Dear Students and Alumni,
Happy New Year!
The new year of 2017 is here upon us and personally, I am excited about this! It is my hope that each of us are able to seize this year for all it is meant to be for each of us. Some years of our lives seem as though they were spent in a race with no finish line. Busyness and chaos have us in a constant state of reaction and I think 2017 needs to be different. It needs to be the year in which we stop and take the time to think deeply about what we want to change and how that change will occur. We must ask ourselves what we want to happen, personally and professionally. While we are not in control of everything, let us think about and plan those things in which we are in control. I heard an analogy that compared life to a story. Like any story, our lives have a start and an end, and in between there are only so many chapters and pages. If I am the author of my story, I need to write “Chapter 2017” the best I can, within the limits of what I can control.
Now, on to some things I want to share with you about your University and what will be happening over this next year.
Course revisions
Our main goal is to always focus on providing the best experience for you, our students and alumni. We are constantly making improvements in order to exceed the expectations of attending our university. For example, in 2017 we plan to revise 150 courses to ensure our curriculum is as up to date and relevant as possible. We recently had our first course certified through Quality Matters (QM). QM standards ensure CSU courses promote learner engagement and provide students with tools and information required to be successful learners. As a result, CSU will implement the QM standards for the design of online courses and pursue continuous improvement in course design and the student experience. Our goal is to certify 15 more courses this year. For more information, click here.
Knight Ambassador
This year, we are
also happy to announce a new initiative, the Knight Ambassador program. We are looking for passionate students and alumni who are interested in sharing their CSU story with others, appearing in CSU ads, contributing articles for our blog and/or the CSU Alumni Magazine, promoting the university in your workplace, and much more! In return, ambassadors will have the ability to earn a tuition discount, make new community connections, be eligible for CSU’s annual Distinguished Alumni Award, and earn free swag. You must have earned a minimum of 12 credit hours with CSU to become a Knight Ambassador. Learn more about this exciting new program!
Scholarship Recipient
We are pleased to announce the recipient of the Hero Behind the Hero scholarship, Caitlyn Dalton. 
Caitlyn’s husband is currently serving overseas while she remains stateside caring for their special needs son. Earning a degree has been Caitlyn’s dream; bettering her family’s future is the motivation she needs to be successful. She will be working on a B.S. in Health Care Administration and we admire her unfaltering determination to have the education she knows she deserves. Read more about Cailyn’s story here. This scholarship will cover up to $12,600 in one degree program for up to three years or until the completion of the selected program. For more information on this, and many other, scholarships, click here.
Student and Alumni Events
The year has just started and we have already had the opportunity to meet students and alumni at two different social events! On January 7, members of our Military Outreach team, along with Student and Alumni Engagement and Corporate Outreach, gathered at Anise in the downtown Orlando area. Here, students, alumni, faculty and staff members exchanged warm conversation and their CSU stories. CSU Alumni Engagement Coordinator, Andie Bills, shares her recount of the event here.
A couple of d
ays later in Orange, California, another group gathered for a Sunday Brunch at Colleary’s Bistro. Though the quiche and French toast were amazing, the conversation was even better. Several students brought friends who are interested in attending the university. Everyone in attendance was eager to share their experiences and what to expect from classes. We were even able to offer career advice for those unsure of what program to enter. When brunch was coming to a close, we were pleased to hear several students making future lunch plans together. Although we are a completely online university, we are always looking for ways to build connections and relationships outside of the “classroom.” We look forward to offering many more of these opportunities throughout the year! Check back often to see where we will be headed next.
This year, as we continue to grow and improve, we hope if you have a friend, family member, or co-worker looking to earn their degree, you will tell them about CSU and your experience. As always, if there is anything we can do to assist you, let us know. We are here for you.
In closing, remember to start planning out how you will author your 2017 Chapter.
God bless,
Robert Mayes
