Munson: Panel favors full funding for USM-H

ANNAPOLIS — Del. Andrew A. Serafini said Wednesday he is frustrated by the University System of Maryland’s lack of cooperation in establishing a program at USM-Hagerstown that would train aircraft maintenance technicians.

Serafini, R-Washington, has drafted a letter to USM Chancellor William E. Kirwan that other members of Washington County’s delegation in Annapolis agreed to sign Wednesday. The letter expresses the delegation’s frustration with the lack of attention the program has received.

Serafini said he has been trying to schedule a meeting with a representative from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, which offers a similar program.

“My frustration has finally reached a new level when I was informed that a major delay was the fact that a representative from the UMES was not sure whether or not he could get approval for travel to either Annapolis or Hagerstown,” Serafini wrote in the letter. “It is nothing less than appalling that such a vital project that has received such broad support could be held up because someone may or may not be able to be reimbursed for travel expenses.”

Anne Moultrie, a spokeswoman for USM, said Wednesday that Kirwan would not comment on Serafini’s letter until he had received it. She said she had “no information” about a problem with travel expenses.

Serafini said he has been working with businesses based at Hagerstown Regional Airport and other members of the business and education community for nearly one year to establish a training program for aircraft maintenance technicians.

He said those skills are badly needed, and the job pay as much as $30 an hour.

Serafini said the training program would be a “natural fit” for Washington County and for USM-H. Hagerstown Community College officials have said they are not interested in offering an aircraft technician certificate program.

C. David Warner III, executive director of USM-H, said he first learned about the potential for the aircraft program in January, and it is still being discussed.

“I think people are still excited about the possibility of it, and USM-H would love to host the program here, but it’s very preliminary in all of the stages you go through to do a successful program,” he said.

The process of determining a program’s viability takes a while, he said. USM-H has been working to establish an education doctorate program with College Park for more than a year and a half, and Warner said it is expected to be offered in January 2010.

“It takes time to do it right,” he said. “We’re investigating it. We’re talking about it. We’re seeing if it’s a good fit ... if it can be done.”