Morgan State president defends enrollment gains as analysts flag falling graduation and overdue reports

At a hearing of the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee of Appropriations, Morgan State University President David Wilson responded to a Department of Legislative Services (DLS) analysis outlining gains in enrollment and research funding alongside declines in graduation and retention rates and several outstanding mandated reports.

DLS analyst Kelly Norton told the panel that total undergraduate enrollment at Morgan rose by 727 students from fall 2023 to fall 2024 and that first‑time, full‑time freshman enrollment increased 4.2 percent in fall 2024. Norton’s brief also highlighted research and budget items in Morgan’s fiscal 2025 and 2026 submissions, and recommended restricting some state funds pending outstanding reports and audit confirmations.

Why it matters: The committee must weigh growth and research momentum against student success trends and statutory reporting obligations before approving or releasing certain state dollars.

Morgan’s enrollment and research gains are large but uneven. President David Wilson told the subcommittee Morgan now enrolls about 11,000 students from 46 states and 70 countries, and that Morgan has moved from R3 to R2 Carnegie research classification. “When I arrived at Morgan, we were bringing in roughly about $18 to $20,000,000 a year [in federal grants]. As I sit here today… halfway through the fiscal year, we had $99,000,000,” Wilson said, adding that faculty patents and start‑ups are increasing.

DLS noted contrasting student‑outcome trends. Norton reported second‑year retention had declined to 65.6 percent for the 2022 cohort and that the four‑year graduation rate for the 2019 cohort fell to 17.8 percent, with a six‑year rate of 41.7 percent for the 2017 cohort. Norton asked that the university president “comment on the declining graduation rates and how the institution is supporting students to reverse this current trend.” Wilson attributed part of the decline to COVID‑era cohorts and said Morgan has introduced measures intended to improve completion, adding that some discrepancies come from differences in Social Security number‑based reporting versus Morgan’s student ID reporting.

Budget and program details. Norton’s presentation flagged several budget items the committee asked Morgan to explain, including: - Fiscal 2025 funding initially included $3,000,000 for a Center for Urban and Coastal Climate Science Research; that allocation was reduced to $2,000,000 through Board of Public Works cost‑containment measures. DLS asked Morgan to report on use of the reduced funds. - A $500,000 allocation for a Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems and an $11,000,000 line for salary enhancements in Morgan’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget. DLS also noted $27,600,000 in HBCU settlement funds shown in the institution’s 2026 allowance. - Morgan’s total state fund allocation would decline by $7,700,000 (about 4 percent) in fiscal 2026 relative to the adjusted fiscal 2025 working appropriation when salary increases are excluded; DLS asked for Morgan’s plan to address the reduction.

Campus operations and vacancies. Norton’s report and university officials discussed personnel counts and vacancies. The budget books contained errors for personnel data, Norton said. Morgan reported a contractual full‑time equivalent line issue and that, as of Dec. 31, 2024, “the university has 108 positions vacant above the expected turnover.” Executive vice president David Lecina said about 130 vacancies were active while roughly 98 on the list were cyclical (faculty hiring cycles or specialized roles difficult to recruit). Lecina said Morgan will closely review vacancies as part of its budget adjustments.

Other issues and oversight. DLS also raised two administration items for committee attention: - The Maryland College of Osteopathic Medicine (MDCOM) planned to operate on Morgan’s campus in partnership with a private operator, Salute Education LLC; DLS asked Morgan for an update on the status and timeline for the first class. Wilson said Salute had secured funding and expected to apply for candidacy with the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. - Morgan had four outstanding mandated reports (sources of amounts supporting auxiliary and academic facilities; credit for prior learning; a transfers‑among‑programs summary and the fiscal 2024 position accountability report) and two pieces of committee narrative related to student cohort data and the East North Avenue development. DLS recommended that some funds be restricted pending submission of the East North Avenue development plan and a letter from the Office of Legislative Audits showing repeat findings were corrected.

Wilson’s responses and requests. Wilson told the committee he takes responsibility for missed report submissions and that outstanding reports “are coming in,” and said Morgan does not concur with a DLS recommendation to withhold $250,000 pending a plan for East North Avenue development, saying the university acquired 59 acres and expects a multi‑year community development process with a consultant. Wilson also said repeat audit findings had been addressed and closed.

What comes next: DLS recommended restricting some funds pending receipt of specific reports. The committee asked for updates; Morgan committed to provide status updates on the outstanding mandated reports, the MDCOM timeline, use of center funds after cost containment reductions, and plans for addressing the projected fiscal 2026 decrease in state support. The subcommittee did not take a formal vote on the matters during the hearing.

Sources: DLS analyst Kelly Norton’s presentation and questions, and President David Wilson’s and David Lecina’s responses to the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee of Appropriations.