Regents, Board of

The University of Maryland Board of Regents is the governing body of the university. The original predecessor or the board was the board of regents of the College of Medicine of Maryland which was incorporated in 1807. The immediate predecessor of the board was the Maryland Agricultural College Trustees. By the Act of 1916 the college became the Maryland State College of Agriculture and the trustees became the State Board of Agriculture. In addition, in 1920, the board of agriculture became the regents of the newly-formed University of Maryland; the new university was established when the University of Maryland in Baltimore and the Maryland State College merged.

The Board of Regents is comprised of Maryland citizens who volunteer their time and energy to govern the University of Maryland. The Act of 1916 gives the board responsibility for selecting the executive head of the university, department heads, professors, teachers, instructors and other officials and for determining their salaries. With the advice of the president of the university, the board may also make rules, by-laws, and orders determining and regulating instruction, provided they do not conflict with the constitution and laws of the State.

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