University News

Message from the President

From the President's Desk

2008 was a year of record growth and advancement for CSU. The number of students, staff members, and partnerships increased substantially over the past 12 months. Some of the most notable achievements include:

• By the end of 2008, more than 16,000 students were enrolled in CSU degree and certificate programs.
• Roughly 13,400 applications were processed, a 40 percent increase from 2007.
• Ninety-four new staff and faculty members were hired, bringing the total number of CSU staff and faculty to more than 200.
• New dual enrollment programs were launched in conjunction with a new CSU partner, Neumann College.
• Partnerships with corporations, municipalities, fire departments, and police departments around the world reached a new high of 540.
• CSU received distinction as a "Top 20" military friendly university in the 2008 issue of Military Advanced Education.
• CSU was in the top ten list of institutions serving the United States Army.
• CSU moved up to the number 10 educational instiitution with the United States Air Force and number six with the Navy.
• The largest graduation ceremony in CSU history was held at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida.

As a result of the growth, we just moved into our new 67,000 square foot, three-story facility in Orange Beach, Alabama this year. The official grand opening of our new CSU home was held on January 16th. More than 200 members of the local community gathered to witness a ribbon cutting ceremony and take guided tours of the building. An overview of this event, along with a variety of pictures, is included in this issue of the CSU Communicator.

In 2008, we continued to put additional resources behind our academic programs and services in order to continue the CSU tradition of excellent service, quality, and value in online education. Many of our ongoing projects that will provide additional services to you, our students, will be complete by the end of 2009.

We are looking forward to another record year at CSU and are proud you have chosen us to achieve your dreams of higher education. At CSU, we know that the university grows as a result of our students being provided excellent service and because of this, they refer their friends and co-workers.

Thank you for being part of the CSU family and on behalf of everyone here at CSU, best wishes for good fortune and prosperity in 2009!

Happy New Year,

Robert Mayes
President
CSU President

CSU Celebrates New Home with "Grand Opening" Event

On January 16th, CSU employees, public officials, local business leaders, students, and alumni celebrated the grand opening of the school’s new 67,000 square foot Orange Beach home. Students from all over the world also participated by watching over the Internet through live streaming video. The event opened with remarks from CSU President Robert Mayes, City of Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon, and Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce President Mark Berson.

"This is one of the most exciting days we've ever experienced at Columbia Southern University," said CSU President Robert Mayes. "We are proud to be joined by public officials, local business leaders, students, graduates, and residents who have all come out to demonstrate their support during this milestone event."

After a joint ribbon cutting performed by the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce and the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, grand opening guests were invited inside for refreshments and public tours. As tour guides led visitors through the building, staff from each department served as greeters to offer information such as the total number of employees, main functions, and statistics. The halls were lined with framed posters featuring quotes from CSU students around the world.

With a record enrollment of more than 16,000 students and at least 25,000 expected by 2010, CSU quickly outgrew its previous 17,000 square foot building. This year, CSU surpassed more than 200 employees forcing in-house faculty and staff to occupy additional facilities in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. The new building is large enough to house all CSU departments with further room for growth.

Construction began in December 2007 on a 20 acre plot of land purchased in Orange Beach, Alabama. The additional acreage provides future expansion opportunities without forcing CSU to relocate. CSU will occupy the first two floors by January 2009 and once the third floor is completed, 360 work stations and 65 offices will be available. The facility features a training room, conference rooms, break rooms, fitness center, balconies, shipping and mailing area with a loading dock, and more.

A first floor conference room and classroom are available for public use on an as available basis. The classroom can accommodate roughly 250 people theater style and 50 people theater style in the conference room.

White-Spunner Construction President Mike Fitzgerald, Congressman Jo Bonner's District Representative Bryan Parker, and representatives from both the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce also attended the event.

Constructed by White-Spunner Construction, Inc., the university's new home is located two miles south of County Road 12, just off the Foley Beach Express and north of The Columns at Orange Beach Apartments. A webpage devoted to this new construction is available at www.columbiasouthern.edu/events/new_building/.

CSU "Inspire a Friend. Initiate Success." Friend Referral Program

CSU is one of the nation’s fastest growing universities. Within the last year, we’ve experienced more than a 50 percent increase in student enrollment. Students like you who share your educational journey with friends and family are an integral part of this upward spiral.

We want to reward you for the commitment you've made to promote your university; that's why we've created the CSU "Inspire a Friend. Initiate Change." friend referral program. Now, for every five people you refer to CSU, you will receive a special thank you package from us. Referrals must respond to the email sent by CSU by submitting an information request form to be counted as an official referral.

• 5 Referrals - CSU Colonade Roller Ball Pen
• 10 Referrals - CSU Thermos 14oz Travel Mug
• 15 Referrals - CSU 20" Duffel Bag
• 20 Referrals - CSU Portfolio
• 25 Referrals or More - CSU Fossil Relic Metal Watch

Your support allows us to offer better resources, a larger diversity of programs, and more staff to accommodate your educational needs and desires. Because of you, we have more than 200 staff, 130 faculty, 20 programs, 280 courses and a wealth of student resources we plan to expand even more in the months and years to come. We are honored to be your university of choice and sincerely hope that you will be the seed that inspires success and initiates success for those around you.

Please contact the CSU Marketing Department at (800) 977-8449 ext. 236 or referafriend@columbiasouthern.edu if you have any questions about this new friend referral program.

Federal Financial Aid Now Available for CSU Students

CSU students can now begin taking advantage of several grant and loan programs available through Federal Financial Aid (FFA). This allows us to help you take advantage of the government funded financial resources available for achieving your educational goals.

Students using FFA will be required to enroll in the CSU Term Enrollment System. The CSU Per-Course/Open Enrollment System is not approved for students using FFA. Term Enrollment courses must be completed within eight weeks, have set start and end dates, and are cohort based. Although there are no daily scheduled class times, all students in a course will begin on predetermined dates and proceed through the course on the same timeline. Discussion board postings and other assignments are required each week.

However, there are no group projects and the courses are totally asynchronous. This means each week, students can login only as needed to review the assignments and read the postings of classmates. Students taking courses in the Term Enrollment System can study offline anytime and anywhere that works best for them and simply log back on to submit the prepared assignments by the due date.

We recently added an "Office of Financial Aid" section to the CSU website that covers eligibility requirements, types of FFA, applying for FFA, and more. For more information, please visit the CSU website or call 1-800-977-8449.

Inactive Students: Start the New Year Right with a Re-Enrollment Application Fee Waiver!

Sometimes unpredictable life events can cause students to turn away from their studies, but CSU is encouraging students to kick off the New Year with a fresh start. We are waiving the re-enrollment application fee of $25 now through Saturday, January 31st to help you get back on track with your degree program.

The CSU Transcript Department would be happy to request any transcripts that are not already on file with CSU though the transcript request service. After students submit the Re-Enrollment Application (pdf), a new academic evaluation report will be prepared for the degree program the student wishes to enroll in. Once the student receives this evaluation, they will be able to re-enroll and the status will change from Inactive to Active.

For more information, please email reenrollment@columbiasouthern.edu or call 1-800-977-8449 ext. 215.

Partnership News

CSU Teams Up with the Pensacola Fire Department

The competition for jobs in fire departments around the U.S. is heating up. Although a degree has not traditionally been essential for firefighters, as the demand for positions increase, so does the quality of applicants. Firefighters are now competing for positions and promotions with candidates who hold associate and bachelor degrees.

CSU, one of the nation’s fastest growing online universities, recently partnered with the Pensacola Fire Department to help local firefighters gain an edge over the competition. This partnership provides these firefighters, their spouses, and children with special benefits including tuition discounts and an application fee waiver. The fire department will also be featured on the CSU website, in marketing materials, and at conferences and speaking engagements.

The university offers completely online associate, bachelor, and certificate programs in fire science. Other available degree programs include business administration, information technology, public administration, and more.

"The partnership with CSU will allow us to be more involved in helping our firefighters achieve an education," said Brock Jester, Fire Captain and Training Officer for the Pensacola Fire Department. "With competition heating up, it is becoming more important for firefighters to have degrees backing their experience."

The Pensacola Fire Department provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, fire code enforcement, and public education programs to the 60,000 citizens of Pensacola, Florida. Over 130 Pensacola Fire Department employees operate in six fire stations through six engine companies, two ladder companies, three rescue companies and two aircraft rescue firefighting units. The department is also one of the regionally certified training centers in Northwest Florida.

"The number of fire science students enrolled in CSU has increased 46 percent since 2007," said Robert Mayes, President of CSU. "With education comes greater career opportunities – this is also true within the fire service industry."

CSU holds over 20 partnerships with Florida fire departments and over 215 around the world. Tampa Fire and Rescue, Destin Fire Control District, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, and Tallahassee Fire Department are just a few of the Florida fire departments that have partnered with CSU.

For more information or to learn how your organization can become a CSU partner, please visit www.columbiasouthern.edu/learningpartners or call 1-800-344-5021.

Alumni News

Features of CSU Click

Join CSU Click, an online social networking community for CSU alumni, today! With CSU Click you can find a great job, share photos, network professional, and more. Plus, it's free! Over 2,500 CSU Alumni from around the world are connecting through CSU Click. Sign up for CSU Click today!

2009 CSU Alumni Association Officers

• Brian Edwards – President - brian.edwards@columbiasouthern.edu
• Jennifer McIntyre – Vice President of Communications
• Timothy Sirmans – Vice President of Networking
• Charles Dye – Military Liaison
• Ricardo Gallegos – Student Liaison
• Dang Huynh Anh Thu - Secretary

Alumni Accomplishments

David Lee graduated from CSU in 2004 earning a MBA with a concentration in public administration and earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration from CSU in 2002. He was recently promoted to Deputy Chief over Investigative Services and Support Services of the Marietta Police Department, a job that requires advanced skills and a master's degree.

People News

Newcomers

Jamie Andrews - IT

In November 2008, Jamie Andrews joined CSU as a network administrator in the IT department. Originally from South Carolina, Andrews moved to Florida in 2003 and currently resides in Pensacola. He has eight years of professional experience in the information technology field and is a Microsoft Certified Professional.

Jamie Barrows - IT

Jamie Barrows recently joined the CSU IT department as a software engineer. His previous experience includes serving as an application developer for Pensacola Christian College and Silver Bullet Technologies, and as IT support and avionics technician for Sierra Nevada Corporation. In 2003, Barrows graduated from Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Florida earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

Jim Bills - Marketing

Jim Bills joined the CSU marketing department as a webmaster at the beginning of 2009. Originally from New York, he moved to Pensacola, Florida in 1999 and received a bachelor's degree in studio art at the University of West Florida. Prior to his employment with CSU, he worked at Grendelfly Studio in Pensacola where he served as a web developer.

Jonathan Franzone - IT

As the new Senior Software Engineer at CSU, Jonathan Franzone is responsible for maintenance and development of new features for the CSU website, improvement of business software and general maintenance and administration of SQL Server databases. Franzone attended Pensacola Junior College and Florida State University earning a degree in computer science in 1999. His previous experience includes serving as a software engineer at Roger Software Development and as senior web applications engineer for JobWarehouse.com.

Wayde Wilkerson - IT

Wayde Wilkerson recently joined the CSU IT helpdesk and technical support team. He has completed training at the Cisco Networking Academy becoming Cisco Certified, is A+ Certified in Computer Repairs, and has completed training in Windows 2000 Pro and Server at New Horizons in Pensacola, Florida. He is also Network+ Certified in Network Design. Prior to working at CSU, Wilkerson worked in retail managing Eddie Bauer and Gap Kids.

 

Melissa Franks - Admissions

Kimberly Giles - Registrar's Office

Jane Hatcher - Student Services

Dee Jones - Registrar's Office

Wesley Karst - Maintenance

Brandon Raines - Student Services

Amy Sutton - Student Services