Washington Adventist University President Spence Participated in Recent MICUA Presidents’ Workshop
Takoma Park, Md. (November 9, 2016) Washington Adventist University President Weymouth Spence, Ed.D., R.T., participated recently in the 2016 Fall Presidents’ Workshop sponsored by the Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA) on November 3-4. The workshop was held at the Maryland Inn – Historic Inns of Annapolis.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan was in attendance, along with the presidents of Maryland’s private, non-profit colleges and universities, which educate 63,000 students annually and award 27 percent of all degrees conferred by four-year institutions of higher learning.
“I am appreciative of the opportunity to work closely with the presidents of other MICUA member institutions, as it helps us all do a better job of educating our students,” said President Spence. “Undergraduate students at independent colleges and universities are more likely to graduate in four years than students at public universities, and MICUA institutions provide more than three and a half times as much need-based grant aid to undergraduates as the State of Maryland and federal government combined.”
On Thursday, November 3, the Presidents’ Workshop included a Budget Committee Meeting, Executive Session, and a presentation on politics in Maryland, given by Herbert C. Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science and Director of Government Relations at McDaniel College.
Governor Hogan addressed the group on Friday, November 4. In addition, a Presidential Election discussion was led by David Warren, Ed.D., President, National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities; and Sarah Flanagan, Vice President for Government Relations and Policies, National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities. Maryland political reporter Josh Kurtz, editor of Environment and Energy Daily, spoke about the 2017 Maryland Legislature.
“The purpose of the Presidents’ Workshop is to discuss topics of interest to the presidents of Maryland’s thirteen state-aided independent colleges and universities and to discuss state and national policy issues impacting higher education,” said MICUA President Tina Bjarekull. On behalf of Maryland’s independent colleges and universities, Bjarekull pledged to support the Governor’s goals for higher education and economic development.
More information about MICUA and its member colleges and universities can be found on its .
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Washington Adventist University is Montgomery County’s only four-year private college. Part of the Seventh-day Adventist system of higher education, Washington Adventist University has been educating college students since 1904 on a 19-acre campus in suburban Takoma Park, close to the nation’s capital. Approximately 1,100 students of all faiths participate in the University’s eight graduate and 42 undergraduate programs. The 2016 edition of U.S. News & World Report ranked Washington Adventist University among the best regional colleges in the north.
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