By Joel Cohen and Erin Spiegel

Because of budget cuts from the state, Engaged University, a cooperative extension program through the University of Maryland, could lose its $300,000 of annual funding from the Agriculture School. The Student Government Association, along with other prominent campus groups, is fighting to keep this essential program alive. SGA representatives are uniting to show important decision makers, both here at the University and at the local and state level, that this program is essential to the mission of the university.

So what exactly is Engaged University? Sure, you could say that it has the region's only biodiesel fueling station. Or that it has a community garden that allows neighbors and students to work together toward a common goal. Or you could mention that it hosts a bike repair shop that allows university students and community school children to refurbish abandoned bicycles and then gives the finished products back to the community.
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We made the front page of ABC7's website.
But really, the only way to fully understand Engaged University is to visit the site. So...we did, and we invited the media along with us.

ABC7, NBC4, the Washington Post and The Diamondback participated in our tour. ABC7 and NBC4 ran segments on the Sunday Sept. 6 evening news, while the Washington Post may run a story about it soon. The Diamondback ran a story about it on Sept. 9. Engaged University Director Margaret Morgan-Hubbard, along with Student Body President Steve Glickman, SGA Director of Environmental Affairs Joanna Calabrese and SGA Agriculture School Legislator Jesse Yurow led the tour, which included a stop at the garden, a demonstration of the biodisel fueling station and a visit to the bike repair shop. SGA College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Legislator Shira Silver and SGA South Campus Commons Legislator Lisa Crisalli also attended and shared their unique perspectives with the reporters.

We know that this is just the beginning. We know that more work remains. The SGA will continue its fight to save the Engaged University. The SGA will continue working with leaders here on campus and in Annapolis to keep the Engaged University up and running. There are few programs that have such an influence on our community and the loss of this one would have an unfortunately large impact.
And it's not just the SGA representatives who support this program. In June, House Majority Leader and university alum Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., toured the campus of Engaged University.


He was extremely impressed with the strong community partnerships developed by Engaged University, saying “I was pleased to have the opportunity to tour this facility and learn more about this impressive initiative. Based on what I saw, the effort to bring the University of Maryland and the local community together under a united partnership to improve the surrounding neighborhoods is having a positive impact.”

We hope that this media attention and Hoyer's political support will ultimately lead to the protection of the program's funding.

Here is ABC7's Sept. 6 coverage of the Engaged University:

Here are some behind-the-scenes videos and pictures from the media tour: