Greetings students and alumni,
As the weather warms up, things are getting busier here at CSU. As you know, this time of year is time for conferences, seminars and workshops and CSU representatives, or “road warriors,” are getting out there. We have an outstanding team of representatives who hit the road and represent CSU at various events weekly. I encourage you to please stop by one of the CSU or Waldorf College booths and say hi to them. Find out more here. 
At the recent Fire Department Instructors Conference, or FDIC, in Indianapolis, our booth drew a phenomenal crowd. More than 100 CSU graduates visited the CSU booth and attended the networking/alumni reception. CSU student and drag race car driver, Don O’Neal, was a special guest at our reception and we are proud of our partnership with his brand.
In April, I attended the DETC annual conference in San Francisco and had the privilege of presenting the DETC Outstanding Graduate and Famous Alumni Award to two CSU alumni, Julie Carter and Ken Lang.
Robert Mayes presents the DETC Outstanding Graduate Award to Julie Carter
Over the last four weeks, CSU had several important groups onsite including:
- CSU Board of Trustees
- Emergency Services Advisory Board
In addition, the Waldorf College Choir treated CSU faculty and staff to a performance recently while on its 12-day tour of the country. The choir tour program, “A New Day,” features a variety of pieces ranging from the Lutheran choral tradition, folk songs, and contemporary choral pieces. The Waldorf Choir is the second oldest collegiate a cappella choir in the United States and is the premier choral ensemble at Waldorf College. It was quite a treat to have them on campus.
Speaking of Waldorf, I had the privilege of being on campus recently and attending their graduation ceremony. CSU’s very own Chantell Cooley (and my sister) was their keynote speaker. It was a very special and unique graduation for Waldorf due to the increasing number of online adult students participating.
On the technology front, some of you may have noticed a new tool in Blackboard. ConnectYard is a social media integration platform allowing you to setup a personal profile that integrates Blackboard with your Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn or cellphone for texting.
Robert Mayes presents DETC Famous Alumni Award to Ken Lang.
For example, you could participate in a class discussion from Facebook without ever logging in to Blackboard. I encourage you to try these new features out.
May is “Military Appreciation Month” and I encourage you to make special effort to show your appreciation to our military service men and women. They defend the freedoms we enjoy every day. On behalf of everyone at CSU, we thank those who serve and have served in our nation’s armed forces.
Thank you again for allowing us to help you reach your educational and career goals.
Take care,
Robert Mayes
President
