New University Of Maryland President Dr. Darryll Pines To Focus On Coronavirus Concerns, Black Lives Matter Movement In First Year
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WJZ) -- There's a new president at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Wednesday was Dr. Darryll Pines' first day on the job, and he was greeted with budget cuts affecting him and other University System of Maryland presidents.
That is just the start of some of the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and how the university will address campus safety this fall.
Pines' first press conference looked a lot like how classes wrapped up this spring: on a Zoom call.
But the new president said the university is preparing to bring students and staff back in the fall despite the coronavirus pandemic.
"We're excited about the possibility of bringing back our population," Pines said, adding the university will work with state and local health departments, but there's no threshold when in-person classes might stop.
Students will be asked to fill out screenings every day they come to campus.
The university, meanwhile, will also perform environmental monitoring, testing both air quality pathogens and wastewater.
"Wastewater that comes out of our buildings, classroom buildings, our residence halls, other facilities on campus, because often it's an early warning signal that COVID-19 may appear in the wastewater streams," Pines said.
The University's budget was slashed significantly Wednesday, as well in response to statewide revenue shortfalls.
Pines said furloughs and pay cuts are likely, but his goal is no one gets laid off.
"We are going to make sure that the academic and research mission of the University is preserved despite the budget cuts," Dr. Pines said.
In his introduction video Wednesday, Pines described another pandemic of racial injustice.
He said new residence halls will be named for Black and Asian alumni while also announcing the university's police department will return military surplus equipment.
"The Black Lives Matter movement is really a call to action to really raise the bar in terms of social justice," Pines said.
A big topic is also the issue of athletics, notably football this fall. Pines said he and other Big Ten presidents have met multiple times already and it's his hope a decision will be made in the next three to four weeks.
Even if sporting events resume, Pines said stadiums on game days will operate at best at a reduced capacity.
