President's Message
The President's Message
On behalf of our college community, I would like to welcome you to the College of Southern Maryland (CSM).
Since its founding in 1958, CSM has been dedicated to serving the residents of Southern Maryland and supporting them in attaining their educational goals.
Over its history, the college has expanded to meet the needs of our students and to keep higher education affordable and accessible. Our four campuses at La Plata, Leonardtown, Prince Frederick, and Regional Hughesville are augmented by the Velocity Center at Indian Head, the Center for Transportation Training, and the CSM Virtual Campus.
Times change, and the college has changed as well, but amidst the evolution of our facilities and programs, we remain committed to our students’ success.
For more than 60 years, the college has welcomed thousands of learners, and our students embody the incredible diversity of Southern Maryland. Our college community is united by our shared goals and aspirations and by our common belief in the power of knowledge to transform our lives, our future, and our world.
Whatever form your college experience takes, wherever you would like it to lead, you can keep moving toward your goals at CSM. Take advantage of more than one hundred for-credit academic programs and hundreds of continuing education and workforce development courses. I encourage you to explore all of your options by perusing our website or getting in touch with our admissions specialists.
All of us here at CSM welcome you to this college community and look forward to accompanying you on your learning journey. Whatever brings you to the College of Southern Maryland, we are here to support you and help make your experience the best it can be.
Warm Regards,
Dr. Maureen Murphy
President
About CSM President Dr. Maureen Murphy
Dr. Maureen Murphy’s career in public higher education spans more than 30 years, including over a decade as a community college president. In July of 2017, she became the fifth President of the College of Southern Maryland (CSM). Since her arrival, CSM has twice been recognized as among the Top 150 community colleges in the country by the Aspen Institute in its Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Program. More recently, under Murphy’s leadership, CSM joined the Achieving the Dream network in 2019, supporting the college’s commitment to equity in educational opportunities and outcomes.
Prior to her current role as President of CSM, Murphy served as president of Brookdale Community College, a multi-campus community college in New Jersey, where she forged partnerships with community organizations, school districts, business and industry, donors and other higher education institutions. Among her initiatives were developing early college high school programs, launching a College Promise program for free tuition for all qualified graduates and spearheading a Minority Male Conference to support the academic achievement of minority male students.
Before her appointment at Brookdale in 2012, she served as president of San Jacinto College South in Houston, Texas, and as vice president at both Rappahannock Community College and Wytheville Community College in Virginia. Murphy began her career teaching English at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, where she later served as a dean. Murphy has been an active member of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges since 1995 and has served on the national board since 2007, including two years as president.
She has been recognized for her work with numerous awards, including the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction by Phi Theta Kappa, the Distinguished Corporate Leadership Award by the Greater Red Bank NAACP, and the Carolyn DesJardins CEO of the Year Award by AAWCC. Murphy previously served on the board of directors for the American Association of Community Colleges, the national organization representing more than 1,100 colleges. She continues her national service on the American Association of Community College Trustees’ President’s Advisory Council and the National Junior College Athletic Association Presidents’ Advisory Council.
Murphy earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Louisville, her master’s degree in English from the University of Missouri – Columbia and her doctorate in American Studies from Saint Louis University.