University News

Message from the President

Dear CSU Students and Alumni,

During a time when our economy seems so fragile, CSU continues to remain a solid institution of higher education. We are aware that students are turning to us now more than ever for the educational resources they need to secure their future and enhance their career potential. CSU now offers the following free professional development resources to provide you with training, networking, and job opportunities.

• Vodcasts (Video Podcasts): A variety of free vodcasts are available for you to download to your MP3 player or watch online. Fire science and criminal justice topics are currently featured with business administration, leadership strategy, and other topics coming soon.
• Success Center: The CSU Student Success Center (Team SUCCEED) offers writing and math tutoring services at no cost. Academic consulting services are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Academic Consultants are also available to offer you additional academic support. The purpose of this department is to help students who need assistance developing learning styles, study skills, locating academic resources, or connecting with tutors.
• Extended Library Service Hours: Students now have extended access to librarian services. Librarians are available to help you with your research projects from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday. Contact a librarian at librarian@columbiasouthern.edu or 877.268.8046. Research articles, subject guides, and e-books are available in the CSU Online Library.

Additional information about each of these resources is available by visiting the myCSU student portal at mycsu.columbiasouthern.edu. I encourage you to use these resources and others that we hope to add throughout this year to your benefit!

Sincerely,
Robert Mayes
President

More than 200 Gradates Set to Walk at Graduation 2009

More than 200 CSU graduates will meet their professors and fellow graduates at the 2009 CSU Graduation Ceremony on October 16th. The event will be held in Pensacola, Florida at the second largest air and space museum in the world, the National Museum of Naval Aviation. Students and graduates around the world can also watch the ceremony live through streaming video by visiting www.columbiasouthern.edu at 10:30 a.m. CST.

Graduates will march across the stage to celebrate this milestone in a 10,000 square foot museum atrium with a quartet of McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk jets suspended above in their famous diamond formation. This 300,000 square foot museum attracts approximately one million visitors a year and features more than 150 aircraft.

Speakers include Admiral Jerry Hoewing and Chief of the Fire and Emergency Services Department for the District of Columbia, Dennis L. Rubin.

For more information, please contact Katie Miller, CSU Communication Specialist, at Katie.Miller@columbiasouthern.edu or 1-800-977-8449 ext. 158.

Introducing the New CSU Bookstore

Show your school spirit with your CSU gear! CSU is happy to announce the launch of the new Online Bookstore. The site features a completely new look and merchandise.

Visit the CSU Online Bookstore today at http://bookstore.columbiasouthern.edu to check out the following items and more!

CSU Launches Promotional Video

The CSU Marketing Department is proud to announce the 2009/2010 promotional video. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni are featured along with a comprehensive overview of the history, academic offerings, and key benefits of CSU.

CSU student Greg Gordon, alumnae Kimberly Hernandez, and alumnus Forney Howard, share their inspirational stories and describe the CSU experience. The struggles of juggling a career, active family life, and education are discussed to provide insight into the dedication and commitment required of online learners.

The video concludes with an encouraging message from CSU President, Robert G. Mayes. He describes the founding principles of the university and explains the importance of achieving educational goals.

Check out the video today by visiting www.columbiasouthern.edu/admissions/promovideo and send the link to your family and friends!

Partnership News

St. Louis Firefighters and Police Receive Educational Benefits

A combined 4,000 firefighters, police officers, and administrative staff in St. Louis, Missouri are now eligible to receive a 10 percent tuition discount and application fee waiver at CSU. Both the St. Louis Fire and Police Departments signed on as partners in July.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's (SLMPD) mission is to protect, serve and assist citizens and the community when situations could prove to be harmful. Their core values of service, integrity and leadership are parallel with CSU. With 2,500 officers and staff, the SLMPD ensures the streets of St. Louis are safe.

Every day the St. Louis Fire Department (SLFD) lives up to its motto "Justifiably Proud" by protecting almost 1,000,000 people daily. Committed to preservation of life, property and the environment, the SLFD effectively and efficiently meet the needs for public safety.

Alumni News

Letter from the Alumni Association President

Fellow CSU alumni,

More than 18,000 students are now enrolled in CSU degree and certificate programs. This increase in enrollment is a true testament of the quality education that CSU continues to provide. The enrollment growth gives us a golden opportunity to communicate with graduates about being involved with the alumni association.

We were distinguished as a "Top 20" military friendly university in the 2008 issue of Military Advanced Education. We also continue to partner with corporations, municipalities, fire departments, and police departments around the world. As a result, our partnership program has reached an all time high of over 1,500 partners. These are organizations that have chosen to use CSU as a means to increase the knowledge and experience of their staff.

Just as CSU is committed to providing the absolute best service possible, the alumni association is committed to continuing that experience after you graduate. CSU Click is just one of the great things that you can be a part of as an alumni association member. Join us and continue to benefit from the CSU experience even after graduation!

Sincerely,
Brian Edwards
President
CSU Alumni Association

Alumnus to Retire After 30 Years of Military Service

David Henderson

Retired Sergeant David Henderson was awarded a master’s degree in occupational safety and health on July 4, 2009 in Afghanistan. His wife, daughters and grandchildren watched from Fort Bragg, NC as Major General Curtis Scaparrotti and Command Sergeant Major Thomas Capel presented Henderson with his degree via video tele-conference. Henderson spent 26 years in the Army as the Command Sergeant Major of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division before he retired. He currently works with the Combined Joint Task Force 82 providing safety advice to the division commander about paratroopers. He is also currently enrolled in the CSU Graduate Certificate in Environmental Management program.

Join the 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 professionally, 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!

People News

Who's new at CSU

Kay Amarasinig

Kay Amarasing is an Instructional Designer at CSU. She holds a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of South Alabama and bachelor’s degree in Money and Banking from Ramkhamhang University in Thailand. Currently, she is a Ph. D. candidate in Instructional Design and Development at the University of South Alabama. Prior to coming to CSU, she worked for the Siam Commercial Bank in Thailand as an Authorized Teller/Executive Officer Level II for over five years. After she received her MBA, she worked for Sears Regional Credit Card Center as a collection associate. She worked as an Instructional Designer for Bowhead Information Technology Services under the US Army Corp of Engineers contract for three years. Her responsibilities were to design and develop computer-based training as well as online courses. While working on her doctoral degree, she worked as an Instructional Designer for Online Learning Lab, University of South Alabama to assist faculty members and staff in instructional technology and online class development as well as to teach in faculty workshops and a graduate class. She is a member of Kappa Delta Pi.

Brittany Armistead

Brittany Armistead, a native of Grove Hill, AL, joined CSU in July 2009. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Armistead holds a bachelor of fine arts with double concentrations in sculpture and graphic design and a minor in art history. She began her career with Crown Products, a promotional products distributor in Mobile, Alabama, as a graphic designer and quickly moved into the role of lead creative designer within her first year with the company. She has received numerous advertising awards including Gold and Silver Addys from the American Advertising Federation in addition to being named Advertiser of the Year for the Southeastern Journalism Conference. Her past experience also includes product design and development as well as designing and rendering public spaces for the City of Tuscaloosa.

Anna Erdy

Anna Erdy serves as an Academic Advisor for the College of Business. After graduating from Troy University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, she moved on to the University of West Florida where she earned an MBA.

Ashley Longerbone

Ashley Longerbone serves as an Academic Advisor in the General Studies Department at CSU. She holds a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from Indiana University, a masters in Business Administrations from the University of Phoenix and is also pursuing a masters in International Relations form Troy University. Prior to working for CSU, she worked in finance. She volunteers for the local Humane Society and participates in pet adoptions in her spare time.

Melissa Madden

Melissa Madden is an Instructional Designer at CSU. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Calgary. After spending a year working at Walt Disney World as a Cultural Representative, Melissa returned to Calgary where she taught a variety of high school subjects in both classroom and online environments for nine years. In addition to teaching, she worked part-time for the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, and the Calgary Flames Hockey Club, while pursuing graduate coursework in Educational Technology. Melissa moved to Pensacola, FL in 2008, and enjoys living near the beach, and not having to shovel snow.

Erin Martin

Erin Martin serves as a member of the Course Development Team at CSU. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology from the University of South Alabama. Prior to coming to CSU, she worked as an assistant manager at Lester’s Restaurant in Orange Beach, Alabama. Erin is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and volunteers as a counselor for victims of crime.

Mike McIntire

Mike McIntire currently serves as Academic Advisor for the College of Business. Mike has served as an adjunct professor at Pensacola Junior College and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Mike has a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master’s degree in Sports Administrations/MBA from the University of Florida. He is an active member of the National Recreation & Parks Association (NRPA) and is an ongoing leader and volunteer for numerous youth sports organizations and foundations.

Ashely Rini

Ashley Rini serves as an Academic Advisor for the College of General Studies. Ashley has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Old Dominion University and a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of South Alabama. Her previous work experience includes substance abuse counselor for The Bridge Inc. and career advisor for the University of South Alabama.

Danielle Ross

Danielle Ross joined Columbia Southern University in July 2009 as a media planner. A graduate of East Tennessee State University, Ross holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing management. Her career began with Romjue Advertising, an advertising agency in Gulf Breeze, Florida, as a media buyer. Her past experience also includes her role as the Local Store Marketer for Texas Roadhouse where she built relationships in family-based organizations and developed partnerships with other businesses. She was nominated for Local Store Marketer of the year in 2007.

Wendy Troup

Wendy Troup joined CSU in 2009 and serves as the Director of Student Success (Team SUCCEED). A graduate of the University of South Alabama, Wendy holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in education with a concentration in counseling. Wendy's 15 plus years of experience includes positions with the University of Alabama in Birmingham as a Math Specialist, CompassLearning (a Reader’s Digest Company) as an Educational Consultant, and Mobile and Baldwin Public Schools as an educator.

Corey Vertz

Corey Vertz works in the Registrar’s Office as an Evaluator. Vertz holds a bachelors degree in Environmental Studies-Environmental Policy from the University of West Florida. Vertz’s previous experience is in Public Health working for the state of Florida as an Environmental Specialist and well as private consulting work as an Environmental Scientists. He is a member of the National Environmental Health Association and is certified as an Environmental Health Professional in the state of Florida.

Other Newcomers

Academics

Donald West
Cherea Schellhase

Admissions

Danielle Cuttie
Cassondara Leisenring
Tiffany Morgan
Amy Schoen
Erica Cole
Brooke Cooper
Roxie Dupont
Nicole Grindstaff
Stacey Jeffcoat
Tina Lanier
Ashley Mosley

Bookstore

Cassie Berryhill

Business Affairs

Patricia Daniel
Janice Smith
Mary Sanders
Jane Davis
Wanda Polnitz

Financial Aid

Tiffany Carlo

Registrar

Kimberly Shirley
Lisa Johnson
Valerie Perry

Student Services

Judith Fehl
Stephanie Grant
Margaret Bill
Erika Raulerson