Columbus State University

Columbus State University
Established	1958
Type	Public university
Endowment	$29.3 million[1]
President	Tim Mescon
Provost	Paul (Tom) Hackett (Interim provost)
Academic staff	473[2]
Admin. staff	572[3]
Students	8,298[4]
Undergraduates	7,069[4]
Postgraduates	1,229[4]
Doctoral students	32[5]
Location	Columbus, Georgia, United States
Campus	Suburban, 132 acres (Main campus); Urban (RiverPark campus)
Former names	Columbus College
Colors	Blue, red, and white
Nickname	Cougars
Mascot	Cody Cougar
Affiliations	NCAA Division II, Peach Belt Conference
Website	www.columbusstate.edu

Columbus State University (commonly referred to by locals as CSU) is a public institution of higher learning located in Columbus, Georgia. Founded as Columbus College in 1958, the university was established and is administered by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and is fully accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

History

The university was first called Columbus College when it opened as a junior college in a hosiery mill in 1958. The college was staffed by fifteen faculty and staff and almost three hundred students attended courses in the first year.

Columbus College relocated to the midtown area in 1963, building a campus defined by modern architecture on what was previously a dairy farm. The school was granted four-year status in 1965 with offerings of bachelor's and master's degrees. The first four-year class graduated in 1970.

In 1996 the school was renamed Columbus State University as part of a program to restructure four-year institutions within the state's university system. The school now offers undergraduate and graduate programs in more than ninety academic disciplines. As of the 2010 academic year, the university enrolled more than 8,200 students. In early 2007, the art and theatre departments moved to the university's newly built RiverPark Campus in downtown Columbus. The complex was designed to provide students of the fine arts with a tightly-knit living community and larger studios, laboratories, and galleries. The Schwob School of Music is housed in the adjacent RiverCenter for the Performing Arts.^[6]

Frank Brown was President of Columbus State University from 1988-2008. Prior to holding this office, he was Vice President for Business Affairs. In August 2008, Tim Mescon became the new president.

The T.Y. Whitley Clock Tower on main campus

Campus

Columbus State University's 132-acre main campus is located in the Midtown area of Columbus, Georgia. A smaller campus is located in Downtown Columbus and additional sites are located at West Point, Georgia and Fort Benning, Georgia.

Main campus

CSU's main campus is located in Midtown, near the intersection of Interstate 185 and GA-85. This campus houses the majority of the university's academic and athletic departments. Notable buildings include the Simon Schwob Memorial Library, the Center for Commerce and Technology (home to the D. Abbott Turner College of Business), and the Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center (housing the athletic department).

RiverPark campus

CSU's RiverPark campus, located near the banks of the Chattahoochee River, provides an expansion for the university's fine arts programs. The Schwob School of Music is contained in the south wing of the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, while the art and theater departments reside in the Corn Center for the Visual Arts, the Yancey Center, and the Rankin Arts Center. The university is continuing to expand this campus with the acquisition of older buildings, some of which have been remodeled as student housing and additional classrooms.

Academics

The university has received special recognition for its business school, which offers a reputable MBA program, as well as for its servant leadership program. The department of theatre also boasts the only accredited teacher education and certification program in drama in the state of Georgia. Additionally, in 2008 the music department received the Regents Teaching Excellence Award for Departments and Programs from the University System of Georgia.^[7]

The university recruits from all fifty states as well as every major metropolitan area in the state of Georgia. Because of the school's international education programs, presently offering exchanges to more than thirteen countries, the university has been known to be a popular destination for international students including those from India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The university operates the Coca-Cola Space Science Center which hosts student and public programs. Its facilities include the Omnisphere Theater (a planetarium) and the Mead Observatory.

The university also operates the Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center which hosts student and public programs. Its facilities include two nature trails, a bee exhibit, a live alligator, various live raptors, various live reptiles, a live possum, and a Native American exhibit. Each month, the center hosts its Second Sunday on the second Sunday of each month which is a special program open to the public at a small fee. Programs include the annual Insectival, Reptile Fest, Natural Holiday Decorations, Hummingbirds, Bees and Honey, and Bats.

Student life

In addition to co-educational intramural and recreational programs, students participate in more than fifty chartered student groups, sororities, fraternities, honor societies, club sports, and special-interest clubs.

Newspaper

"The Saber" is the university's official student-run newspaper. It is available around campus and also throughout the city of Columbus. The Saber also has a web publication.

Athletics

CSU Cougar logo

The Columbus State University Cougars have many different types of men's and women's athletics, including basketball, baseball, soccer, softball, tennis, golf, and cross country, all of which compete at the NCAA Division II level. The Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center, a 4,500-seat arena, houses the Cougars. The baseball team at Columbus State University has made four trips to the College World Series, numerous NCAA Regional Championship appearances, and is frequently in the NCSWA National Top 30 Poll. The CSU golf team has won six NCAA National Championships; 1978,1980,1989,1992,1994 and 1997.^[8]

Columbus State Athletics Department co-hosted the 2011 Rifle National Championship with Fort Benning. This was the first ever National Championship hosted on CSU's campus.

Club sports

Club sports at the university formed in 2008 and may represent CSU in intercollegiate competitions. Currently there are 10 club sports offered: bass fishing, co-ed tennis, men's soccer, paintball, martial arts, tackle football, ultimate frisbee, women's soccer, women's volleyball, and wrestling.

Greek life

Columbus State University currently has 18 greek organizations. The following fraternities can be found on campus: Phi Mu Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Kappa Sigma, Phi Beta Sigma, Pi Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Sigma Nu, and Tau Kappa Epsilon. The following sororities can be found on campus: Sigma Alpha Iota, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Omicron Pi, Delta Sigma Theta, Delta Zeta, Phi Mu, Sigma Gamma Rho, Xi Theta, and Zeta Phi Beta.

Information on these groups can be found at the Columbus State University Greek Life website.

Notable alumni

• Bobby G. Peters, former mayor of Columbus, Georgia (1995–2003) and current Superior Court judge (2005–present).
• Eileen J. O'Connor, former assistant attorney general for the Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice.
• Michael W. Patrick, former president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board of directors of Carmike Cinemas.
• Kathleen Kennedy, former news anchor for CNN Headline News.
• Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House attended Columbus College before transferring to Emory University.

See also

• University System of Georgia
• List of colleges and universities in the United States

References

1. ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf. Retrieved February 16, 2010. 
2. ^ CSU Common Data Set 2010-2011
3. ^ CSU Employees by Primary Function 2009-2010
4. ^ ^{a b c} CSU Facts & Figures 2010: Fall Enrollment
5. ^ CSU Facts & Figures 2010: Enrollment by Major Program - Graduate
6. ^ Reagan L. Grimsley Enriching Lives: A Pictorial History of Columbus State University (Donning Publishers, 2008)
7. ^ Columbus State University: Schwob School of Music
8. ^ Columbus State University: About CSU - Did You Know^{[dead link]}

External links

• Columbus State University