Big mistake hiring this woman. Sorry.

Let me explain, read carefully.

The University System of Maryland at College Park receives most of the states funding by a wide margin every year. Just in case any of you would like to dispute this look up Maryland’s 2012 Capital Budget Overview, it can be found using a Google search. This is understandable. Maryland has a limited budget and College Park is the flagship University.

Not all of a Universities funding comes from the state though. A large part of funding will come from your alumni base. The state gave College Park a law school and medical school which in turn create very wealthy alumni who are able to give back to their Alma Mater. Towson University does not have these.

Politicians in the U.S. generally are run by the wealthy. If most of the top tier native lawyers and doctors in the state all came from one university, and send their children to that university, and give that university money – you better be sure that politicians will be looking out for that university as well.

College Park does well in the “college ranking” magazines, and it thought of as a great school in Maryland. Nationally though, it’s not held up there with other nearby public universities such as UVA, William & Mary, University of North Carolina etc.

People in Maryland want College Park to continue to rise in the standings and if Towson University is getting equal funding them that’s not happening. We have two good schools as opposed to a great school and a good school.

This brings me to Robert Caret. He played a major role in raising the profile of public universities such as San Jose State and Towson University. He is nationally recognized as someone who can come in and establish connections and relationships to boost a schools funding and raise its profile. He was so well respected that he received offers from major universities such as Temple before taking the helm at the University of Massachusetts.

Caret has honorary bachelors degrees in chemistry and mathematics. He has a PHD in organic chemistry. Before starting at Towson University he had two honorary doctorate degrees, he has four now. He had been President of San Jose State for 8 years before coming to Towson. He had worked at Towson at almost every level for 25 years before that. As President of Towson he raised graduation rates dramatically, improved the infrastructure of the campus and spear headed the campus makeover, enrollment increased dramatically as well.

He also constantly spoke about wanting Towson to be nationally recognized not as an inferior little brother, but as the other big state school. Think Florida State or Michigan State. Enrollment projections were saying that Towson would be the biggest public university in the state by 2020.

Do you think College Park started to get a little irritated, maybe even nervous? Probably. And that’s when enrollment slowed down because Towson funding for it stopped.

Caret got a better opportunity and took it.

Again, Maryland has a limited budget. If it had all the money in the world every school in the state would be incredible but it doesn’t. It needs to use the money it has to raise the profile of College Park. If other schools start to challenge that profile then that creates problems.

Enter Maravene Loeschke. Went to Towson as a commuter student back when it wasn’t a very good school. The resume isn’t impressive at all. An english and theatre major, masters in education. Many people have scoffed at her doctorate in philosophy as well since she basically earned it online from the Union Institute of Cincinnati.

She is a woman who has a passion in theatre. Her biography on Towson Universities website makes sure to let you know that, talking about how many plays she has participated in and directed.

She served as provost and then as President at two very small universities. One of them being private.

Does she strike anyone as the aggressive type that will be out there forging relationships with businesses and politicians to raise Towson’s profile in academics and athletics? To have new buildings and athletic facilities built? To increase enrollment?

No, she is devoting free time to putting on plays with her husband.

I am sure she is a nice and very intelligent woman who cars deeply about Towson University. But if the board of regents wanted Towson to be a great school, they would have selected someone like Caret.

@TU grad student, did you attend the inauguration? It was a nice event, and in no way excessive. Maybe as an undergraduate I’m not as wise and jaded as you, but the fact that a Towson alumna has come back to lead this university definitely merits quite a ceremony.