University News

CSU Commemorates Progress of New Building Construction

"New Site Visit" Event Showcases 67,000 Square Foot Building

CSU will have a new home by the end of 2008. On Tuesday, May 6th, members of the media, local business community, City of Orange Beach, and Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce joined CSU president Robert Mayes and other university officials to commemorate the progress of a new 67,000 square foot, three-story facility.

Construction began in December 2007 on a 20 acre plot of land purchased in Orange Beach, Alabama. The new building will feature a training room, conference room, fitness room, three break rooms, balconies, shipping and mailing area with a loading dock, and more. CSU will occupy the first two floors in December 2008 and once the third floor is completed, 360 work stations and 65 offices will be available. The additional acreage provides room for future expansion opportunities without forcing CSU to relocate.

"As the popularity of online education continues to grow, CSU is expanding its facilities to accommodate this demand," said Robert Mayes. "We are proud to be a part of the City of Orange Beach and look forward to continuing our support of the local community."

With a record enrollment of more than 12,000 students and at least 25,000 expected by 2010, CSU has outgrown its current facility. Last year, CSU surpassed more than 130 employees forcing in-house faculty and staff to occupy additional facilities in Gulf Shores and Foley. The new building will be large enough to house all CSU departments.

City of Orange Beach Mayor Pete Blalock, Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce President Mark Berson, McCollough Architecture President Sted McCollough, White-Spunner Construction President Mike Fitzgerald, Christian Life Church Pastor Rick Long, and Liberty Church Pastor Buford Lipscomb were among those who attended Tuesday’s event.

Check out our website later this month to take a virtual tour of the new building construction.

CSU Launches First Podcast Series

CSU, in partnership with the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), launched the first series of free law enforcement podcasts last week. At the beginning of each month, students, alumni and the general public will now have access to podcasts covering topics such as law enforcement leadership, ethics, energy crimes and more.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.), and U.S. Marshall Jonny Mack Brown (Sheriff – ret.) are just a few of the speakers associated with these presentations. Download these podcasts to your favorite MP3 player or watch the video from our website for free.

Be sure to check out our June series on managing a multi-generational workforce presented by retired sheriff Susan McCampbell, President of the Center for Innovative Public Policies and McCampbell and Associates. The latest employment research and employment trends will be explored for Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X-ers, and Millenials.

Please call 1-800-977-8449 or visit us online at www.columbiasouthern.edu to find out more about our free educational resources.

Department of the Month - Registrar's Office

The CSU Registrar’s Office is broken down into three different divisions – administrative support, evaluators, and academic advisors. The administrative support division works with inactive students who are looking to restart their degree programs, offers support to students looking to change degree programs and processes transcript requests. The evaluator division reviews every application that comes through CSU, regardless of whether the applicant becomes a student or not. The average number of applications evaluated in one week is 255. The academic advisor division is made up of three employees who oversee the CSU College of Business, College of Safety and Emergency Services, and College of General Studies. This year alone the Registrar’s Office has added four more employees, bring the number of department employees to 15.

Did you know?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, those with bachelors’ degrees earn nearly 50 percent more than high school graduates on average.

 

Partnership News

Partnership Between CSU and Saraland Fire Rescue Department Offers Firefighters Opportunities for Advancement

Earning a degree has never been more essential for firefighters looking to climb the career ladder until now. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, many fire departments are now requiring at least a bachelor's degree, preferably in fire science, to be promoted any higher than battalion chief. CSU recently partnered with the Saraland Fire Rescue Department to help Saraland, Alabama firefighters advance through the ranks.

This partnership provides Saraland firefighters, their spouses, and children with special benefits including tuition discounts and application fee waiver. The fire department will also be featured on the CSU website, in marketing materials, and at conferences and speaking engagements.

"Educating our firefighters is a core part of our mission at the Saraland Fire Rescue Department," said Assistant Fire Chief Dewey Stringfellow. "A degree in fire science is essential for firefighters seeking advancement opportunities within their department."

Saraland Fire Rescue Department started as a volunteer department in 1959 and has since grown into a paid professional department that protects more than 12,300 Saraland, Alabama residents. The department consists of 32 personnel including 22 firefighter/emergency medical technicians and 10 fire medics.

"As a partner of fire organizations such as the Saraland Fire Rescue Department, our job is to help the department support its staff," said Chantell Cooley, CSU Vice President of Partnership Development. "At CSU, we feel that providing a flexible, quality education is the least we can do for the firefighters protecting our communities."

New York Fire Department, Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs Association, Frankfurt Fire and EMS, and Tulsa Fire Department are a few of more than 85 fire organizations partnered with CSU. CSU offers accredited online associate, bachelor, and certificate programs in fire science.

To learn more about how you can receive a 10 percent tuition discount if your employer becomes a CSU learning partner, please visit www.columbiasouthern.edu/learningpartners or call 1-800-344-5021.

Alumni News

Robert G. Mayes Scholarship Recipient is Selected

Daniel Guenthner - Scholarship winner

Five years ago Daniel Guenthner set a few educational goals. The first was to complete a bachelor's degree. The second goal was to enroll in a master’s program, and the third was to find a doctoral program that centered on environmental safety.

This April, he was selected as the Robert G. Mayes Memorial Scholarship recipient. Thanks to CSU, Guenthner has achieved his first goal of earning a bachelor’s degree and with the Robert G. Mayes Memorial Scholarship he will be able to meet his second goal of enrolling in a master’s degree program in occupational safety & health with a concentration in environmental management.

Guenthner completed his bachelor’s degree in environmental management from CSU in January 2007. Graduating magna cum laude, he maintained a 3.89 GPA while working 40 to 50 hours a week. Guenthner currently serves as senior compliance manager at Clean Harbors, an environmental services group in North Platte, Nebraska. His past work experience includes serving as Chief of the Environmental Section for the Department of Homeland Security and as Environmental Director for the U.S. Navy at the El Centro Naval Air Facility in El Centro, California.

The scholarship awarded to Guenthner was created in memory of CSU founder and president, Robert G. Mayes. It is a $5,000 scholarship awarded annually to a CSU alumnus who completed their degree program with at least a 3.8 GPA and plans to enter a CSU master’s or doctoral program.

People News

Who's New at CSU

Not Pictured: Mike Dawson

Kim Clay	Sharon Holderbaum	Michelle Miller	Margaret Roux
Jayne Derby	Dr. Brian Bridgeforth	Jennifer Finch	Carl Childs
Patrick Brace

Alumni Spotlight

Corine Munroe
Fargo, North Dakota

. . . two CSU degrees hang on her wall – and now she’s working towards a third.

A bachelor's, a master's and now a doctoral degree - Corine Munroe recently returned to earn her third degree from CSU. She graduated from CSU with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 2004 with a 3.80 GPA. Since then she has completed a master's degree in business administration with a 3.84 GPA and is currently working on her doctorate in business administration.

The organization, communication, and critical thinking skills Munroe gained in her business programs gave her the experience she needed to excel in her career as a senior manager at Microsoft. Since earning a degree, she has been nominated to her company's Finance Bench. These select employees are chosen by demonstrating commitment to the company's development and future expansion.

"The flexible, online programs CSU offers keep me coming back to further my education," Munroe said. "I am so proud to have earned a bachelor's and master's degree and to be working toward my doctorate."

Recently, Microsoft presented Munroe with the Quest for Excellence Award. This award distinguishes employees who have done a successful job in their field, from developing new solutions to completing projects. Munroe is also actively involved with Habitat for Humanity where she volunteers to build houses for the homeless and people living in poverty in her community.