Back to School
Back to school season is in full swing. This year, my oldest started college and just moved on campus. My youngest is starting first grade and my middle child is finishing up middle school. I am so glad to get them all settled into the new routine as I am sure other parents are or will be as well. Having the first child leave home is a new experience for my wife and me. I don’t think we have fully realized he isn’t at home yet. I am grateful he is only a few hours away so we can easily go visit him.
Faculty Development
At CSU, we continue to work to improve the student experience in 2016. A huge part of this experience is our faculty. 
Dr. Langham oversees our faculty development department and manages an extensive training program for new and existing faculty.
Most CSU faculty are located across the country. Each year, we work to bring in groups of faculty members to visit the campus and go through training. Last month, we hosted 22 faculty that participated in two days of training and learning more about the CSU culture.
Course Revisions
Another closely related area we continue to work to improve in the student experience is curriculum. Dr. John Hope, assistant provost for curriculum, is responsible for collaborating with Academic Affairs and Insturctional Design and Technology (IDT) to ensure that the course revision calendar and new course vision are successfully implemented. Currently, 91 courses have been placed into revision 
for quarters one through three in 2016. An estimated 26 additional courses are slated for the fourth quarter. The vision for these course revisions comes from academic program directors and are managed by a team of 16 instructional designers who work closely with subject matter experts. The course revision process has historically been a collaboration between Academics and IDT. Dr. Hope’s new position has helped to improve the process and communication between the two departments.
International Firefighter Cancer Foundation
This month, we are excited to announce our latest partner, the International Firefighter Cancer Foundation (IFCF). The IFCF was established to provide outreach, support and resource assistance programs for firefighters and their family members who are stricken by cancer. 
The foundation is creating state-of-the-art programs for cancer education, awareness, research and prevention to ensure the quality of life and retirement of firefighters around the world. They also support active and retired firefighters by promoting occupation-specific cancer screening, wellness testing and more. We look forward to working with the IFCF and finding new ways to educate the firefighter community. We welcome you to visit their website for more information.
The mission of IFCF is close to our hearts as we have a long-standing culture of supporting cancer research, those stricken by cancer and their families. Later this month, we will be holding an auction for employees on campus in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life. This is our sixth year hosting this auction and we are hoping to break all previous fundraising records!
If there is anything we can do to assist you in this back to school season, let us know. That is what we are here for.
God bless,
Robert Mayes
President
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