Kelsey Volkmann, The Examiner
2007-09-10 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

Princess Anne, Md. -

Thelma Thompson, 67, became the president of University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, in Princess Anne in 2002. Born in Jamaica, she moved to the United States in 1966 and earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in education from Howard University in Washington. She taught English at City University of New York, Bowie State University and the University of the District of Columbia before serving as dean and vice president at Norfolk State University in Virginia.

Q What inspired you to pursue education at Howard University?

A I read that Howard University was going to turn 100 and that there would be a yearlong celebration. Because I’m from the Caribbean, I thought it was going to be a yearlong carnival, so I applied. I got there and was surprised that there was no dancing.

Q How different was school in the U.S.?

A At Howard, I had such exposure I didn’t have before. Being under British rule in Jamaica, would you believe that I had never read a book by a black person? They were all British authors. I was at Howard during the ’60s so I learned from Sterling Brown, James Baldwin, Frank Snowden. I was able to read Richard Wright.

Q You are leaving for Africa soon. Do you go there often?

A Yes. We have a number of programs and have relationships with different universities there. Part of our mission is the globalization of our curriculum.

Q Historically black colleges are having to deal with a growing percentage of female students but a dwindling percentage of male students. Does this concern you?

A I read that 28,000 black children were put out of school, and that’s where the drain begins. When you begin counting at the college level, you are way too late.

I speak a lot in black churches and groups. If you speak to a lot of successful people, they will tell you that if someone didn’t take an interest, a teacher, minister, a parent and told them about their choices, they wouldn’t have made it. Here, 52 percent of students are first-generation college students. We are the most diverse historically black college in Maryland. We are 17 percent white students — many of them are poor and brilliant. People don’t often associate poverty with whiteness. I’m proud that we don’t discriminate in any way.

Q Why do so many students from Baltimore enroll at your campus?

A And from Prince George’s County. We have 766 acres. We have twice been identified by the National Arbor Society as the second-most beautiful campus. They come for the quality of programs, unique programs like aviation science. They wanted to leave home but not too far.

Q Tell me about the new engineering program.

A Before students would have to transfer to College Park after two years to finish the program. Now they can maintain their residence and their support.

Q What other programs would you like to add?

A We would like to specialize in aeronautics and computer science in the engineering field. Those two areas could be our niche because of Wallops Flight Facility. America is in need of pharmacists, so we are getting ready to request that. We are looking into a forestry degree because the whole world is going green and we are a green campus.

Q Looking back on your five years as president, of what are you most proud?

A When I came to the university, we were declared low-performing by the Maryland Higher Education Commission because our students’ test results on the teacher education test, the PRAXIS. In 2002, a federal law threatened to take away federal funding to schools that failed to improve. If we hadn’t, our students wouldn’t be eligible for federal financial aid, and we would have lost $3 million in Title III money and federal grants. It would have been disastrous for this institution. I didn’t sleep. But I must commend faculty and staff for raising the pass rate from 45 to 83 percent in one year. The state requires 80 percent. We have since maintained 100 percent.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

» Art Shell, NFL Hall of Famer, who played and coached the Oakland Raiders, Class of 1968

» Thomas LaVeist, director, Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Johns Hopkins University, Class of 1982

» Joe Hairston, superintendent, Baltimore County Public Schools, Class of 1969

» Starletta DuPois, actress, Class of 1968

» Temika Moore, R&B artist, Class of 1996

» Earl Richardson, president, Morgan State University, Class of 1965

» Clifton J. Gordy, associate judge, Baltimore City Circuit Court, Class of 1968

» Brig. Gen. Walter Jones, Class of 1974

» Carol Boyce Davies, author, professor, Florida International University, Class of 1971

FAST FACTS

» College enrollment: 3,697 undergraduates, 433 graduate students

» Student breakdown: Female, 61 percent; male, 39 percent

» Most popular degrees: Biology, criminal justice, business administration, sociology, human ecology

» Tuition: $5,908, in-state;

$12,475, out-of-state

» Room and board: $6,130

» Students qualifying for federal financial aid: 88 percent

» Number of states represented: 34

» Number of countries represented: 41

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com

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