.  The need for this level of adult literacy education is tremendous and enhanced State resources would address the unmet community need.

Workforce Development and Continuing Education

Offers real-world skills for today’s job market:  Options include new career and skills training; continuing professional education; life enrichment courses; and technical training and customized corporate training.  Enrollments have grown significantly over the last several years, from 21,000 in the year 2000 to 46,000 last year.

Locations:  Training Centers in Gaithersburg, Wheaton and Silver Spring; Germantown, Rockville, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring campuses; on-site arrangements with area employers; and community locations.

Key Challenges Facing the College

Aging facilities/lack of space:  Each campus has a space deficit that is only projected to worsen with enrollment growth.  In addition, our facilities are rapidly aging and require major renovations.  Capital costs continue to escalate as the price of building materials continue to skyrocket. 

Public support:  Escalating operating costs (e.g. utilities), growing enrollment, have hampered MC’s ability to respond to the demand.  To protect our quality programs we must have funds to hire full-time faculty who not only teach but mentor students.  It is imperative the College maintain at least a 60/40 full time to part time faculty ratio to ensure quality learning outcomes.

Serving a changing student body:  The younger, full-time students who are enrolling in increasing numbers are more expensive to serve than adult students.  Younger students take more classes and spend more time on campus, creating more need for parking, making extensive use of College computer labs, libraries, counseling, and a variety of student services and activities.  

Faculty retirements:  The College’s faculty will continue to retire in significant numbers.  The College must hire new faculty to replace them – and new faculty to accommodate the growing enrollment.  

Competition for faculty and staff:  In the midst of these retirements, the College faces a challenging hiring situation, especially for nursing faculty, competing with other higher education institutions and the public schools.  Escalated housing prices makes recruitment all the more challenging.

Information technology:  Faculty and students must have access to 21st century tools needed to prepare for today’s knowledge based economy.  Additionally, technology will enhance productivity of college operations.