Try as we might, the Spy was slightly delayed in circling back with Chesapeake College’s Cliff Coppersmith after our initial interview from April of 2018. We had promised to check in with Dr. Coppersmith once he had completed his year in office, but by the time we found a convenient time to chat, the new president was already headlong into year two of his plans to make the community college one of the best of its kind in the region.
This modest delay made it all the more impressive what Cliff Coppersmith has been able to accomplish since he was appointed a year and a half ago. From the completion of a long term strategic plan, building his senior leadership team, making the Todd Performance Center a major entertainment hub with a new partner the Avalon Foundation, or improving campus safety, President Coppersmith has not wasted time moving forward with an ambitious new vision for higher education on the Mid-Shore.
The net results so far are promising. Unlike other community colleges that are facing declining enrollment, Chesapeake College admitted 5% more students this year from the previous academic year. And while Dr. Coppersmith acknowledges that that figure could change dramatically in any given year, he remains confident the College will successfully fulfill its mission well into the next decade.
This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about Chesapeake College, please go here. For a copy of the College’s strategic plan please go here.
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