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Dear Bowie State University Community,
As we continue through the fall semester, I want to provide an update on the university's financial outlook, our planning for the next fiscal year, and the steps we are taking together to strengthen Bowie State University for the future.
Throughout our 161-year history, Bowie State has navigated periods of change while remaining steadfast in our mission to expand educational opportunity and prepare students for success. Today, we are confronting financial challenges affecting institutions across higher education, including reductions in state funding, rising operating costs, and growing affordability pressures on students and their families.
The following link will provide the most recent information regarding the highlights of the budget for the Fall 2026 semester along with a summary of ongoing challenges. I encourage members of our campus community to review the slides to better understand the financial environment in which we are operating. The next budget presentation will take place at the upcoming Town Hall scheduled for November 6 in the Student Center Ballroom, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Fall 2026 Budget Update
We continue to experience high demand for BSU with the number of applications once again reaching approximately 9,500 applications, demonstrating the high value students and their families see in Bowie State University.
I am pleased to report that preliminary fall 2026 census results confirm that Bowie State University met its projected enrollment target, with total enrollment reaching 6,045 students, an increase of 75 students (1.3%) over fall 2025. Undergraduate enrollment grew to 4,933 students, an increase of 123 students (2.6%) over last year. Notably, our first-time freshman cohort rebounded to more than 950 students, representing an increase of at least 11% over fall 2025, while more than 3,300 continuing students returned to BSU.
Additionally, more than 150 Prince George’s County Public Schools high school students enrolled through our dual enrollment program. Graduate enrollment declined modestly by 48 students (4.1%), from 1,160 to 1,112. International student enrollment continues to face challenges stemming from federal immigration and visa policies that have created additional barriers for prospective students seeking to study in the United States. Despite these external pressures, our enrollment results reflect encouraging progress in our recovery efforts and provide a positive foundation for continued growth and student success.
This encouraging development reflects the collective efforts of our faculty, staff, and students to strengthen recruitment, retention, and student success; and I extend my appreciation to everyone whose work contributed to this achievement.
While meeting our enrollment target represents meaningful progress, we must recognize that the university continues to face the cumulative financial impact of several pressures at once: reductions in state funding, rising operating costs, and smaller entering classes over the preceding two years. Together, these factors have contributed to what is known as a structural budget deficit, a condition in which ongoing operating expenses exceed the recurring revenues available to support them.
The effects of these pressures extend well beyond a single academic year. As smaller classes progress through the university, we continue to experience lower tuition revenues and associated reductions in housing, dining, bookstore, and other auxiliary revenues. At the same time, many of the university’s operating costs remain relatively fixed, and we anticipate increased expenditures for FY2028.
Consequently, even as we celebrate improved enrollment this fall, we must continue making difficult decisions to bring recurring revenues and expenses into balance. Our approach has been to address this imbalance through cost containment across the university, rather than asking students and families to bear it through significant tuition increases.
A Shared Institutional Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility
I want to emphasize that the responsibility for addressing our financial challenges is being shared across the university. No single division or employee group is being asked to shoulder this burden alone. We have pursued a broad range of cost-containment measures affecting senior administration, academic and administrative departments, staffing, services, and daily operations.
These measures include:
- Consolidation of Information Technology with Administration and Finance under a unified leadership structure
- Decision to delay hiring for several senior executive positions, including the Vice President for Marketing and Communications, the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, and the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Administration. These decisions reflect our commitment to reducing administrative costs while maintaining essential institutional functions.
Additional measures have included:
- Departmental mergers and reorganizations
- Elimination of vacant positions, reductions in staff positions, the reduction or elimination of selected services and consulting contracts
- Adjustments to departmental operating budgets. We are also implementing more disciplined energy conservation and efficiency practices to help reduce utility and facilities expenses.
These are examples of the steps already taken to reduce expenditures and operate more efficiently. We continue to evaluate additional opportunities to streamline operations, strengthen collaboration, and direct limited resources toward our highest priorities.
Equally important, we have worked to protect students and families from bearing a disproportionate share of these financial pressures. We remain committed to keeping tuition and fees as affordable as possible, limiting increases to modest adjustments rather than relying on significant tuition increases to close our budget gap. We recognize the financial challenges many families already face in accessing higher education, and we remain committed to preserving Bowie State's mission of educational access and opportunity.
These decisions require shared sacrifice, careful stewardship, and continued collaboration. They also demonstrate that our approach to financial sustainability extends well beyond any single personnel action or division. We are all part of this effort, and we all have a stake in the university's long-term success.
To Our Faculty: Planning for FY2028
I want to speak directly to our faculty regarding the difficult actions underway as we plan for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2027.
It is with deep regret that the university has advanced the process of faculty retrenchment as part of our efforts to address ongoing structural budget constraints. Retrenchment is a formal process under University System of Maryland policy that permits the reduction or elimination of faculty positions, including tenured and tenure-track positions, when financial conditions, enrollment changes, academic program adjustments, or other institutional circumstances require the realignment of resources. Retrenchment is not a reflection of an individual faculty member's performance, scholarship, dedication, or contributions to the university.
Our faculty are the foundation of our academic enterprise. Their expertise, teaching, scholarship, mentoring, and service have helped generations of Bowie State students achieve their educational aspirations. The prospect of losing valued colleagues is deeply painful, and I recognize the uncertainty and concern these actions have created throughout our academic community.
This step has not been taken lightly, nor has it been our first response to the financial challenges facing the university. As outlined above, we have already implemented significant administrative, staffing, academic, and operational adjustments in an effort to reduce recurring expenditures, including workforce reductions affecting 26 staff members.
For nearly two years, we have also engaged academic leaders and faculty in evaluating program enrollment, student outcomes, workforce demand, financial performance, and opportunities to strengthen academic offerings. This work has included consultation with deans, department chairs, and faculty, along with budget presentations, academic program reviews, and opportunities for discussion and feedback.
As previously communicated to the campus, a Faculty Retrenchment Committee, composed predominantly of faculty members, was convened in June 2026 in accordance with applicable university procedures. The committee conducted an evidence-based review of academic programs and institutional sustainability, guided by principles of fairness, shared governance, academic integrity, student success, and recognition that retrenchment should remain a last-resort measure.
In August, the committee submitted its report and recommendations to me. After meeting with committee members, considering their recommendations, and reviewing additional academic, enrollment, and financial information, I accepted the recommendations and communicated the decision to the campus. The Faculty Senate was also informed of the process and anticipated timing of notifications.
I want to again express my appreciation to the members of the Retrenchment Committee and to the faculty and academic leaders who contributed their time, expertise, and perspectives to this extensive process. Faculty voices have been an important part of the deliberations informing these decisions, even as responsibility for final institutional decisions rests with university leadership.
Recently, 14 faculty members received individual notifications identifying their positions for potential retrenchment. These notifications provide the required advance notice and are not immediate separations. Individual circumstances, possible alternatives, and applicable review and appeal procedures remain part of the process.
No faculty retrenchment will take effect during the current fiscal year, FY2027. The next fiscal year begins July 1, 2027, and, given the required one-year notice period, the earliest anticipated effective date for the recently notified faculty is September 2027.
We will continue to consider appropriate alternatives, including reassignment opportunities and other available transitional arrangements, consistent with institutional needs and applicable policies. The Provost's Office and Human Resources will continue working with affected faculty to provide information about available resources, next steps, and applicable processes.
I understand that these decisions affect not only individual faculty members but also their colleagues, departments, and students. We regret that such measures are necessary. Our obligation, however, is to address the underlying financial imbalance in a manner that protects academic quality and preserves the university's ability to fulfill its mission for future generations.
To Our Students: Your Success Remains Our Highest Priority
I want to reassure our students that the university remains firmly committed to providing the academic programs, resources, and supportive learning environment necessary for you to achieve your educational goals.
The university's financial planning will continue to prioritize academic continuity, access to required courses, quality instruction, and opportunities for students to remain on a path toward timely graduation. Students currently enrolled in programs undergoing review or suspension will continue to receive the academic guidance and support necessary to progress toward degree completion. Every student at Bowie State will continue to receive the academic advising and support necessary to complete their degree, regardless of any changes to academic programs.
We also recognize that affordability remains among the most significant challenges confronting our students and their families. Rising living expenses, changes in financial aid, and broader economic uncertainty have made it increasingly difficult for many students to close the gap between available financial resources and the cost of earning a college degree.
Our commitment to maintaining modest tuition and fee increases reflects our understanding that additional costs can create barriers to enrollment, persistence, and graduation. We will continue seeking solutions that preserve affordability while sustaining the quality of the education and services our students deserve.
Through our fundraising efforts and the generosity of alumni, friends, corporate partners, and philanthropic supporters, we continue to increase resources dedicated to student scholarships and financial assistance.
I am especially pleased that increased private giving has enabled the university to expand scholarship distributions, supporting 610 students, representing a 128% increase over the prior year. These investments are making a meaningful difference in helping students remain enrolled, persist toward graduation, and reduce the financial barriers that can interrupt their education.
The success of our fundraising efforts, including the completion of our historic $128.5 million campaign, provides important opportunities to strengthen student support and the long-term future of the university. At the same time, many philanthropic gifts are designated for specific purposes, and one-time contributions cannot, by themselves, resolve a recurring operating deficit.
We will continue using available philanthropic resources responsibly to address immediate student needs while building sustainable sources of support for future generations.
Our commitment is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive academically, personally, and professionally. That commitment remains central to the decisions we make.
To Our Staff: Appreciation for Your Service and Continued Commitment
I also want to acknowledge the contributions of our dedicated staff, whose work sustains the university's operations and the overall student experience every day.
Our staff have already experienced the direct impact of the university's cost-reduction efforts, including position eliminations, departmental consolidations, reorganizations, and changes in responsibilities. I recognize that these adjustments have placed additional demands on many individuals and departments.
I am grateful for your professionalism, resilience, and continued dedication to our students and the mission of Bowie State University.
As we plan for FY2028, we must continue identifying ways to improve operational effectiveness, reduce unnecessary duplication, strengthen collaboration across divisions, and direct available resources toward the areas of greatest institutional need.
This work will require thoughtful planning and continued engagement with those closest to our daily operations. Staff members bring valuable knowledge about our systems, processes, and opportunities for improvement. Your ideas and perspectives are essential as we explore more efficient and sustainable ways to serve our university community.
Moving Boldly Forward Together
Our fiscal challenges are significant, but they do not define the future of Bowie State University. We remain an institution with considerable strengths, a record of academic achievement, increasing philanthropic support, growing research activity, and a longstanding commitment to educational access and opportunity.
Our Boldly Forward strategic plan provides a framework for navigating this period of change through its four pillars: Advancing Academic Distinction, Transforming the Student Experience, Fostering Inclusivity and Equity, and Growth and Innovation.
Responsible stewardship requires us to make decisions that are sometimes difficult, while remaining focused on the long-term vitality of our university. It also requires us to recognize that financial sustainability is a shared responsibility, and our success will depend on the contributions, understanding, and engagement of our entire campus community.
Equally important is our commitment to open communication, respectful dialogue, and meaningful shared governance.
There will continue to be opportunities for members of the campus community to receive updates, ask questions, and exchange ideas about the evolving higher education environment and the challenges and opportunities facing Bowie State. These include upcoming university town halls on November 6 and March 9, Faculty Senate meetings, staff forum on November 18, student forum on October 27, and other campus conversations.
I encourage every member of our community to engage with your representatives in the university's shared governance organizations, including the Faculty Senate, Staff Council, Student Government Association, and Graduate Student Association. Your representatives have opportunities to bring forward concerns, recommendations, and ideas that can help inform university planning and decision-making.
Representatives from our shared governance organizations meet monthly as members of the University Council. Additionally, I meet monthly with the executive committees of the respective shared governance organizations to maintain direct communication, discuss emerging concerns, and consider ideas for advancing the university's priorities.
Your perspectives matter. Please share your questions, ideas, and concerns through these channels as we shape our path forward together.
I recognize that this is a challenging period for our university, particularly for colleagues directly affected by difficult personnel decisions. My commitment is to lead with transparency, compassion, and a steadfast focus on our shared mission.
When I began my presidency, I committed to leaving Bowie State University stronger than I found it. That commitment remains unchanged. Our responsibility today is not simply to manage the challenges before us, but to ensure that the decisions we make sustain the institution and expand opportunities for the students who will follow.
We are all in this together. Every faculty member who teaches and mentors our students, every staff member who supports our operations, and every student who pursues an education at Bowie State has a role in our continued progress. It is through our collective commitment, resilience, and shared belief in this institution that we will navigate today's challenges and build a stronger tomorrow.
Thank you for all you do for Bowie State University. Together, we will continue Moving Boldly Forward.
Sincerely, |
