Chesapeake College

Chesapeake College is a two-year college on the Eastern Shore of Maryland that provides associate degrees, certificates, and other programs. It was the first regional community college in the state of Maryland. The main campus is located in Wye Mills, Maryland, at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and Maryland Route 213. There is a satellite campus in Cambridge, Maryland. It serves the five Mid-Shore counties: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot.

Chesapeake College

Type	Community College
Established	1965
President	Dr. Barbara A. Viniar
Academic staff	256
Students	2,660
Location	1000 College Circle, Wye Mills , Maryland , United States of America
Campus	Rural 170-acre Main Campus
Colors	Navy Blue and Kelly Green
Mascot	Skipjack
Website	http://www.chesapeake.edu

History

Nestled between corn fields and Route 50 in the Eastern Shore's tiny town of Wye Mills on December 22, 1965 the State Board of Education in Maryland adopted the Resolution 1965-66 and created Maryland's first regional community college, Chesapeake College. This college served four mid-shore counties of Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot county. The college's mission was to help those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to earn a college degree.

On January 13, 1966, Chesapeake College had its first meeting of the Board of Trustees to elect officers and to discuss the name of the college. The Board voted William Sylvester for chair, Robert F. Irwin for vice chair of the board and chair of the college site committee, John T. Harrison for secretary, and A. Orrell Saulsbury Jr. for treasurer. After electing officers, the Board of Trustees voted to name the college "Chesapeake College" after considering "Eastern Shore Community College," "Mid-Shore Community College," and "Chesapeake Community College." On March 30, 1966, the Board of Trustees offered Dr. George Silver the presidency of Chesapeake College. Silver took the offer and told the Wilmington (DE) Morning News, "It'll be my job to take the dream of the four counties and put it into brick and mortar."

Finally, in January 1966 Chesapeake College's first four students, each from a different county, were officially admitted to the college. All were graduating high school seniors. On September 1, 1967, Chesapeake College opened its doors to a class of 258 evening students. These classes were operated out of Queen Anne's County High School after the high school students had finished their school day. September 10, 1967 marked the ground breaking ceremonies for the new campus. By May 11, 1969 Chesapeake College had its first graduating class.

Student population

Below are the characteristics of the student population from the fall 2012 semester.

Enrollment	Total	% Total
Total Enrolled	2,660	100%
Funded FTE (Full-Time Equivalent)	1,548	58%
Full-time	920	35%
Part-time	1,740	65%
First-time	619	23%
Dual enrolled	169	6%
New Transfers	159	6%
Continuing	1,713	64%

Gender	Total	% Total
Female	1,718	65%
Male	942	35%

Average Age
26

Ethnicity	Total	% Total
African American	389	15%
American Indian or Alaska Native	8	<1%
Asian	38	1%
Foreign	19	1%
Hispanic	99	4%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	5	<1%
Two or More Races	36	1%
Undeclared	40	2%
White	2,026	76%

Residence	Total	% Total
Caroline County	606	23%
Dorchester County	464	17%
Kent County	186	7%
Queen Anne's County	698	26%
Talbot County	642	24%
Other	64	2%

Student Intent	Total	% Total
Plan to Transfer to 4 yr. college	1,075	40%
Career Training and/or Development	1,266	48%
Non-Degree Seeking	319	12%

President

In July 2008, Barbara Viniar became the first woman president of Chesapeake College.

Facilities and buildings

Chesapeake College's main campus sits on 170-acres. The main campus has 14 buildings. The Cambridge Campus is housed in one building in downtown Cambridge, Maryland. The main buildings on the main campus are named after the five upper Eastern Shore counties.

File:Chesapeake College Collage.jpg

Chesapeake College Campus

Caroline College Center

The Caroline College Center houses the Bookstore, the Skipjack Cafe, the Student Government office, Student Life offices, Career Services offices, and faculty offices. The Center was completely renovated in 2006 to better serve the growing needs of the college.

Dorchester Administration Building

The Dorchester Administration Building houses the offices of Academic Advising, Admissions, the Alumni Association, the Business Office, Financial Aid, Human Resources, Institutional Advancement, Research and Planning, Public Information, Registration, and Student Retention Services. The building also houses the offices of the President and Vice Presidents of the College. Original construction of the Dorchester Building began in 1966, and the building was completely renovated in 2003.

Early Childhood Development Center

The Chesapeake College Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) is a licensed childcare center with the purpose of serving those parents of children 3 through 7 years of age who are students, staff, faculty at the college as well as parents throughout the community. The director and staff work closely together to provide a program that provides a stimulating curriculum in a warm, nurturing, and secure learning environment for the children. In addition to functioning as a licensed childcare facility, the center also serves as a learning site for students enrolled in the Early Childhood Development program.

Also located in the ECDC building is the Chesapeake Child Care Resource Center, which is one of the 12 child care resource centers in Maryland that make up the Maryland Child Care Resource Network and began start-up operations on June 1, 1999. Funding for the center is through a grant from the Maryland Department of Human Resources.

Core Services

The sole focus of the Chesapeake Child Care Resource Center is to foster and provide an array of supports to the local community, which includes the college's five service-area counties Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne, and Talbot.

Services provided to the Upper Shore Community from Chesapeake Child Care Resource Center include:

• Helping parents to find and evaluate child care
• Training for parents and child care professionals
• Technical assistance to improve and expand child care resources
• Working with employers on work/family issues

Eastern Shore Higher Education Center

The Eastern Shore Higher Education Center (HEC) Building was added to the campus in 2003. The facilities are utilized not only by Chesapeake College but also by other local universities and colleges for undergraduate and graduate programs. The Center provides space for business functions and Continuing Education courses and programs. The Eastern Shore Higher Education Center is currently the home to Wye River Upper School, a private school that "serves bright students challenged by ADHD, dyslexia, and other unique learning styles, as well as students who may benefit from structure, low student/teacher ratios and creative teaching strategies."

The participating higher education institutions offering courses at the center are Salisbury University, Gratz College, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, University of Maryland University College, Stevenson University, and Notre Dame of Maryland University.

Kent Humanities Building

The Kent Humanities Building houses the Cadby Theatre and Lobby, lecture classrooms, and faculty offices. The building is named after Kent County, which was established on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1642. The Kent Humanities Building was originally built in 1969 and was renovated in 2010. Per renovation, the building now houses the Cadby Theatre, which can seat 100 occupants and is equipped with lighting, sound, and audio/visual equipment. This smaller of two campus theatres was named after Louise Cadby, who served as the College's first drama instructor from 1968-1985.

Learning Resource Center

Chesapeake College's Learning Resource Center provides various resources for faculty, students, and members of the community, including the campus's Academic Support Services.

Library

The Library helps to meet the information needs of Chesapeake's students and faculty as well as members of the local community by providing over 60,000 photos, books, films, and recordings. Chesapeake’s library provides students with a broad online collection of peer reviewed e-books, journals, periodicals, and subject-specific databases. The library is equipped with numerous computers and study spaces for both individuals and groups. Assistance for students is available through the library in person, online, or by phone.

Academic Support Center

Located on the first floor of the Learning Resource Center, the Academic Support Center provides students and faculty with assistance in most academic subjects, especially mathematics, science, and writing across the disciplines.

Tutoring

The Academic Support Center provides tutoring, both individually and in groups, for students on campus by faculty, professional staff, and peer consultants. Tutoring is available for most academic disciplines with special services provided for every step of the writing process. Services include sample papers and handouts. Special hours are dedicated each semester for tutoring services.

Supplemental Instruction

The center also provides supplemental instruction (SI) for students in courses that are considered to be difficult. Supplemental instruction is available to students currently enrolled in the targeted course. SI courses are subject to change each semester.

Project Mainstay

The Academic Support Center houses Project Mainstay, a federally funded TRIO Student Support Services program designed to help eligible students stay in school, graduate, and transfer to a four-year institution. In order for students to be eligible for this program they must meet one of the following criteria: be a first-generation college student, be overcoming a physical or learning disability, or come from a low-income family. Project Mainstay provides students with individualized tutoring one hour a week for each enrolled course, financial aid, time management, and test anxiety assistance, transfer and career opportunities and much more.

Testing Center

The Testing Center, located in the Learning Resource Center, has day, evening, and weekend hours in which the center administers the placement tests for those registering for courses. The center also administers proctored exams, make-up exams, and online course exams. Photo identification is needed in order to take tests and individuals must arrive one hour prior to the center closing.

Physical Education Building

The Physical Education Building houses the gym, fitness center, pool, locker rooms, and faculty and staff offices. The Physical Education Building renovated as part of a 2012-2014 project to move health professions instruction to the main campus in a new Health Professions and Athletics Center.

The five counties the college serves—Caroline, Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Kent, and Dorchester—share a $9 million contribution to the new Health Professions and Athletics Center. In a 3-2 vote to approve funding, Caroline County and Dorchester County voted against the contribution. The state awarded the college $27 million to fund the project, or 75% of the cost, towards construction, leaving the other counties to pay 25%. Each county pays a debt of about $120,000 a year for the next 20 years to fund the project.

As a result of the controversial vote, Caroline County administrators have said that they will no longer support funding to Chesapeake College, which causes the other Mid-Shore counties that also make contributions to have to make a permanent increase in their budget. Jeff Ghrist, Vice President and spokesperson for Caroline County at the last budget meeting, argued that the county would be unable to contribute $200,000 to the $1 million expense for an emergency roof replacement to another campus building.

Queen Anne's Technical Building

The Queen Anne's Technical Building features computer lab classrooms, a large instruction classroom, and faculty and staff offices. The building was originally constructed in 1969. Although the building has not been officially renovated, it does house up-to-date computers, software, and a distance learning classroom. The Queen Anne's County Technical Building was named after Queen Anne's County, which was founded in 1706 in honor of Queen Anne who ruled Great Britain and Ireland from 1702-1714. Queen Anne's was the first English settlement in Maryland under a 1631 patent from the king of England.

Talbot Science Building

The Talbot Sciences Building houses the office of the Dean of Liberal Arts and Science, faculty offices, science lab classrooms, and large instruction classrooms. The Talbot Sciences Building was one of the original buildings on campus and was renovated in 2009. The Talbot Science Building is named after Talbot County, which was established in 1661 in honor of Lady Grace Talbot.

Todd Performing Arts Center

The Todd Performing Arts Center (TPAC) building houses Todd Performing Arts Center Theatre and Lobby, box offices, the office of the Executive Director, faculty offices, and a training/catering kitchen.

Cambridge Center

The Cambridge campus of Chesapeake College provides educational opportunities to those who live or work in the mid or lower Eastern Shore area. The Cambridge Center provides most of the services a student would need on a daily basis from a higher learning institution. The location of the Cambridge Center in downtown Cambridge gives students an alternative to having to travel to Wye Mills to attend a Chesapeake College course.

The Cambridge Center houses a main office with full service staff, where students can apply for admission, register for or drop classes, make payments, learn about financial aid, and meet with advisors. The Cambridge Center facilities include a computer lab, testing center, tutoring center, multiple classrooms, and bookstore. The Cambridge Center offers a wide array of required courses and electives for students in many different majors.

Chinese Pavilion

Representatives from Suzhou, China joined Queen Anne’s County officials for the dedication of a pavilion on the campus of Chesapeake College on Monday, May 16, 2011.

A gift from the people of Suzhou to the people of Queen Anne’s County, the Canglang Pavilion was constructed by Chinese artisans. It is located between the college’s main buildings and athletic fields.

Wind Turbine

On November 2, 2011, students and administrators of Chesapeake College welcomed Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and other state politicians for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 50-kilowatt turbine.

The turbine is visible to drivers along Route 50.

The turbine was manufactured by Endurance Wind Power and is designed to produce between 80,000 and 200,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year depending on wind levels. The wind turbine will not turn unless there is a sustained wind of approximately 8 mph for a period of 4 minutes, so gusty winds will not cause the turbine to turn. The wind makes the turbine blades turn under low wind conditions (8 mph) due to the pitch/angle of the blades. It turns the same speed all the time. It has an internal brake that will shut the unit off when the wind speed exceeds 50 mph.

The energy generated by the wind turbine does not affect the Wye Mills campus electric bill directly. The energy is fed directly to the HEC, which is not on the campus electrical grid. The College invoices the Higher Education Center for the energy produced at a rate equivalent to the rate they would pay if the power was being generated by Delmarva Power and Light.

Programs of study

Career and professional studies

Degrees/Certificates:

Chesapeake College currently offers 13 certificate programs. The certificates that are available are specifically designed to assist students in upgrading their skills or providing the knowledge base for entry level employment. The certificate programs are 12 credits and generally take a minimum of a year to complete. Most of all the certificate programs that Chesapeake College offers can lead into degree programs to further education in a specific field of study. According to Anne Bishop, who is the Registration & Records Specialist at Chesapeake College 40 certificates will be awarded to graduating students in May 2013. The Surgical Tech and Food Service Certificate programs are two of the most popular chosen by students.

Accounting/Business

• Accounting Basic Certificate, Advanced Certificate, Letter of Recognition-Tax
• Business Administration, A.A.
• Business Management Technology, A.A.S. Certificate, Letter of Recognition

Computer Studies

Cooperative Education

Criminal Justice

• Corrections Certificate
• Crime Scene Technician Certificate
• Law Enforcement Certificate
• Natural Resources Certificate

Engineering Technology

• Drafting and Welding certifications, degree options, and Letters of Recognition

Health Professions

• MacQueen Gibbs Wills School of Nursing: a 2-year program where students can earn an Associate of Science degree.
• Emergency Medical Services, with various program options:
  • EMS degree program: an 18-month program where students can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree.
  • EMS certificate program: an 18-month program where students can earn a certificate.
  • Nationally Registered Paramedic: a 2-semester program where students can earn a certificate.
  • Cardiac Rescue Technician: an 11-month program where students can earn a letter of recognition.
• Phlebotomy: a 3-course, 9-credit program where students can earn a letter of recognition.
• Physical Therapist Assistant: a 2-year program where students can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree.
• Radiology: a program that requires no fewer than 6 semesters, where students can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree.
• Surgical Technology: an 11-month certificate program.

Hotel/Restaurant Management

Paralegal Professions

Technical and professional studies

Chesapeake College offers over 27 different degree programs or certificates in career related areas. These areas are health related fields, computer related fields, criminal justice, paralegal studies, business, and early childhood education. Some programs offered in the health related fields are nursing, radiological tech, surgical tech, and options in the emergency medical fields. The computer related fields options include cyber security, web design and multimedia, and applications software specialist. About half of all credit students enrolled at Chesapeake College are career students and over the past 5 years over 40% of the graduates were from career programs.

The Dean of the Division of Career and Professional Studies is Maureen Gilmartin, who also attended Chesapeake College.

Liberal arts and sciences

The Associate of the Arts degree program in Liberal Arts and Sciences is designed to help students meet the transfer requirements of four-year colleges and universities. To aid students in this process, Chesapeake College offers both on campus advising and flexible programs that are designed to meet the general education needs of most colleges and universities. Students also have access to ARTSYS, an online system which allows students to check if their credits will transfer to other Maryland universities or colleges.

Chesapeake College has recently begun to offer education and environmental science transfer programs. The education transfer program allows students to transfer the credits from their first two years to any University of Maryland teacher preparation program which are available in early childhood education, elementary education, special education, English, math, and science. In addition to the new programs, Chesapeake College offers transfer programs in African American Studies (Letter of Recognition Program), Business Administration Transfer, and General College Studies (Emphasis in Allied Health).

Many cite the current economy for the rising popularity of transfer programs, which is shown by the 5% jump in transfer students from community colleges between the 2010 and 2012 fiscal years. In 2012, Salisbury University accepted 88 new transfer students from Chesapeake College, out of a total of 673 transfer students.

Continuing education and workforce training

Chesapeake College works with partners in the surrounding counties to connect students who receive training for jobs. With the Open Door Policy, the College requires students to be 16 years of age to enroll in most classes. The mission of Chesapeake College is to educate individuals from the surrounding counties including individuals who are permanent residents, international as well undocumented, in order to reach their training goal. In addition, Chesapeake College has services for students such as bus transportation, career and employment counseling. Students who enroll into the non-credit continuing education program courses and receive ten hours of training may receive one continuing education unit (CEU) when appropriate.

In 2012, the number of students enrolled in Continuing Education Programs at Chesapeake College was 9,287. In the fall semester of that year, students enrolled in Continuing Education Programs made up 64% of the total student body, while for the fiscal year of 2011, the students enrolled in Continuing Education courses made up 33% of enrollment.

Continuing Education/Workforce Training Programs include Bank Teller Training, Boating, Professional Captain’s School, Child Care, Food Service Management, Assisted-Living Manager Training, Case Manager/Delegate Nurse, Dental Assisting, Medical Administrative Assistant, Medical Coding Specialist Certificate, Medical Transcription, Medicine Aid for Long-Term Care Facilities, Nursing Assistant, Personal Fitness Trainer, Pharmacy Technician, Hotel/Restaurant Management, Home Inspection Licensure Prep and Exam, Real Estate and Real Estate Appraisal, Truck and Bus Driver, Veterinary Assistant Training, and Wedding Planner.

Honors Program

The Honors Program seeks to provide and develop unique teaching and learning experiences through intellectually intriguing projects and off campus retreats in order to equip students for success at Chesapeake College and beyond. The Honors Program provides students and instructors with opportunities to learn and interact with one another through Honors courses, contracts, and events. The purpose of this program is to help students take control of their educational experiences by allowing more interaction with course materials, faculty, classmates, and the community.

The Chesapeake College Honors Program provides students with many benefits, including smaller class sizes, a seminar setting, individualized attention from the instructor, opportunities to attend local conferences and retreats, scholarship opportunities to both Chesapeake and other institutions, and special recognition on transcripts and at graduation.

• In order to be considered for special recognition at graduation or on transcripts students must
• Achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher during their time at Chesapeake
• Achieve a final grade of a “B” or higher in order to receive credit for an Honors course
• Complete a minimum of five Honors courses in three or more of the following academic disciplines: English, Mathematics, Fine Arts/Culture, Natural Science, Social/Behavioral Science, and Career/Professional Studies).

Student organizations

Phi Theta Kappa

The Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society is recognized by the American Association of Community Colleges as the official honors society of two-year colleges. Phi Theta Kappa seeks to recognize the academic achievements of two-year college students and provide leadership training, a sharing of knowledge by members, and membership earned through qualification, honor, and service. Membership through Phi Theta Kappa provides students with the opportunity to participate in community outreach and promote academic achievement in the community. Also, members receive special recognition and information about scholarships available to them as they continue their education. Those wishing to become part of the Chesapeake College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa must be offered membership and will only be accepted after the student's application and eligibility are reviewed. Students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher, have accumulated 12 or more college credits, and have declared a major.

Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU)

Students engaged in the Campus Crusade for Christ seek to connect Jesus and the community. As a club, CRU looks to challenge, share, and help friends and grow as a community, sharing and pursuing a relationship with Christ and have fun while doing it.

Chesapeake College Student Educators Association

The Chesapeake College Student Educators Association seeks to promote both an interest in and preparation for a future career in education. This organization, found on local, state, and national levels provides its members with an opportunity to make both personal and professional connections in the field of education.

CLEEn: Center for Leadership in Environmental Education

CLEEn is an organization promoted by Chesapeake College that strives to use beneficial and renewable energy sources. This community plans to help provide education, and training in new energy, and also plans to be a resource for business building. One of the more notable actions of this organization was the erection of the Wind Turbine at the College on November 1, 2011.

The Gay Straight Alliance

The Gay Straight Alliance seeks to nurture an active and diverse culture at Chesapeake College. The GSA strives to provide opportunities for students to form friendships and encourages open-mindedness toward the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.

Green Team

The Green Team wishes to bring awareness to eco-friendly practices along the Eastern Shore of Maryland. As a club, the Green Team works with public and private schools to encourage green practices among the residents especially the younger generations.

Happy Hands

Happy Hands was created to teach students and help them understand the basics of American Sign Language. The club looks to create a comfortable environment in which to learn the basics of sign language, with no prior experience needed to join.

Outdoors Club

The Outdoors Club seeks to provide an opportunity for students of Chesapeake College to participate in outdoor activities some of which include, skiing, canoeing, hiking, biking, and much more.

Peake Communications Club

The Communications Club seeks to provide students who are interested in communications with opportunities to learn and receive hands on experience in order to communicate successfully in the world. The club will explore all aspects of communication and will tailor club activities to the specific interests of club members.

Peake Disc Golf Club

The Disc Golf Club of Chesapeake College looks to provide students and disc golf aficionados with the opportunity to promote the healthy aspects of the sport around the campus.

The Peake Players

The Peake Players are a group of drama students. The Peake Players present a large production during the course of each semester and present a murder mystery dinner during the summer months.

Student Production Club

The student production club looks to provide students with an opportunity to experience all that a production entails by producing one play each semester and taking part in other presentations and activities to bring awareness to the club as well as the theatre.

Student Government Association

The Student Government Association at Chesapeake College offers students the chance to plan events around campus and voice their opinions regarding college policy. Most of the activities that occur on campus—dances, lectures, bus trips, socials, etc.--are sponsored by SGA. The activities offered on campus are little to no cost for students.

Student Nursing Organization

The Student Nursing Organization was founded in 1998, providing students with a way to influence non-curricular activities that will have an impact on them and open communication between students and faculty. Membership is open to current nursing students only.

Surgical Technology Club

The Surgical Technology Club of Chesapeake promotes the importance and quality of health education and services for students. The club will provide guidance on the educational standards needed to continue on in surgical technology and will work in conjunction with other institutions in order to promote school health.

UHURU

UHURU, meaning freedom in Swahili and whose motto is “knowledge is freedom,” was founded in 1982. UHURU seeks to promote and preserve the culture and history of African Americans as well as encourage integrity, pride, and unity among the college campus.

Veterans Club

The Chesapeake College Veterans Club works to assist all veterans and active members from every branch of the military transition from the battle field to the classroom.

Athletics

Sports

• Men's Basketball
• Women's Basketball
• Baseball
• Softball
• Men's Soccer
• Women's Volleyball

Skipjack Athletics honors outstanding athletes in its Hall of Fame each year.

Men's Basketball

The Chesapeake College men’s basketball team won their first NJCAA Region XX championship on March 2, 2008, when head coach John Mappas led the Skipjacks to a 27-4 season. The 2007-2008 Skipjacks basketball team had four major contributors to their team. Sophomore center Andrew Lee was MVP of the NJCAA Division I Region XX tournament and all-Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference first team. Sophomore shooting guard Preston Faulk was named to the all-Region XX Division I second team and all-Maryland JuCo second team. Freshman point guard Aubin Reeves and Ty Newman made all-Tournament team in the Skipjacks' success.

The men’s basketball team has been coached by Joel Dearring since the 2009-2010 season. Chesapeake was the 2nd highest scoring team among Maryland junior colleges in the 2012-13 season, averaging 88.7 points per game. The 2012-13 men’s basketball team faced several non-conference opponents at the start of the seasons to compete against Division 2 level teams like the University of the District of Columbia and Bowie State University.

The school records for most three-pointers in a single game and for most points in a single game were set in the 2012-13 season by Akanni Salako, who scored a 47 points with 11 3-pointers against the U.S. Naval Academy's junior varsity team.

Several of Chesapeake College's men’s basketball players were honored as NCJAA All-Americans:

• Jamaine Young, 1997–98, 1st team (first person from the College to make first team)
• Rayfield Wallace, 1981–82, 2nd team
• Errick Roberts, 1994–95, 2nd team
• Andrew Lee, 2003–04, 3rd team
• Cyril Djoukeng, 2003–04, Honorable Mention

Women’s basketball

Damon Nichols, hired in 2009 after Chesapeake failed to field a team the previous season, led the Skipjacks to a first-round state tournament win in his third season. That resurgence set the stage for this year’s record-breaking campaign, which included a 14-game winning streak. Nichols led the women's basketball team to their first state title, first region title, and first trip to nationals in 2012 (28-4). Nichols had a repeat the following year with a record of (22-3).

Records set by 2011-2012 Women's Team

• First State Championship
• First Regional Championship
• First Women's team to go to Nationals
• Ranked #19 twice in a season
• Most Wins
• Best Record
• Longest Winning Streak
• Ranked 7th in the Nation
• Lowest Loss Percentage

Softball

The Skipjack softball team was first introduced in 1992 when the college expanded the athletic program to include intercollegiate sports.

Durie Hayes is the head coach of Skipjacks softball team. Hayes is a former Chesapeake College student and former softball coach at Easton High School, credited locally as “a softball powerhouse.” Since assuming the coaching role at Chesapeake College, Hayes has led his team to many victories and championship competitions. Under Hayes's leadership, the Skipjacks competed in the 2009 NJCAA Division II Region XX championship, the 2009 Division II World Series, the 2010 Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference title, and 2010 NJCAA Division II Region XX championship.

The 2012-2013 team currently composed of 10 freshmen and 2 sophomores, who have been credited with 31 wins and 5 losses. The team competed in the NJCAA Division II Region XX championship in May 2013 and finished in 3rd place.

Stuart M. Bounds Fitness Center

Chesapeake College opened the Stuart M. Bounds Fitness Center in August 2008 after a major expansion and renovation of the College's fitness facilities. State-of-the-art cardio and weight-training options are available for current credit students, college faculty and staff, and Continuing Education students.

Additional athletic facilities

• Open Gym (Basketball Courts)
• Running/Walking Trails
• Tennis Courts
• Disk Golf Field

School mascot

In August 2009, Cap’n Jack was introduced as the official Chesapeake College Skipjacks mascot. Cap’n Jack is a green parrot pirate who proudly wears the white and blue school colors on his pirate attire and sports a grand pirate hat and an eye patch. Cap’n Jack is known for his appearances at community and college events and also has his own fan following on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter where he keeps students, faculty, and the community aware of upcoming events at Chesapeake College.

Notable alumni

• Richard F. Colburn - Maryland State Senator, R-37 Mid-Shore, 5th term, Chairman of the Eastern Shore Delegation Committee, Town Manager of Federalsburg
• Wheeler R. Baker - former Maryland State Delegate

Alliances with other institutions

Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC)

Maryland's 16 community colleges provide early college access programs for high school students, giving them the opportunity to accelerate their pursuit of a college degree or certificate.

According to the MACC 2013 Databook, for the Fall semester of 2012 Chesapeake College had a total of 1,075 credited transfer students, 552 were enrolled full-time and 523 were enrolled part-time. For the fiscal year 2012, Chesapeake College awarded a total of 272 degrees, of which 139 were transfer degrees, and 133 were career degrees. For the fiscal year of 2012, Chesapeake College made up 23% of career degrees awarded in Maryland community colleges.

The Articulation System for Transferring Courses from One Maryland University or College to Another (ARTSYS)

Chesapeake College participates in ARTSYS, a computerized data information system that helps ease the transfer of students from Maryland community colleges to all institutions within the University of Maryland system. ARTSYS allows students and advisors at the institutions to ascertain the transferability status of any community college course. It indicates whether the course is transferable and, if so, indicates the receiving institution’s equivalent course number or applicability towards elective credits. It also indicates the general education area(s), at both the sending and receiving institutions, applicable to the course.

Hospital services

Together with Memorial Hospital at Easton in Easton, MD, Chesapeake College offers various Allied Health programs. The Allied Health facilities, located at Memorial Hospital, include a computer lab, four classrooms, one of which is for distant learning, and a lab for hands on learning, along with many offices which serve as a "full service center with registration and business office functions", and a medical library. In the near future the hospital plans to move its location. In preparation for this move the Chesapeake College's physical education building will be renovated to accommodate the new home of the Allied Health program and facilities.

Charitable contributions

Many of Chesapeake College's faculty and students frequently join together to donate their time and talent back to the community. Their contributions have benefited various organizations and charities that extend beyond Maryland. Additionally, the college houses the Volunteer Center, providing the space as well as staff. The central purpose of this center is to "serve as a clearinghouse for nonprofits and volunteers serving Chesapeake College’s five counties".

• Katrina- When a category 5 hurricane, named Katrina, swept through the Gulf coast August 2005 causing mass destruction and casualties, Chesapeake College came together as a community and organized a variety of relief efforts.
  • Alternative Spring Break- for the last few years students have dedicated their spring break to join with the Habitat for Humanity organization in their venture to help rebuild New Orleans.
  • The Gulf Coast commitment employed several different relief efforts. For instance, the Chesapeake College Cares: Gulf Coast Disaster Relief was a 2 week operation to raise money for the communities affected by the hurricane, where they raised nearly $4000. During this time the athletic department donated money received from concessions and cookout sales, to the relief. Furthermore, the college offered student victims the opportunity to enroll in Chesapeake, free of charge, for the fall semester. The school also explored the idea of donating used computers, as well as books to colleges and libraries damaged during the storm.
• Phi Theta Kappa- held a blanket drive for Midshore Council on Family Violence in order to donate new or gently used blankets to clients of a local shelter. The honor society received 66 blankets from students and faculty of the college. Members also collected "used cell phones as part of the national Cell Phones for Soldiers project.", planted grasses at Pickering Creek and organized a trash pick up along the highway.
• Battle against Cancer- The women's volleyball team and men's soccer team raised money towards the Dig Pink Foundation and "Kick It To Cancer" campaign.
• Samaritan House- Chesapeake College students collected non perishable food items and the baseball team donated the money raised from a pancake breakfast that was held at a local restaurant, to a local Samaritan House.

External links

• Official website