“We need to trumpet all of the good news coming out of the College of Southern Maryland CSM),” was the reaction of St. Mary’s County Commissioner Cynthia Jones (R: 1st) to the State of the College Address Tuesday. College President Dr. Brad Gottfried, Leonardtown Campus Dean Dr. Tracy Harris and Board of Trustees President Austin “Joe” Slater and member Theodore Harwood made the presentation to the county commissioners.
According to Dr. Gottfried, total enrollment increased in Fiscal Year 2012 by 1.08 percent to 27,113, including more than half with non-credit courses. There was also an 18.5 percent increase in students taking online credit courses and the college is expanding its on-line non-credit course program, he said.
Dr. Gottfried said of the online courses, “We specialize in Southern Maryland,” noting that many online universities have students from all over the world, but CSM’s is local. The college ranks third in the state with numbers of online students, larger than the University of Maryland and with only Montgomery and Prince George’s community colleges larger. Noting the benefit of online courses to working students, he said, “It is a wonderful opportunity for them to get an education.”
The college president is proud of CSM’s Southern Maryland market share. They have 56 percent of first-time full-time freshmen, 66 percent of recent college-bound high school graduates and 67 percent of all part-time students.
Gottfried is also proud of CSM’s services to veterans. The college is the third largest provider of education to veterans. Of securing VA education benefits, he said, “It is convoluted getting these benefits. They have special needs.” He thanked the commissioners for their support of services to veterans.
The college is also cost efficient, offering students the opportunity to take two affordable years locally before switching to another school to complete their four-year graduation requirements. “Students graduating from CSM have little or no deb,” he said, noting that the size of the student loan deb is a “big national problem.”
Commissioner Jones expressed concern about students lagging in math skills. Dr. Gottfried said the college is seeking a grant to increase its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) offerings.
Dr. Harris, the new Leonardtown campus dean, shared a number of offerings at the local campus, including 12 plays with an attendance of more than 30,000. The college pool is being used to teach local elementary school students survival water skills.
The college offers transfer opportun
