of State Planning, the Board also reviews
proposals for capital projects requested by public
and private institutions of higher education. This
capital budget review function is facilitated by the
Board's facilities inventorying efforts as well as
by its other activities in the area of space plan-
ning utilization. In conjunction with its budget
review responsibilities, the Board also administers
the State's program of aid to private institutions
of higher education.
The Board must approve all proposals for new
programs and for major changes in existing
programs in the State's public postsecondary
institutions. It also reviews and makes
recommendations about the continuation, modifi-
cation, or duplication of programs currently in
operation in public institutions and about
programs offered by private institutions that re-
ceive State funds. In relationship to its program
review and approval functions, the Board is
charged with making recommendations to the
Governor and the General Assembly about any
name or governance change requested for a pub-
lic institution of higher education.
In order to obtain maximum benefit from avail-
able educational resources, the Board encourages
the development of cooperative programs among
the State's public institutions. Policies for the
transfer of students and the reciprocal acceptance
of credits are also developed. In cooperation with
the Southern Regional Education Board and with
individual states, the Board pursues interstate
approaches to meeting educational needs.
The Board engages in efforts aimed at improv-
ing cooperation between the Federal government
and policy-makers at the State and institutional
levels. It also serves as the administrative agency
in the State for programs under Title 1 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965, and Title IV, the
Education Information Center Program. Title 1
provides higher education institutions in the State
with opportunities for discretionary funding in
the areas of community service and continuing
education.
ACCREDITATION
The State Board is responsible for the accredi-
tation of all public and private institutions of
postsecondary education operating in the State.
Accreditation is awarded based on an institution's
ability to meet standards developed by the
Board. These standards prescribe the minimum
requirements for .the issuance of certificates, di-
plomas, and degrees. The Board must review and
approve educational programs that enroll

veterans and war orphans in order for these
students to become eligible for Federal financial
benefits under Title 38 of the U.S. Code. The
Board also engages in a variety of other activities
aimed at enhancing the quality of postsecondary
education in Maryland.
EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
The State Board for Higher Education is re-
sponsible for coordinating and monitoring the im-
plementation of the Maryland Plan for Completing
the Desegregation of the Public Postsecondary Edu-
cation Institutions in the States. As part of its
efforts to carry out this broad responsibility, the
Board collects, compiles, analyzes, and
disseminates data related to desegregation in the
State. The results of these efforts are published
each year in the form of an Annual Desegregation
Status Report, which consists primarily of data
collected by institutions and segment boards, and
a Midyear Desegregation Status Report, which
provides a narrative evaluation of desegregation
activities throughout the State.
Through the use of Desegregation Impact
Statements, the Board reviews all new degree
programs and facilities for their potential effect
on the State's desegregation efforts. The Board
also conducts special studies on specific areas of
concern, such as the retention and progression of
students by race and the impact of academic pro-
gram offerings on the racial composition of stu-
dent enrollments.
The Board administers a variety of programs
designed to enhance desegregation efforts. These
include: the Other Race Grants Program for
Graduate and Professional School Students, the
Minority/Ollici Race liiternship Program, the
Central Placement Bureau, and the Faculty and
Administrator Exchange Program. In cooperation
with the Maryland State Department of Educa-
tion, the Board also operates a program designed
to improve guidance information for high school
students. The Board attempts to increase minori-
ty and other race enrollment in graduate and pro-
fessional schools by collecting and disseminating
information about strategies useful in recruiting
these students. All of the Board's desegregation
activities are carried out in consultation and co-
operation with the State's postsecondary educa-
tion institutions and agencies.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY
SERVICE
The Board maintains public awareness of activ-
ities in postsecondary education through the