Previous Theatre Seasons

Previous Theatre Seasons

Theatre Arts Program

2023/2024 Theatre Season

Coppin Repertory Theatre Second Stage presents Ghosts. Written by Henrik Ibsen, Adapted by Richard Eyre Directed by Willie O. Jordan

Ghosts

April 25-28, 2024

Written by Henrik Ibsen, Adapted by Richard Eyre

Directed by Willie O. Jordan

Though written in 1881, Henrik Ibsen’s domestic tragedy is still urgent, timely and relevant today. The play asks each of us to confront some very poignant questions: How does the past influence the present? How does society invade our personal lives? What do we do with the lies, deceit, and hypocrisy? Can we free ourselves from dead ideas, dead customs, and dead morals as we face our Ghosts?


Chicken & Biscuits

February 29 - March 10, 2024

Written by Douglas Lyons

Directed by Daniel Carter

Chicken & Biscuits is a raucous family comedy so full of laughter and love, it’ll leave you begging for seconds. The Jenkins family is coming together to celebrate the life of the family patriarch—hopefully without killing each other! But any hopes for a peaceful reunion unravel when a shocking family secret shows up at the funeral. A feel-good comedy that will feed your soul.


Pipeline, A Play by Dominique Morisseau

Pipeline

November 10-12, 2023

Written by Dominique Morisseau

Directed by Willie O. Jordan

A mother’s choices. A son’s rage. A rigged education system. In PIPELINE’s opening scene we meet Nya, a dedicated teacher in an inner-city public high school, who has just discovered that her son’s in trouble. After one impulsive act, Omari is in danger of being expelled from his upstate private school, and Nya’s hopes for his bright future are threatened. With language lyrical and potent, Morisseau’s deeply compassionate and dynamic award-winning play dives into the painful truth of “the school-to-prison pipeline.”


Shakin' The Mess Outta Misery

Coppin Repertory Theatre Presents Shakin' The Mess Outta Misery. Written by Shay Youngblood. Directed by Rashida Forman-Bey

September 28 - October 1, 2023

Written by Shay Youngblood

Directed by Rashida Forman-Bey

Adapted from the Shay Youngblood's book, THE BIG MAMA STORIES, SHAKIN' THE MESS OUTTA MISERY is the inspirational, semi-autobiographical story of a young black girl's coming of age in the 1960s South. "Daughter," the main character and 25-year-old narrator, lost her mother when she was very young and a community of women raised her, some blood related, some not. As she remembers how her 'Big Mamas' prepared her for womanhood, the women enter to tell their stories and "Daughter" becomes a child again, reliving her vivid memories of growing up--recalling the rituals, the faith healings, and the stories she was told and the lessons she learned about survival, healing, sisterhood, family, and faith. Youngblood's play confirms the African proverb—"It takes a village to raise a child."


2022-2023 Theatre Season

 

Pipeline, A Play by Dominique Morisseau

Pipeline

March 2-5, 2023

Written by Dominique Morisseau

Directed by Willie O. Jordan

A mother’s choices. A son’s rage. A rigged education system. In PIPELINE’s opening scene we meet Nya, a dedicated teacher in an inner-city public high school, who has just discovered that her son’s in trouble. After one impulsive act, Omari is in danger of being expelled from his upstate private school, and Nya’s hopes for his bright future are threatened. With language lyrical and potent, Morisseau’s deeply compassionate and dynamic award-winning play dives into the painful truth of “the school-to-prison pipeline.”


Shakin' The Mess Outta Misery

April 27 - May 7, 2023

Written by Shay Youngblood

Directed by Rashida Forman-Bey

Adapted from the Shay Youngblood's book, THE BIG MAMA STORIES, SHAKIN' THE MESS OUTTA MISERY is the inspirational, semi-autobiographical story of a young black girl's coming of age in the 1960s South. "Daughter," the main character and 25-year-old narrator, lost her mother when she was very young and a community of women raised her, some blood related, some not. As she remembers how her 'Big Mamas' prepared her for womanhood, the women enter to tell their stories and "Daughter" becomes a child again, reliving her vivid memories of growing up--recalling the rituals, the faith healings, and the stories she was told and the lessons she learned about survival, healing, sisterhood, family, and faith. Youngblood's play confirms the African proverb—"It takes a village to raise a child."


Coppin Repertory Theatre Presents Broke-ology

Broke-ology

November 10-13, 2022

Written by Nathan Louis Jackson

In Broke-ology, despite economic and emotional hardships, the King family has survived thanks to their love for and dedication to one another. William, the father afflicted with MS, still lives in the house in which his sons grew up, continuously grasping at the memories of his late wife, Sonia, and the dreams they shared of a better future for their children. Ennis, his elder son, takes care of William despite the pressure that comes with having a baby of his own on the way. Malcolm, the younger son, is a college graduate recently returned home after a taste of life outside the asphyxiating cycle of poverty and struggle in which he was raised. When the offer of a job in Connecticut tempts Malcolm into leaving for good, he is forced to decide between his duty to his family and his refusal to further defer the dreams of his father.

The Overcomers Theatre Season 2021-2022

 

ColorblindKatrinaTitle

Colorblind: The Katrina Monologues

May 1-31, 2021

By Tom Flannery

Directed by Azya Maxton

On the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit southeast Louisiana. Today, it is still remembered as the most apocalyptic storm to hit the US, causing severe damage along the Gulf Coast. In the aftermath of the storm, the federal flood protection system in New Orleans failed in more than fifty places, causing nearly every levee to break. Thousands of families were uprooted. More than 1800 persons lost their lives. Flannery's Katrina Monologues tells the stories of nine people affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.


Blues for an Alabama Sky Graphic

Blues For an Alabama Sky

October 29-31, 2021

By Pearl Cleage

It's the summer of 1930 and the promises of the Harlem Renaissance are giving way to the dashed dreams of the Great Depression. Playwright Pearl Cleage tells a strikingly modern story about four friends whose lives and passions collide when an innocent newcomer from Alabama arrives in New York.


Coppin Repertory Theatre presents Private Wars - A Dark Comedy. The battle has ended, but the war is not over!

Private Wars

November 4-5, 2021
The Theatre Lab, Grace Jacobs Building, Lower Level

  • Thursday November 4th at 10:30 a.m.
  • Friday, November 5th at 10:30 a.m.
  • Friday, November 5th at 7:30 p.m.

By James McClure

Popular anti-war comedy about the humorous and intense recovery of three Viet Nam Vets from physical wounds and PTSD.

Admission: $10 General, $5 Coppin Student with ID

Fully masked audience, proof of vaccination or negative test result within 72 hours


Coppin Repertory Theatre presents The Colored Museum, by George C. Wolfe

The Colored Museum

April 21-24, 2022

  • April 21 & 22 at 7:30 p.m.
  • April 23 & 24 at 3:00 p.m.

By George C. Wolfe

A poignant, socially-conscious, satirical comedy, The Colored Museum is a depiction of black culture in America, especially relevant in today’s world of “Black Lives Matter”. Tony Award-winning playwright, George C. Wolfe, takes us on a journey of Black culture with an “in-your-face,” non-apologetic, “take no prisoners” satire that electrifies, unsettles, and delights audiences of all colors.


84th Annual Conference of the National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts (NADSA)

April 6-9, 2022

Coppin State University
2500 W. North Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21216


The Glass Menagerie

May 6-8, 2022

By Tennessee Williams

An American classic of great tenderness, charm, and beauty, The Glass Menagerie is an icon of the American theater. Known as Tennessee Williams's autobiographical “memory play,” we meet the Wingfield family—frustrated writer Tom, his nagging mother, Amanda, who is often lost in memories of her Southern-belle past, and his painfully shy sister, Laura—and the effect a visit from a “gentleman caller” for Laura has on all their lives.

 

2019-2020 The Season of Change

 

BestOfEnemies2019
Best of Enemies by Mark St. Germain (September 2019)
joeturner2019
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone by August Wilson (December 2019)
TheMeetingNH
The Meeting by Jeff Stetson (February 2020)

2018-2019 The Commemorative Theatre Season

 

Theatre Trip to New York City to see The Lion King on Broadway

For Colored Girls… by Ntozake Shange (October 2018)

Harlem Renaissance Program (original world premiere of student-written production, Harlem Song) (November 2018)

A Soldier’s Play by Charles Fuller (December 2018)

KCACTF Region II Festival 2019 at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey (January 2019)

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (March 2019)

NADSA Conference 2019—Coppin State University is host (April 2019)

2017-2018 The Social Justice Theatre Season

 

Suspects in America by Willie Holmes

Tell Pharaoh by Loften Mitchell

KCACTF Region II Festival 2018 at Indiana University, Pennsylvania

For Colored Girls… by Ntozake Shange

2016-2017 The Awakening Theatre Season

 

You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown

Homeplace by Claudette Alexander-Thomason

Suspects in America (A Staged Reading) by Willie Holmes

2015-2016 The Community Theatre Season

 

Zooman and the Sign by Charles Fuller

Under the Skin by Michael Hollinger

Homeplace (A Staged Reading) by Claudette Alexander-Thomason

2014-2015 The Nobility Theatre Season

 

A Lesson Before Dying by Romulus Linney

Jar the Floor by Cheryl L. West

2013-2014 The Revelation Season

 

Truth Stands, a world premiere by Cynthia Hardeman (October 2013)

To Be Young, Gifted and Black by Lorraine Hansberry (November 2013) Adapted by Robert Nemiroff

The Waiting Room By Samm-Art Williams (March 2014)

2012-2013 Season

 

From the Mississippi Delta by Endesha Ida Mae Holland (October 2012)

Harriet Jacobs by Lydia Diamond (November 2012 & February 2013)

One Night Only- A Christmas Show by James Macon Grant (December 2012)

2011-2012 Season

 

Every Tongue Confess by Marcus Gardley (October 2011)

From the Mississippi Delta by Endesha Ida Mae Holland (December 2011)

God’s Trombones: From Test to Testimony by James Weldon Johnson; Adapted by D. Wambui Richardson (April 2012)

2010-2011 Season

 

In the Blood by Suzan-Lori Parks (October 2010)

Antigone by Sophocles (November 2010)

God’s Trombones by James Weldon Johnson (April 2011)

2009-2010 Season

 

The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe (November 2009)

Constant Star by Tazewell Thompson (March 2010)

Pill Hill by Samuel Kelley (April 2010)

Our Programs

Theatre

Undergraduate

Dance

Undergraduate

Urban Arts

Undergraduate

African American Studies

Undergraduate

Contact Us

The faculty provides nurturance through instruction, leadership, mentorship, advice, and interactive learning methods to engage students in theory, scholarship, practice, and community service.  In addition to the staff and faculty listed below, we'd like to thank the following Adjunct Faculty team members too:

Auditorium Technical Liaison

staff

Assistant Professor

faculty

Assistant Professor

faculty

Can Help With
Theatrical Design, especially Lighting Design
Theatre History
Theatre Safety
College

The Theatre Program is within the Department of Humanities in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Education. 

National Presence

National Presence

Theatre Arts Program

national audience in theatre program

Guest Artists Series

Students engage and interact with several prominent and emerging artists in our Theatre Arts Program. These artists visit the campus to act, direct, design, speak, and teach master workshops. Some of our past guests included: 

  • Ruben Arana-Downs
  • Nicoye Banks
  • David Barr III
  • Christopher Benson
  • Trezana Beverley
  • Maria Broom
  • Phillip Burgess
  • Kevin Carroll
  • Rosiland Cauthen
  • Anthony Chisholm
  • Sharlene Clinton
  • Kurt Columbus
  • Aunjanue Ellis
  • Cynthia Hardeman
  • Charlene Harris
  • Gregory J. Horton
  • Sallah Jenkins
  • Timothy Jones
  • Lillie Kahkonen
  • Woodie King, Jr.
  • Kwame  Kwei-Armah
  • Antoinette McDonald
  • David Mitchell
  • Prince No Ra
  • Howard Overshown
  • Donald Owens
  • Marc Payne
  • Rain Pryor
  • D. Wambui Richardson
  • Jefferson Russell
  • Sadiqa  
  • Mark St. Germain
  • Daniel Sunjata   
  • Alvin Sykes
  • L. Steven Taylor
  • Claudette Alexander Thomason
  • R. Paul Thomason
  • Douglas Turner Ward
  • Allan Weeks
  • Linda West
  • Robert White
  • Samm-Art Williams
  • Ian Wooldridge

National Organizations and Festivals

Coppin students attend, participate, and compete in several national organizations and festivals.

The National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts (NADSA)

NADSA is an association of students, faculty, staff, alumni and other arts/entertainment professionals from historically black colleges and universities across the country. Founded in 1936, NADSA is today the nation’s oldest surviving educational theatre association. The four-day annual conference, held in March or April, features a series of workshops, competitions, performances, panels and plenaries. Theatre and speech communication enthusiasts use NADSA as an opportunity to network, build skillsets, and share best practices of the field.

Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students annually from colleges and universities across the country. KCACTF aims to:

  • Encourage, recognize, and celebrate the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theatre programs;
  • Provide opportunities for participants to develop their theater skills, insight, and achieve professionalism;
  • Improve the quality of college and university theatre in the United States; and
  • Encourage colleges and universities to give distinguished productions of new plays, especially those written by students; the classics, revitalized or newly conceived, and experimental works.

Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills, and receive national recognition for excellence. More than 16 million theatergoers have attended approximately 10,000 festival productions nationwide. Since its inception, KCACTF has given more than 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills, and receive national recognition for excellence. More than 16 million theatergoers have attended approximately 10,000 festival productions nationwide.

University Resident Theatre Association

Founded in 1969, the University Resident Theatre Association works to ensure the continued renewal of the American theatre by supporting excellence in the professional training of new artists. URTA continues to develop programs and services that answer the needs of university theatres, training programs, and individual artists. Whether it’s articulating the highest standards for professional training, helping to match potential students with the MFA program best suited to their needs, facilitating engagement of professional artists at universities, or expanding the scope of our education and career outreach programs, URTA is setting the stage for emerging theatre artists, and professional advancement.

Our Programs

Theatre

Undergraduate

Dance

Undergraduate

Urban Arts

Undergraduate

African American Studies

Undergraduate

Contact Us

The faculty provides nurturance through instruction, leadership, mentorship, advice, and interactive learning methods to engage students in theory, scholarship, practice, and community service.  In addition to the staff and faculty listed below, we'd like to thank the following Adjunct Faculty team members too:

Auditorium Technical Liaison

staff

Assistant Professor

faculty

Assistant Professor

faculty

Can Help With
Theatrical Design, especially Lighting Design
Theatre History
Theatre Safety
College

The Theatre Program is within the Department of Humanities in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Education. 

Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honor Society

Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honor Society

Theatre Arts Program

AlphaPsiOmega

Coppin State University is a member of Alpha Psi Omega (ΑΨΩ), a National Theatre Honor Society for participants in collegiate theatre. It began in the early 20th century as result of the growing interest in dramatic arts among colleges and universities throughout America, with the aim of encouraging dramatic production at every step in a person’s academic career. Alpha Psi Omega is the largest national honor society in America. Membership is open to students who are active in collegiate/university theatre at four-year institutions. Students strive to earn membership into this prestigious organization.

Our Programs

Theatre

Undergraduate

Dance

Undergraduate

Urban Arts

Undergraduate

African American Studies

Undergraduate

Contact Us

The faculty provides nurturance through instruction, leadership, mentorship, advice, and interactive learning methods to engage students in theory, scholarship, practice, and community service.  In addition to the staff and faculty listed below, we'd like to thank the following Adjunct Faculty team members too:

Auditorium Technical Liaison

staff

Assistant Professor

faculty

Assistant Professor

faculty

Can Help With
Theatrical Design, especially Lighting Design
Theatre History
Theatre Safety
College

The Theatre Program is within the Department of Humanities in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Education. 

Theatre Arts Scholarship

Theatre Arts Scholarship

Theatre Arts Program

Apply for the Scholarship

Theatre is a part of the Urban Arts major at Coppin. We are searching for talented individuals who are interested in majoring in theatre (Urban Arts) and whose gifts and passions are found in areas that feature on stage performances, and backstage work. Theatre is a gateway major that accommodates skills and competencies that will prepare students to work in environments that require integration and cross-pollination of thought, philosophy, and skills as 21st century learners.

Apply Now

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Preparing for the Scholarship Audition

(IN-PERSON AUDITION)

WHEN: May 16th, 2026 from 9am-12noon
WHERE: Coppin State University
2500 w. North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21216
Grace Jacobs Building, Theatre Lab (Lower Level) 

  • Please prepare one contemporary monologue. 
  • Please bring two copies of your headshot and resume 
  • Please be dressed to move.

     

(ONLINE SUBMISSIONS ONLY)

  • Please prepare two monologues (one classical + one contemporary) 
  • Record your audition on YouTube and submit the link to ghyatt@coppin.edu . Please attached one copy of your headshot and resume to the email. 
  • Submissions close May 16th @ 12:00 NOON EST 

    FURTHER QUESTIONS?

    Please email Professor Josh Wilder at jwilder@coppin.edu or call 410-951-4199

     

Our Programs

Theatre

Undergraduate

Dance

Undergraduate

Urban Arts

Undergraduate

African American Studies

Undergraduate

Contact Us

The faculty provides nurturance through instruction, leadership, mentorship, advice, and interactive learning methods to engage students in theory, scholarship, practice, and community service.  In addition to the staff and faculty listed below, we'd like to thank the following Adjunct Faculty team members too:

Auditorium Technical Liaison

staff

Assistant Professor

faculty

Assistant Professor

faculty

Can Help With
Theatrical Design, especially Lighting Design
Theatre History
Theatre Safety
College

The Theatre Program is within the Department of Humanities in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Education. 

Beyond the Classroom

Beyond the Classroom

Theatre Arts Program

Students participate in a myriad of co-curricular activities, including plays, concerts, art exhibits, workshops, presentations, competitions, tournaments, field trips, and conferences.

Student Collaborations

BestofEnemies8404 theatre performance

Our theatre students participate in a range of collaborative and community service projects with other student organizations and with other colleges and universities.

Recent collaborations include participation in Bowie State University’s annual Ten Minute Play Festival and a co-production on the show, Best of Enemies with McDaniel College.

Students also work with professional theatre practitioners as guest directors, actors, designers and playwrights (One Night Only, Harlem Song, Brother’s Keeper).


Internships

 

Our students have participated in various internship opportunities, such as:

  • Daniel Carter, Ensemble Theatre of Houston, TX
  • Louis Williams, III, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory
  • Dorrian Wilson, Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre
  • Anthony Murcia-Santos, The Juilliard School
  • Juan Ogando, Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC
  • Kai Crosby-Singleton, Baltimore Center Stage
  • Anthony Murcia-Santos, Baltimore Center Stage

Advanced Study Opportunities

Coppin State theatre students go on to advanced study, such as:

  • Dorrian Wilson, MFA Acting Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Mama Rashida Foreman-Bey, MFA Community Arts Program, Mrayland Institute College of Art (MICA)
  • Dorrian Wilson and Ryan Pratcher-Bey, the Kennedy Center

Broadway Field Trips

Students are encouraged to participate in our trips to professional productions. Past activities have included:

  • The Color Purple. Students interviewed Natasha Williams, who played Sofia.
  • Cat on A Hot Tin Roof. Students participated in a talk-back with cast member Anika Noni Rose, who played Maggie the Cat.
  • Porgy and Bess. Students participated in a talk-back with cast members Natasha Williams (Mariah) and Norm Lewis (Porgy).
  • Chicago. Students participated in a talk-back with cast members Brandy Norwood (Roxie), Natasha Williams and full cast.
  • The Lion King. Students interviewed L. Steven Taylor who plays Mufasa.
  • A Soldier’s Play

TalkbackJoeTurnersF19 theatre performance

Engaging the Community

Our theatre students participate in a range of community activities, including:

  • Summer theatre program
  • Performances at Churches
  • Audience talk-backs after all theatre performances

Regional and National Competitions

Coppin State theatre students participate in regional and national competitions, such as:

  • NADSA
  • KCACTF, one of the few HBCUs participating
  • Forensics Tournaments

School Matinee Performances

  • Middle and high school students

Participating in Public Showcases

  • Acting I
  • Acting II
  • Acting III
  • Unscripted: Improvisation for the Actor
  • Oral Interpretation
  • Directing
  • We Heart Art Festival

Our Programs

Theatre

Undergraduate

Dance

Undergraduate

Urban Arts

Undergraduate

African American Studies

Undergraduate

Contact Us

The faculty provides nurturance through instruction, leadership, mentorship, advice, and interactive learning methods to engage students in theory, scholarship, practice, and community service.  In addition to the staff and faculty listed below, we'd like to thank the following Adjunct Faculty team members too:

Auditorium Technical Liaison

staff

Assistant Professor

faculty

Assistant Professor

faculty

Can Help With
Theatrical Design, especially Lighting Design
Theatre History
Theatre Safety
College

The Theatre Program is within the Department of Humanities in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Education. 

Theatre Arts Program

Theatre Arts Program

Department of Humanities

We Nurture. We Engage. We Transform.

The arts are essential to our lives!  Theatre art is an avenue to intellectual, social, personal, professional development, and enrichment. The theatre concentration in the Urban Arts major prepares students for careers in theatre and related disciplines through character, leadership, and service for building relationships and community. The program supports the following fundamental beliefs and values:

theatre perofrmance

Excellence, the highest artistic quality

Integrity, the highest standards of honesty and fairness in the pursuit of equitable, ethical, and professional practice. 

Lifelong Learning the best continuous training for artistry, knowledge, and skills

Service is our noble and worthy responsibility to our community

Diversity of opinion, freedom of expression and each person’s individuality. 

Creativity in all endeavors. 

Commitment to the arts and to the mission of the University its role in supporting the highest quality of life 

Intellectual Freedom for the ethical and scholarly inquiry in an environment that fully respects the rights of all in their pursuit of knowledge

Stewardship of Resources dedicated to the efficient and effective use as we accept the responsibility of public trust and accountability for our actions 

SoldiersPlay5769 interior theatre

The Theatre concentration focuses on the student as the center of the educational enterprise. We place a high premium on nurturing, engaging, and transforming the individual so that creativity is expressed with honor and value. Learn about theater-related jobs.

Our academic program is ably supported by Coppin Repertory Theatre, the producing arm and Coppin Players, a student run organization where our students collaborate, invest, and own the work they do.

Apply Now

Learn about the Theatre Scholarship

Our Programs

Dance

Undergraduate

Urban Arts

Undergraduate
5 brown-skin young women each wearing a brightly colored shirt sitting closely grouped together with their arms outstretched and open

Current Theatre Season

Coppin State University Hosts the 84th Annual Conference National Association of Dramatic and Speech Arts (NADSA) - April 6-9, 2022

Coppin Repertory Theatre will host the 84th Annual Conference of NADSA, an association of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other arts/entertainment professionals from historically black colleges and universities across the country. Founded in 1936, NADSA is the nation’s oldest surviving educational theatre association. The annual conference features workshops, competitions, performances, and plenaries. Attendees use NADSA as an opportunity to network, build skillsets, and share best practices in the field.

Contact Us

The faculty provides nurturance through instruction, leadership, mentorship, advice, and interactive learning methods to engage students in theory, scholarship, practice, and community service.  In addition to the staff and faculty listed below, we'd like to thank the following Adjunct Faculty team members too:

Auditorium Technical Liaison

staff

Assistant Professor

faculty

Assistant Professor

faculty

Can Help With
Theatrical Design, especially Lighting Design
Theatre History
Theatre Safety
College

The Theatre Program is within the Department of Humanities in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Education. 

Application Process

Application Process

Maxie Collier Scholars Program

Speak to
Julie Manley
Health & Human Services Building, Room #339

Thank you for your interest in the Maxie Collier Scholars Program at Coppin State University. The Program has a strong legacy of preparing undergraduate Scholars for professional careers in the field of public behavioral health services.

Application Packet

Please complete and include the following documents in your application packet: 

  • Application 
  • Personal Statement: Responses to three questions on application 
  • Signed applicants’ agreement included in application 
  • Proof of Maryland residency 
  • Three submissions addressing your strengths and why you should be selected as a Scholar. Two submissions from CSU professors and one submission from a community person (examples: supervisor, clergy member, volunteer coordinator ). Submissions are due by March 17, 2021 and may be submitted to Maxie Collier Scholars Program Recommendation Form.

Submit Your Application Packet 

Applications may be submitted in person or by email. Please submit the complete application packet to: 

Important Dates 

Please be reminded of the following important dates: 

  • January 20, 2021 - Applications available 
  • March 17, 2021 - Deadline to submit completed Applications and Recommendations
  • April 7, 2021 - Interviews for Applicants 

Please feel free to reach out if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,

Julie Manley, MCSP Program Coordinator

Faculty and Staff

Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions. Your future starts now!

Julie Manley
Lecturer

staff

Can Help With
SheCare Wellness Pods

Criteria for Scholars

Criteria for Scholars

Maxie Collier Scholars Program

  • From the State of Maryland 
  • Officially enrolled as a Coppin State University undergraduate student
  • Have a minimum of 1 year remaining as an undergraduate student at CSU
  • 3.0 minimum GPA preferred
  • Declared major in criminal justice, natural sciences, nursing, psychology, or social work
  • Commitment to pursue a behavioral health career in the State of Maryland
  • Completed Application to include a required personal statement
  • High rating in a required personal interview
  • Three letters of support from recommended sources
  • Official college transcript

Completed applications should be returned to:

Maxie Collier Scholars Program Coordinator
Coppin State University
2500 W. North Avenue, HHSB Room #523 or 339
Baltimore, MD 21216

Graduation Requirements

The Mental Health Seminar HEED 105 is a graduation requirement for Maxie Collier Scholars.

Participating Departments

In order to participate in the Maxie Collier program students must declare a major in the following departments/schools:

  • Helene Fuld School of Nursing
  • Psychology, Counseling & Behavioral Health
  • Department of Criminal Justice
  • Department of Natural Sciences
  • Department of Social Work

Faculty and Staff

Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions. Your future starts now!

Julie Manley
Lecturer

staff

Can Help With
SheCare Wellness Pods

About Dr. Collier

About Dr. Collier

Maxie Collier Scholars Program

Speak to
Julie Manley
Health & Human Services Building, Room #339

Honoring the name of a prominent practitioner, Dr. Maxie T. Collier, lends prestige and honor to a scholars program designed to increase the number of minority professionals in the field of Mental Health.

Maxie Collier graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee with a degree in psychology in 1967. He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1977. Dr. Collier began his private practice in 1980 where he offered his expertise in the areas of family therapy, individual psychodynamic therapy, and forensic psychiatry. In 1987, Dr. Collier became the Chief of Psychiatry for the Johns Hopkins Health Plan where he was responsible for the management and supervision of mental health services including outpatient treatment, inpatient admission, and rehabilitative services.

Dr. Collier sat on numerous boards and committees, including the Baltimore City Medical Society Board of Directors, Baltimore Urban League Executive Board, Congressman Benjamin Cardin's Health Advisory Committee, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine Admissions Committee.

In addition to his many professional activities, Dr. Collier was an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Dr. Collier created "The Baltimore Project," a novel prenatal care project aimed at reducing infant mortality and future unwanted pregnancies. He established the Baltimore City Health Consortium, which acts as a resource for health care partnerships, and the Health Expo intended to recruit high school juniors and seniors into the field of health. Dr. Collier also created an office of Minority Health to conduct research and education and to orient Baltimore Health Department services to better serve minorities. From 1987 to 1990, Dr. Collier served as the Commissioner of Health for Baltimore City, a cabinet level appointee of the Mayor.

Prior to his unexpected death in April of 1994, Dr. Maxie T. Collier was President of Spectrum Development Services, Inc. and in addition provided consultative services for the Green Spring Mental Health Services, Inc.

Faculty and Staff

Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions. Your future starts now!

Julie Manley
Lecturer

staff

Can Help With
SheCare Wellness Pods

Maxie Collier Scholars Program

Maxie Collier Scholars Program

Purpose of the Maxie Collier Program

The Maxie Collier Scholars Program is a behavioral health workforce development program for Coppin State University undergraduate students who reside in the State of Maryland. The purpose of the Maxie Collier Scholars Program is to prepare promising undergraduate students at Coppin State University for completion of undergraduate school requirements and placement in professional behavioral health career positions in the State of Maryland.

More specifically, the charge is to prepare Coppin State University students from the fields of Criminal Justice, Elementary Education, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Nursing, Psychology, and Social Work, with a recommended minimum of two years remaining for completion of undergraduate work, who will be well trained and available to serve children, adolescents and their families in the Baltimore Metropolitan area.

The Program is funded by the Behavioral Health Administration and the Maryland Department of Health. Partners of the Program include the University of Maryland at Baltimore, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Behavioral Health Systems, Baltimore, and the Black Mental Health Alliance.

Criteria for Scholars

Program Goals

The goal of the Maxie Collier Scholars Program is to educate and recruit more African-American professionals into professional behavioral health career positions in the State of Maryland.

Maxie Collier Scholars receive an enriched, career focused, academic background; financial support; graduate school preparation; internship experience; access to a network of career placement resources; and financial resources which encourage and support their educational advancement.

Program Elements

  • Behavioral Health Seminar (Emerging Issues in Behavioral Health and Well Being)
  • Internships
  • Stipends
  • Graduate School Mentors
  • Individual Advisement
  • Coppin Undergraduate Faculty Advisors
  • Enrichment Activities
Dr. Maxie T. Collier

The program is expected to promote college-wide interest in behavioral health issues at CSU. It is also expected to increase community awareness of resources to assist people who are interested in a career in the field of behavioral health.

The project is named for the late Dr. Maxie T. Collier, former Baltimore City Commissioner of Health and practicing psychiatrist.

How to Apply

Please complete no later than March 12, 2027, 5:00pm:

  • Program application *Please refrain from using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to complete your application.
  • Online Recommendation Form: TWO SUBMISSIONS: One submission from a CSU professor addressing your strengths and why you should be selected as a Scholar; Second submission from a community leader, supervisor, mentor.

Eligible Applicants will be invited for interviews.

Application Process

Faculty and Staff

Please reach out with questions. Your future starts now!

Julie Manley
Lecturer

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Administrative Assistant

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