Letter from the President

Hello CSU,

I would like to share some important developments at Columbia Southern University with you.

We have a new addition to the CSU family. I want to introduce Dr. Terry Dixon as CSU’s provost.

He comes to us with extensive academic experience, but most recently he was provost at American Intercontinental University. He will play a significant role in the institutional priorities of CSU in the coming years and it is my hope that Terry can take on many of my priorities and help move them forward.

Other news to share:

• The president and other administrators from Jones County Jr. College met with us to develop a partnership between the institutions. I am excited about this relationship.
• On May 24th, we welcomed the University of North Alabama Provost Dr. John Thornell and Dean of the College of Business Dr. Kerry Gatlin.
• We also hosted our On-Site Faculty Visitation on May 24th for the College of Arts & Sciences. These visits have really proven to be a positive experience as we better connect our faculty members to CSU and who we are.
• The leadership team from Campus Management came on-site to provide training to our Business Affairs and Financial Aid departments in preparation for the launch of the new Campus Vue software. As you know, this software will enable us to bring all of the current third party services in-house.
• I am excited about the recent upgrades to Blackboard 9.1. This new software is a great improvement to the system.

Lastly, I want to thank all of the CSU staff for your personal donations of non-perishable foods, clothing, money, etc. that have contributed to the needs of our neighbors in North Alabama after the recent tornadoes.

It’s really remarkable to see our organization come together so well and do our part to help others. I am told we raised more than $800 from the Jean Days to help Cullman, Ala. There will be a group going regularly to deliver donations. Thanks again for those of you organizing this effort and those of you who continue to give. Keep up the excellent work!

Sincerely,

Robert Mayes