Dive Brief:
- The University System of Maryland has appointed Robert Caret, president of the University of Massachusetts system, as its new chancellor.
- Caret, 67, was president of one of the Maryland system’s schools, Towson University, from 2003 to 2011.
- Caret is scheduled to start his new job with the 12-institution system on July 1, and he will continue with UMass for three to six months, according to the Boston Globe.
Dive Insight:
In a press release announcing the hire, the Maryland system cited Caret’s track record of speaking out on the issues of college affordability and student debt while at the six-school University of Massachusetts system. In his new position, Caret will be paid $600,000 per year on a five-year contract. At Massachusetts, his pay was about $500,000 per year.
The Maryland system, with 162,000 students, has an enrollment about twice the size of the Massachusetts system and an annual budget of $4.9 billion, compared to $2.9 billion for Massachusetts. Caret was seen as a successful lobbyist in Massachusetts, winning a 50-50 state funding formula for the university system, a 22% base budget increase over two years, and other state funding that enabled the university to implement a freeze on tuition and fees for in-state undergraduate students. Caret succeeds William “Brit” Kirwan, who served as chancellor for 12 years.