For more than 140 years, Morgan State University has been a learning institution dedicated to the enrichment of students. Located in downtown Baltimore, the university consists of a student body that is ethnically, culturally and socioeconomically diverse. Students are privy to nearly 90 academic programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Morgan State is an education landmark in Maryland. The university is one of only four public, Carnegie-classified doctoral research institutions in the state. And, according to documents released by the school, Morgan State rates first in Maryland for the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to African-Americans. It rates first among all campuses in Maryland – and among the top 10 campuses nationwide – in the number of doctorates awarded to African-Americans. What’s more, the university leads all historically black colleges and universities in the nation with regard to Fulbright Scholars.
“Putting our students on the path to success and educating them for leadership on the world stage are at the core of our mission,” Dr. David Wilson, president of Morgan State University, said in a statement. “At Morgan, we teach our students how to compete in the 21st century.”
Thousands of graduates have benefited from Morgan State University over the last 140 years. However, as the landscape for higher education continues to evolve, this revolutionary learning institution is faced with a number of complex issues and the task of finding equally impressive resolutions.
Funding the future
Similar to other higher learning institutions, Morgan State University is having to do more with less. The school has had to overcome decreases in funding, and declining resources. However, strong leadership at the university has helped to offset many of the challenges.
Wilson began his presidency at Morgan State University in July 2010. Since his inauguration, he has been relentless in his efforts to increase opportunities for students. For example, according to school documents, Wilson donated $100,000 of his first-year salary to create a scholarship program that would allow Morgan State students to study abroad.
“Our students are obtaining a world-class education and they are taught to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-life communities, from Maryland to New Jersey and from Virginia to Haiti and beyond,” Wilson said.
Wilson also has worked with school officials to develop a new scholarship initiative referred to as the $5 Scholarship Fund. According to the university, the scholarship invites donors of all ages and economic standing to support the future success of Morgan students. “It is through education that we will empower successive generations of students and prepare them to be responsible citizens and dynamic leaders in their chosen professions,” Wilson said.
As Wilson explained in his inaugural address, the $5 Scholarship Fund was developed to commemorate his father’s commitment to education. Wilson’s father was an Alabama sharecropper who gave his entire savings to support his son’s college education. As president of Morgan State, Wilson is dedicated to giving other deserving students the opportunity to obtain a college education.
According to the school, Wilson has a goal to raise $5 million for the initiative. The money will offset rising tuition costs and shrinking loan and federal aid opportunities, which have impacted retention and graduation rates at the university. The $5 Scholarship Fund also will provide assistance to incoming, transfer and continuing students in good academic standing, as well as juniors and seniors cross-registered at Morgan and another institution.
Wilson also has sought funding for Morgan State University’s research efforts. For example, the university recently announced that it had received a $28.5 million grant from NASA to study energy innovation.
In just 15 months, Wilson has been able to attract funding to help Morgan State remain viable in the evolving academic landscape. Through his efforts, Wilson has solidified the university’s position as a national center for urban research. And these efforts already are showing positive results – enrollment is up 10 percent since Wilson arrived.
The road to improvement
Since July 2010, Wilson has worked with college officials, faculty, staff and students to propel Morgan State University as a leading academic institution. While the school has experienced success during the short time of Wilson’s presidency, there are still a number of important initiatives on the university’s “to-do” list.
The university has allotted $650 million for construction and re-beautification projects throughout its campus. Planned improvements include revitalization of many of the classroom buildings and re-beautification elements throughout the grounds. The school also intends to build a number of new structures to house a growing curriculum and to ultimately better serve the needs of students.
“Over the last several years, with additional investment in Morgan by the state of Maryland, we have been able to provide our students with a number of outstanding educational facilities, and more are on the way,” Wilson said. “In April, we broke ground for the university’s new Center for the Built Environment and Infrastructure Studies building. This is springing to life beside our already established, state-of-the-art School of Engineering buildings. These facilities, and many others, are helping us produce the next wave of world-class innovators.”
