DBA Residency Student Social

Last month, a group of CSU doctoral students came to Orange Beach, Ala. to attend their residency program and meet fellow classmates and faculty members in person. Thirty-five students visited their Columbia Southern University campus, traveling from across many parts of the U.S., with one student traveling from as far as Nigeria.

While the residency component is a critical piece to the DBA program, the opportunity for these CSU students to get together in person, along with faculty, is beneficial to all who participate. For one, it’s a chance for classmates to collaborate with one another and share best practices. It is also a great time to ask questions of faculty and ensure that the students are on the right track. Perhaps the best part is the chance for students and faculty to get to know one another and exchange contact information for further communication.

Since our CSU doctoral students work so hard, we thought it would be a great idea to host a social event for them while they were in town at one of our favorite local restaurants, Tacky Jack’s. So, that is precisely what we did.

Among the food, conversation, and enjoyment, we got to know some of our students a little better. They had the opportunity to hang out after a hard day’s work and actually relax near the water. Several had visited the area previously, while some had never been to this part of the country before. Being able to offer some southern hospitality and make our DBA students feel at home was so rewarding.

In this hurried and often overwhelming time when our schedules are crammed with things to do and only 24 hours in which to do them, it is so nice to take a little time and celebrate the hard work and dedication of our CSU students. By committing to improving your lives through education, you are also committing to improving the lives of your families and your communities. We feel this is worthy of celebration.

We asked the DBA students who attended the last DBA residency what they felt was really beneficial during their visit to CSU’s campus. One responded, “The opportunity to talk and network with the other DBA residents [was most beneficial].  The little ‘get together’ on Friday night was excellent as it afforded the opportunity to meet others that you weren’t sitting directly beside during the Friday session.”

Having access to technology so we can attend classes in a virtual environment is a huge benefit in today’s world, yet it will never completely replace face-to-face interaction and togetherness.