Mary-Beth Cooper Hits the Ground Running By Jane Johnson Vottero
the presIdent begIns each workday running at the Wellness Center. In her short time on the campus, Mary-Beth Cooper, PhD, DM—the 13th president of Springfield College, and its first woman president— has established herself as a person of high energy and enthusiasm. It has been an important year for women at Springfield College, with the celebration of 50 years of Women’s Varsity Athletics at Springfield College, and with her arrival. With respect to being the first female president, Cooper notes,
“From my perspective there’s very little I can do about my gender… Whenever you choose a leader, it should be the best person with the best skill set. But, I do think it is a reality [to note a woman leader] and time that we are seeing more qualified women leading universities … While it’s coincidental, it’s nice to arrive at the time that we are celebrating our female athletes and their contributions to the world of sport.” Cooper is quick to turn her attention away from
gender and to the shape her presidency will take. “I intend to serve Springfield College through its people. My plan for the first six months to a year will be to listen to the members of the Springfield College community—students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, administration, and the Board of Trustees. I believe it is essential that all members of the community have a voice in the future of Springfield.” With plans to travel to visit with alumni and attend events a bit
skill is her warmth. When she speaks to groups, whether large or small, participants feel as if she is speaking directly to them. And sometimes she is. “Sam,” she said to one first-year from the podium at New Student Assembly in a crowded Blake Arena, “Your mother went to the bookstore and got you the lanyard as promised. But she had to leave. So, she gave it to me,” Cooper said, holding up the Springfield College lanyard. “Don’t out yourself now. Come find me after assembly.” Cooper assumes a college presidency at a time when institutions of
higher education and their students are dealing with negative press about increasing tuitions and rising college debt. “Many of the reports have featured a small sample size and irresponsible spin,” she says, “but the value of an education—particularly the value of a Springfield education—is one that we know has been very fruitful for people in terms of having a purposeful life. “When we talk about being holistic in our
“I believe it is
essential that all members of the community have a
voice in the future of Springfield.”
later, at the start at least, the new president hopes alumni will come to the College while she becomes acquainted with its constituencies and environment. “I invite alumni to help me understand the campus environment in the best light, so if they can come and be a part of some of our traditions, it would create an opportunity for us to engage.” And, perhaps, learn what it is that makes Springfield College special. That’s one of the first things the new president would like to learn.
“I’ve never seen a college where so many people are so satisfied and so pleased with their experience. Our alumni talk about Springfield College like it was the best four years of their life, and we know that, for other colleges, that’s not always the case,” says Cooper. Appreciative of what that satisfaction means, and the reasons for it,
Cooper says that she doesn’t want to interrupt any of the great things that are in motion, wanting instead to facilitate the trajectory the College is already on. “But, the worst thing a college president can do is say, ‘We already did that. Check.’ We want to make sure we don’t lose any momentum in terms of our physical plant, but we want to be thoughtful about where we invest future dollars, and that may be in academic programs, athletics, and continuing to create a safe and prosperous community,” she says. Mary-Beth Cooper is a skilled listener, quick to extend her hand and, while shaking yours, say “Please call me Mary-Beth.” And, part of that
Board Chair Douglass L. Coupe and Mary-Beth Cooper
approach, about teaching our students life skills and about service to community, and taking care of themselves in all the three dimensions—spirit, mind, and body—we’re teaching them to know themselves and invest in themselves and their communities,” she says, emphasizing how a Springfield College education will contribute to the lives of our students and, subsequently, to their communities in immeasurable ways. Excited to come on board at the start of the
semester when the spotlight was on new students and their experi- ence, she donned a first-year beanie under her doctoral tam for the New Student Assembly and celebrated the first-year experience with the Class of 2017. At this writing, she was enjoying watching them “experience Springfield College for the very first time. That commonal- ity, that bond with them, will be one that I will leverage as best I can.” The tam and beanie are just two of the hats that Cooper wears, and
in addition to being a president and a first-year, she describes herself as a runner, a reader, and an individual who works hard and plays hard. She also is a student—a lifetime learner—as evidenced by her numerous academic degrees. “I believe that there is always room to grow and improve oneself. Even as an instructor for the past 13 years, I felt that I learned a great deal from my students. The enterprise of expanding one’s knowledge never gets old for me.” like the spirit, mind, and body focus of the Humanics philosophy,
there are many parts that make up the whole of the College’s 13th president. She understands that about herself in the same way she understands the Springfield College mission, which drew her here. And, it is the congruent missions of the College and the YMCA that further emphasize her “rightness” for the position. She has committed her volunteer life to the mission of the YMCA,
having long served the Rochester (N.Y.) YMCA Board of Directors, most recently as its chairperson. “How lucky am I that my life’s passion, in terms of the YMCA and my volunteer work, and my professional career
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