Many of you have read in the newspapers that Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is working on a plan to deal with additional state funding shortfalls.

Though the University System of Maryland has not yet received specific information from the Governor regarding our share of the budget cuts, we anticipate receiving this information in the next few days.

The current economic situation affects us in several ways.  While we have taken a number of steps to reduce expenses and constrain spending, including hiring freezes and drawing down our fund balance reserves, we must plan to effect additional budget cuts.

Our campus process for developing the plan will include the various campus constituencies through the University Council, our primary shared governance vehicle. We will also engage the American Federation of State and County Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and Maryland Classified Employees Association (MCEA) leadership.

Moving forward, we will maintain our core capabilities and provide the academic programs and support services to our students to ensure their successful matriculation.