Thoughts from Move-In Day, Kids to College event and more

This has been an exhilarating and challenging time for all. Move-In Day was exceptional, and I commend the entire Residence Life, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management team for a job well done. Today, I am greeting 5,000 fifth-graders from Muscogee and Harris counties, as well as Fort Benning schools, as part of the "Kids to College" program at Columbus State University. Dean of Education and Health Professions David Rock and Professor Roger Hatcher orchestrated an exceptional event, and the students will continue to visit campus all year. Lauren and I had a great dinner with Congressman Sanford Bishop and his staff. Congressman Bishop has been incredibly responsive to the needs of Columbus State University, and we are grateful for his support. I met with a group of our new Honors Program freshmen today at the Cunningham Center. What an impressive group. Equally impressive was the gathering of our Servant Leadership students at the Pastoral Institute. This program is one of a kind, and we look forward this year to developing the nation's first ever Master of Science Program in Servant Leadership. Finally, at the opening of school sessions I presented the hard news of the budget challenges. Faculty and staff alike have been positive and responsive to our absolute commitment to maintaining the highest levels of academic quality ... For this, I am most grateful, appreciative and proud. We are seeing exciting things unfold at Columbus State University and it is wonderful to play a role with great colleagues in this process.