FAIRFIELD, Conn.— David Coppola will return to Sacred Heart in July in the role of senior vice president for Administration and Planning after five years as president of Keystone College in La Plume, Penn. “We needed this role because of the continued growth and complexity of the University,” said SHU President John J. Petillo.
While at Keystone, Coppola focused on college affordability, student academic success and college-community collaborations. He also oversaw the initiation of four master’s degrees, three living-learning communities and plans for an improved library and center for teacher-learning excellence. Several athletic sports were also added at Keystone during his tenure.
Upon his return to Sacred Heart, Coppola will oversee administrative and planning processes with Information Technology, Marketing & Communications (including WSHU), Advancement, Public Safety and Great River Golf Club reporting to him. He will work collaboratively with other senior leaders, members of the Board, executives, students, faculty and staff in support of key University directives, business plans and improvement programs. He will also oversee the University’s strategic planning process.
Coppola made significant contributions during his previous 15 years at SHU. Those include leading the development and implementation of a series of five-year year strategic plans and overseeing the preparation for a NEASC accreditation site visit. He holds a doctorate in philosophy of educational administration from Fordham University.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Keystone, but I am also excited to return to Sacred Heart and the New York metropolitan area where I have family,” Coppola said. “I am looking forward to using what I’ve learned from my role these past five years to support Sacred Heart during this exciting period of growth.”
# # #
Sacred Heart University, the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its main campus in Fairfield, Conn., and satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland. More than 8,500 students attend the University’s five colleges: Arts & Sciences; Health Professions; Nursing; the Jack Welch College of Business; and the Isabelle Farrington College of Education. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its guides, Best 382 Colleges–2018 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 267 Business Schools–2018 Edition. It also placed SHU on its lists for “Best College Theater” and “Most Engaged in Community Service,” each of which comprises only 20 U.S. schools. U.S.News & World Report ranks SHU in its Best Colleges 2018guidebook and calls SHU the fourth “Most Innovative School” in the North. The Chronicle of Higher Education also names SHU one of the fastest-growing Roman Catholic universities in its 2016 almanac. Sacred Heart fields 32 Division I athletic teams and has an award-winning program of community service. www.sacredheart.edu
For additional Sacred Heart University news, please visit http://www.sacredheart.edu/aboutshu/news/.