Capital Projects

Capital Projects are those improvements for new facilities or major renovations that cost $5 million or more and require approval beyond the UMD administration’s Facilities Council (FC); for example, the University System of Maryland Office (USMO), Board of Regents, and/or the Maryland State Legislature.

There are two capital budget programs:

• Capital Improvement Program (CIP) – Academic facilities, funded by the State.
• System Funded Construction Program (SFCP) – Debt-financed auxiliary facilities (e.g., residence halls) and institutionally-funded projects over $5 million.

The execution of capital projects is complex and occurs over an extended timeframe. The approval process begins in September when colleges/departments/divisions forward project requests through their Dean/Vice President to the Facilities Advisory Committee. A budget prepared by Planning & Construction is required for projects to be considered by the Facilities Advisory Council. 

The campus develops these programs annually for submission to the University System of Maryland Office (USMO in March. The Board of Regents (BOR) approves the SFCP projects in June.

USM submits the CIP to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at the end of June. DBM makes recommendations to the Governor who submits his five-year CIP to the General Assembly in January. The General Assembly approves asking year funds in April, funding is available in July.

Learn more about the capital project process.
Capital Project Approval Process/Timeline
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Projects
System Funded Construction Program (SFCP) Projects
UMD Approval Authorities