Stevenson U. degree program contested by UMES, UMB

Universities tell state proposed physical therapy doctorate duplicative

The Maryland Higher Education Commission is considering whether to approve Stevenson University’s proposed physical therapy doctoral program, drawing concern from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the University of Maryland, Baltimore over duplicative programs for the second time in a week.

The commission oversees the state’s colleges and universities. It held a hearing Wednesday on the Stevenson proposal and will share its decision via letter within 10 business days, according to Chair Cassie Motz.

On Sept. 7, historically Black UMES and UMB submitted similar arguments against a proposed physical therapy degree program at the Johns Hopkins University. The commission will release its ruling in that matter, also by letter, in the coming days.

The Stevenson hearing was the third time in recent months that one of Maryland’s historically Black colleges and universities has argued against another school’s program proposal on the grounds of duplication. Morgan State University challenged Towson University for pitching what it called an “unreasonably duplicative” doctoral business program. Last month, Towson rescinded its proposal but said it plans to resubmit in the future.

Last month, a legislative work group focused on assessing the higher education commission’s degree approval process began producing a report due Dec. 1. This group’s role partly stems from a 2021 settlement in which Maryland agreed to pay its four HBCUs $577 million. The state had allowed nearby predominantly white institutions to copy degree programs, putting the HBCUs at a disadvantage, a court determined.

The commission asked universities to undergo a voluntary pause on program proposals until the approval process is changed.

Before the pause request, the commission voted to deny Stevenson’s proposal earlier this year. But it is revoting following recent legal guidance from the Office of the Attorney General that stemmed from the Towson/Morgan State conflict. The office said the commission needs the majority of all commissioners to vote in favor of a motion for it to pass, not just the majority of commissioners present, as was the case for the previous Stevenson vote.

Commissioners were instructed to vote as if they had not just considered a similar proposal from Hopkins earlier this month.

Should Stevenson’s doctor of physical therapy program be approved, it would enroll students around 2028. It would cap student cohorts at 25 to avoid causing harm to other programs, Stevenson officials said. They said they would only plan to hire seven faculty members over a six-year period.

Stevenson spokesperson John Buettner said in a statement that the university submitted its proposal to increase the number of physical therapy providers in Maryland, “particularly in underserved communities.”

UMB Provost Roger J. Ward said in a statement that the university tries not to object to program proposals when possible, as each institution helps meet Maryland’s workforce needs.

“But when we do object, as with the Stevenson [doctoral physical therapy] program proposal, it is because we perceive that, if approved, the program will cause real harm to our DPT program at UMB and, by extension, to our ability to meet our workforce preparation obligation to the state,” Ward stated.

Emily A.A. Dow, the higher education commission’s assistant secretary for academic affairs, argued Wednesday that even though Stevenson’s proposed degree program is duplicative, market demand and institutional differences make it appropriate for approval.

Stevenson is a private, liberal arts institution in Baltimore County, compared with the public UMES and UMB, and there are 37 similar degree programs in neighboring states. An additional Maryland program would help the state compete for students, Dow said.

UMB and UMES officials pushed back against the argument that there is more demand for physical therapists than supply. They said another program offering doctorates in the state would strain program resources. For example, they argued, if a university lost just one faculty member to a competing school, it could fall out of compliance with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

As of June, there are more than 7,000 physical therapists licensed to practice in Maryland, according to the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapist employment is expected to grow 15% from 2022 to 2032, whereas the average growth for all occupations is only 3%.