State lawmakers appear close to resolving a dispute surrounding Towson's joint Master's in Business Administration degree.
While still saying that they oppose the existence of legislation challenging the MBA's legality, administrators are starting to recognize that a re-review of the program is on the horizon.
"We may be forced into a review of our program," Towson President Robert Caret said at Monday's University Senate meeting.
Members of the House of Delegates' education and economic development subcommittee met on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the legislation and hammer out an agreement.
Towson started offering an MBA degree in partnership with the University of Baltimore last fall. Lawmakers supporting Morgan State University have alleged that Maryland is violating the state's desegregation agreement with the federal government by allowing TU to offer a joint MBA. Morgan has offered an MBA for more than 30 years.
"The state is required by law to avoid unnecessary program duplication," Morgan states in a fact sheet about the bill.
Lawmakers friendly to Morgan introduced bills challenging the Maryland Higher Education Commission's approval of the MBA. Last month, the Senate version of the bill passed. If signed, it would require MHEC to review its decision.
Attention has now moved to the House, where lawmakers are considering another version of the bill.
The Senate's version would allow for MHEC's decision to be reviewed by a circuit court judge. That option may be removed from the House bill.
"I think the important thing in the end is to make sure the institutions involved here feel like they're getting a fair shake," Delegate John Bohanan (D-southern Maryland) said.
On Wednesday, Caret said the latest version of the House bill could emphasize mediation and arbitration instead of a court case.
"It says the institution that objects to the program being approved can mandate that the institutions [try] mediation… followed by binding arbitration if that's not successful," Caret said.
Before MHEC initially improved the joint MBA, it required Towson and Morgan to enter into informal mediation and consider a partnership. At the time, Morgan claimed the facilitators weren't professional, Caret said.
Caret said the University is still opposed to the bill, calling it "unethical and unfair." At a Student Government Association-sponsored Study Break on Wednesday, he said the bill could die without coming up for a vote in the House.
"If it does pass, then the program would probably be sent back for a re-review," Caret said.
The bill may move out of committee and come up for a floor vote later this week. If it passes, the House and the Senate will have to reach a compromise between the two versions of the bill before the legislature adjourns on Tuesday, April 9.
If the bill passes, Gov. Martin O'Malley's spokesperson has said he is inclined to support it.
For over two months, Towson has expended much of its political energy trying to defeat the bill and save the important business degree.
At the Senate meeting, Caret said the state should be talking about how to educate its citizens instead of how to halt programs.
"To be honest with you, very little of the debate has anything to do with logic or good public policy. It has to do with politics," he said.
Richard Rosecky, an associate professor of marketing and e-business, expressed the College of Business and Economics' concern about losing the program.
"This is a crucial problem for the college of business," he said.
The University Senate passed a resolution supporting the joint MBA degree.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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