Bidding a Memorable Final Farewell to our Fall Semester

Tonight is our fall commencement, and we are so very excited to honor Ray and Evelyn Crowley, long-term supporters of our university with honorary doctorates. The Board of Regents makes these decisions with great thought, and clearly the Crowleys are most worthy recipients. We are delighted to have state Rep. Earl Ehrhart deliver our commencement address.

I just submitted the final grades for my entrepreneurship class. I was so very impressed with the caliber of work of these seniors and particularly proud to have four study-abroad students from Germany in the class. The final business plan presentations were outstanding.

I attended Brandon Smith's final percussion performance in the past week. Brandon is a student of professor Paul Vaillancourt, and this recital was given in partial fulfillment for the Bachelor of Music degree. In the final number, Brandon was joined by fellow students Joel Castro, Lacey Guyton and Jonathan Mashburn as they performed The Invisible Men with the 1907 silent move, Les Invisibles. by the Pathe Brothers playing on the screen behind them. A truly great evening!

Finally, I received the nicest holiday note and thoughts from Tamara Comer ... This reinforces why we are all in higher education.

Days Leading up to Thanksgiving Offer Swirl of Activities

Chelsee Pike, our Student Government Association president, was kind enough to invite me to join her at Popcorn with the SGA President today in our Davidson Student Center.

This begins the crush of pre-Thanksgiving, pre-final exam commitments and gives our students some added support and nutrition during the final weeks of the semester.

Tonight is the launch of our Cougar men's basketball season, and the women's cross country team has landed at the NCAA national championships in Spokane, Wash.

Over the next week, students in our wind ensemble and our philharmonic orchestra will perform, and our fall opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, starts tonight as well. The quality of student engagement is high and that contributes to the overall quality of our university.

Coach, Runnners Enjoy Great Cross Country Weekend

Special congratulations go to Coach J.D. Evilsizer, who has been named Women's Coach of the Year by the Peach Belt Conference.

The CSU cross country teams represented CSU this past weekend with pride and honor. The Cougar men tied for first and lost on the tie-breaker. The men's team had the fastest team average in conference championship history for a CSU team. This was after having to redshirt the No. 2 and No. 3 runners coming into the season. The Lady Cougars finished in the runner-up position. They did this while suffering the loss of their top runner from the previous year due to injury. The women also had the fastest team average in conference championship history.

All the runners had either season best times or personal best times. We had three women make all-conference, and four men earned all-conference honors. Jacob Dirkman earned The Elite 15 Award for highest GPA for a male runner. He has a 4.0 GPA. Nathan Reeves and Moneque English were named to the All-Sportsman Team.

Baseball Players, Fraternity Members Work to Help Others

Over the last few days, three Columbus State University groups truly distinguished themselves. Our CSU Cougar baseball team hosted a terrific event for the Vs. Cancer Foundation, raising $10,000 to fight children's cancer.

Sigma Nu fraternity hosted a "Glow K" 5K Run and raised $11,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Kappa Sigma fraternity members raised over $7,000 to fight breast cancer during their seventh annual Shave to Save philanthropy event. Both our baseball players and Kappa Sig brothers wrapped up the weekend with shaved heads for great causes. We're proud of all of these young men.

Cougar Madness Puts the Spotlight on Winning Athletic Tradition

Congratulations go to the Columbus State University Athletics Department for a great kickoff to the men's and women's basketball season with a fun Cougar Madness event at the Lumpkin Arena last night.

The celebration was proceed by a hard fought and victorious volleyball win. What great work by the Lady Cougars in their first year of NCAA play! The team is now 16-7. We also celebrated Assistant Athletic Director Jimbo Davis' 50th birthday in great style!

Men's basketball coach Robert Moore and women's coach Jonathan Norton were there with their teams and the slam-dunk contest, which followed a spirited but unsuccessful  faculty-staff team loss to the brothers of Pike fraternity, making for a wonderful evening.

It's always a treat for me to meet parents of student-athletes as well. Last night, a terrific couple from Denton,Texas was on hand to watch our volleyball win.

Discovery Day Shows why CSU's a `First Choice' School

We're so very proud of our undergraduate recruiting team and our CSU student ambassadors for the exceptional work done this weekend for our Discovery Day program.

Discovery Day is an invitation-only event for high school juniors and seniors and their families, intended to give them an earlier-in-the-year look at our campuses, a chance to visit with faculty and staff and to help them make the right university choice.

We had a great day on campus, double the attendance from the last Discovery Day, and many families elected to stay the afternoon, tour Columbus, watch Lady Cougar volleyball and get an even better feel for what makes CSU a "first choice" institution. Here's a recent video that helps tell what all CSU and Columbus have to offer:

From Stage to Playing Field, CSU is one Very Busy Campus

Professor Wendy Warner, who directs our cello studio in CSU's Schwob School of Music, is absolutely magnificent. Her recent concert with pianist colleague Irina Nuzova was mesmerizing. A large crowd at Legacy Hall was enthralled with performances from Prokofiev's Sonata in C Major to Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 40. Wendy has been a stunning addition to our faculty, and her concert reinforced the benefits of great community support for faculty talent. Her position exists because of generous funding from the Hamer family.

Likewise, our student talent is so very impressive. Yesterday's recital by graduate piano student Alina Sarkisyan was exceptional. Alina, a student of professor Alex Kobrin, has been a stunning addition to our master's program in the Schwob school, and her performance was simply outstanding.

The Lady Cougars volleyball team was on fire last night as it won over Fort Valley State, and the Lady Cougars soccer team had a terrific road match, winning 10-0. In all, these events reflect a very busy campus.

Competitive Premed Program Off to a Healthy Start

Great thanks go to Dr. Katey Hughes, director of CSU's Competitive Premedical Program, and Jill Carroll, development officer for the College of Letters and Sciences, for a great kickoff event for the premed program last night at the River Club.

We enjoyed wonderful attendance by physician alumni, faculty, current students in the program and friends of CSU for this very special event.

Dr. Hughes brought her idea for this program to Dr. Julie Ballenger, chair of biology, who came to the provost and, in remarkably short order, the idea was launched. This is a very important initiative for Columbus State University, focused on academic excellence.

Weekend Offers Magnificent Mix of Music, Soccer, Recruiting and More

Cheers are being heard for our Lady Cougars soccer team as they scored an impressive 2-0 victory over Peach Belt rival Armstrong Atlantic on Friday night. A huge crowd was in attendance at the Walden Soccer Complex on Columbus State University's main campus. Kudos also go to fraternities for their raucous cheer section.

On Saturday, our Enrollment Services division hosted the first of the fall Discovery Days for high school students and family members. We saw terrific attendance from across Georgia and the region. I remain very impressed how far families will travel in pursuit of the "right match" for their student. A great group of high school students spent a good half day on our campuses exploring academic programs and attempting to determine if CSU will be their First Choice.

On Saturday afternoon, the office of the provost, students and staff participated in the first annual Latino Festival for Columbus and the region. The rainy weather failed to dampen spirits and great crowds, exhibits, dances and foods from across Central and South America graced the parking lots at the Columbus Civic Center. We were glad to see so many of our students in attendance.

Sunday afternoon brought the inaugural fall performance of the Schwob School of Music's Philharmonic under the direction of maestro Paul Hostetter. Our students were terrific.  A great crowd packed the RiverCenter's Legacy Hall for a wonderful performance. Viola Professor Zoran Jakovcic played masterfully, and students, faculty, staff and community enjoyed a truly engaging afternoon.

U.S. News and World Report Again Recognizes CSU

For the second consecutive year, Columbus State University is honored to be included among the top comprehensive universities in the region by U.S. News and World Report. This reflects great work by faculty and staff, as well as our ongoing effort to raise admissions standards and enrollment in key programs like Honors, Servant Leadership, Tower Scholars, Competitive Premed, etc. My sincere thanks go to all who are so very focused on this effort.

Volleyball is Back -- After 31 Years!

Congratulations to Coach Casey Cornett and team, now 4-0 in their inaugural season. Lauren and I and a packed Lumpkin Center saw three great matches this weekend and the team just returned from its first-ever road trip with a victory. At our home a few weeks ago we enjoyed a terrific cookout with these students athletes from Columbus and across the U.S., as well as Lithuania and Serbia. Go Cougars!

Performance by Professor Earl Coleman and Friends Inspiring

Lauren and I had the distinct pleasure of attending this extraordinary concert staged by Earl Coleman, CSU's William and Isabelle Curry Eminent Scholar Chair in Voice in the Schwob School of Music. Performing with a group of colleagues, the breadth of the outstanding performances and the large crowd made for a wonderful and inspiring afternoon at Legacy Hall.

Week of Fun Offers a Great Launch for Fall Semester

A great day on campus today capped a wonderful first-week festival.

On Wednesday, students, faculty and staff gathered for our main campus welcome back picnic, featuring exceptional Southern barbecue. There was also an incredible mix of displays from student and community organizations and academic departments covering the main campus quad around the Whitley clock tower.

Along with our mascot Cody, I had the chance to ride a Ferris wheel with a great panoramic view of main campus. My thanks go to the entire Student Affairs team, who orchestrated this great, engaging event for thousands of our students. In the midst of all the excitement, I ran to my entrepreneurship class for day two of our new venture creation odyssey.

Finally, late in the day, I visited with Tom Ingram  a third-year reporter for our terrific student newspaper, The Saber. The first fall issue is out, and I am so very proud of the efforts of so many of our students, resulting in wonderful and insightful coverage of campus issues.

Today, weather permitting, we hope 120-plus students will ride the rapids on Columbus' world class urban whitewater course. Our own aquatics coordinator, Koby Garick will help orchestrate this terrific event on the Class 3 and Class 4 rapids that run along the west side of our RiverPark campus.

CSU Opening Weekend Reflects Promise of 2013-2014 School Year

What a great run-up we've enjoyed leading up to today's opening of the university for fall semester classes. A wonderful cookout on Saturday at our RiverPark campus followed a smooth opening of residence halls on the main and RiverPark campuses

Sunday was also terrific, Organ professor Joseph Golden of CSU's Schwob School of Music organized, with the American Guild of Organists, two great concerts in Legacy Hall. On Sunday evening, Assistant Athletic Director Jimbo Davis and Athletic Director Jay Sparks hosted and orchestrated with the help of our friends at Country's  a huge welcome dinner for almost 300 student athletes.

How very special it was that I could introduce three Serbian student athletes -- in women's tennis, volleyball and rifle -- to each other!  This is one more great reflection of what university life is all about.

Graduation Reflects Lots of Outstanding Work by Many

Graduation represents what Columbus State is all about, and our 106th commencement on Monday was no exception. It’s also rewarding to get good reviews for a ceremony that, by its nature, must exceed two hours.

One local VIP noted Monday’s graduation was his first at CSU. He and others enjoyed stories of a few graduates we shared – from one older student who got help from our faculty returning to college after a disastrous academic start years earlier, finally realizing his dream of following in his parents’ footsteps as a teacher, to the biology major who won national recognition for her research in Alaska, helping her earn a full ride assistantship for a University of Hawaii Ph.D. program.

“The program was outstanding, and we enjoyed every moment,” the VIP wrote in an email. “The personal stories done at the beginning of the program added a personal touch to the graduation experience. We are so proud of you and your fine institution. Kudos on a job well done!”

Another email, from a parent, mentioned music provided by CSU’s Trumpet Ensemble and our graduation speaker, Dink NeSmith, chair of our state Board of Regents.

”I just wanted to take a brief moment to tell you how much my husband and I enjoyed the ceremony last evening,” the parent wrote. “The speaker was delightful and `right on’ with his remarks, the music was wonderful, and the faculty comments were brief and appropriate. My husband and I especially enjoyed your `spotlight' section on selected students. Thank you for your commitment to excellence in education and for ensuring my daughter gets a great education. She is starting grad school next week, and I look forward to her next graduation at CSU, when she earns her master’s degree.”

Another writer summed up his thoughts succinctly as a graduate student’s parent, supporter and volunteer: “You were on your `A’ game last night. Great job and thanks for your leadership!!!”

We appreciate those kind words, but I have to share credit for commencement –- from faculty who plan the ceremony to behind-the-scenes logistics staff handling audio, video and other technical details. We had one person on our staff who spent Monday morning setting up chairs for the students awarded more than 960 degrees. On Monday night, that staffer was able to fill a couple of those chairs as she got her associate’s degree and her son got his bachelor’s degree. Now she’s got her sights set on a bachelor’s degree, too.

My thanks go to everyone at Columbus State and beyond who makes such happy endings possible.

Happy 10th Anniversary to CSU Servant Leadership

I just had the wonderful opportunity to attend the 10th anniversary celebration of the Columbus State University's Servant Leadership program.

Dr. Stuart Rayfield, CSU's Frank Brown Distinguished Chair in Servant Leadership, directs an extraordinary program in a city named by the Greenleaf Center as the first Servant Leadership City in the U.S. At today's celebration, the 24 graduating seniors in the CSU program discussed their experiences and their yearlong project, yielding 1,500 volunteer hours. The celebration also revisited annual projects from the first nine years of the program.

This special program, now includes both the baccalaureate scholars as well as an M.S. program that focuses on servant leadership as well. My sincere thanks go to all involved in this wonderful initiative.

Rocking the House with 360 Degrees of Music

Congratulations to the Columbus State University Choral Union, the Trumpet Ensemble, the Trombone Octet and the Trombone Choir for their exceptionally powerful concert, Surround Sound: 360 Degrees of Music.

Special thanks to professors Constantina Tsolainou, Robert Murray and Bradley Palmer for their teaching and conducting on behalf of this event at our own Legacy Hall. The hall was packed with patrons of all ages, and the music was wonderful.

Berlin Study Abroad Program Offers Powerful Lessons

A special shout-out goes to professors Mariko Izumi (Communication) and Carmen Skaggs (English) for their exceptional work in orchestrating an incredibly powerful study abroad experience, a Berlin-based course focused on "Memorializing the Holocaust." Last night I attended a series of incredible presentations by our talented students who recently returned from a spring break trip to Germany. The poetry readings, digital storytelling and counter-monument presentations were exceptional. I remain most impressed by the power of what takes place in our classrooms and the enormous benefits of study abroad.

Hunter Lecturer Astronaut Enlightens, Helps CSU Celebrate Center Donation

This year's Hunter Lecture featured Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr., the first African American astronaut to walk in space. The lecture coincided with an incredibly powerful conference, NeXtGen STEM: Innovative Solutions for Tomorrow's Emerging Workforce.

As a special bonus, Dr. Harris appeared at our Coca-Cola Space Science Center, where Dr. Shawn Cruzen and team announced a $250,000 gift from MeadWestvaco to support continued expansion of the center, as well as to honor its unveiling of the NASA space shuttle nozzle. On campus, Dr. Harris spoke to close to 1,000 high school students from Columbus to Atlanta and mesmerized them with his epic stories of space, including traveling over 7 million miles!

Southern Literary Festival Speakers Enthrall; Organizers Recognized

What a weekend! Columbus State University had the distinct pleasure of hosting the extraordinary 2013 Southern Literary Festival and bringing to the campus and community such luminaries as Natasha Tretheway, the nation's poet laureate.

Also speaking at the festival were fiction writer Kevin Wilson, poet Daniel Albergotti, nonfiction writer Madge McKeithen and Tim O'Brien, author of The Things They Carried, our First Year Experience common reading for 2012-2013.

My sincere thanks go to CSU professors Nick Norwood, Aaron Sanders and Terry Irvin, as well as the Department of English, for their exceptional work in orchestrating this important event. I had the pleasure of hearing O'Brien twice, once on campus and again at the Springer Opera House. His talks were powerful and moving.

Computer Science Professor Receives Fulbright Scholar Award

Professor Vladimir Zanev will teach in Bulgaria next fall as a participant in the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Zanev will take a sabbatical from the TSYS School of Computer Science in CSU's Turner College of Business to be able to take advantage of his U.S. Scholar Grant in the Fulbright program. He will serve as a visiting lecturer at the University of Mining and Geology in Sofia, the capital of the southeastern European nation.

Susan Hrach Wins Regents' Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award

Special congratulations are due to our colleague Dr. Susan Hrach, professor of English and director of CSU's Faculty Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, for winning the coveted Felton Jenkins Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Award.

It's the first time that one of our faculty has been honored in such a grand fashion by the state Board of Regents. This is exceptional recognition for Dr. Hrach, who was praised for her work in three major areas: reading and assessing literature in translation with core curriculum students; analyzing the historical and cultural function of translated literature with upper-level students; and managing culture shock in study abroad programs.

Beethoven Project Breathtaking; Hear all of his Violin-Piano Sonatas

Last night, three of professor Sergiu Schwartz's violin students -- Diego Gabete, (Spain), Tian Xu (China) and Boris Abramov (Israel) -- were accompanied by professor Alex Kobrin's student, Alina Sarkisyan (Russia). They performed, respectively, Beethoven's Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Sonata No. 9 in A Major and Sonata No. 7 in C Minor.

These students' performances were breathtaking. Alina volunteered to perform, over three weeks, all 10 of the Beethoven sonatas for piano and violin. This incredible commitment to her peers and CSU's Schwob School of Music is remarkable. My thanks go to these faculty mentors and these wonderful students. I'm looking forward to evenings two and three.

Elixir of Love Performance Showcases Music, Theatre

On Sunday, Lauren and I had the extraordinary opportunity to see The Elixir of Love, by Gaetano Donizetti, presented by our Schwob School of Music and performed at the RiverCenter's world-class Bill Heard Theatre.

Professor Joseph Golden was artistic director, maestro Paul Hostetter conducted, J.J. Hudson was stage director and professor Constantina Tsolainou managed chorus preparation. The CSU Philharmonic orchestra students were truly exceptional, and the cast and chorus were so very talented.

This great collaboration between music and theatre in the College of the Arts rocked RiverCenter and provided an important glimpse into the depth of talent in our student population and the impact of our faculty. For three hours, we remained riveted to our seats, and our only regret was when the final curtain fell.

Kudos to all involved in this great performance.

Board of Regents Meeting Emphasizes Priorities

I was delighted to be joined at today's monthly Board of Regents meeting in Atlanta by Dr. Pat Hogan, executive officer of the Faculty Senate; Dr. Sheri Noviello, director of the School of Nursing; Tom Helton, our vice president for business and finance; and John Lester, assistant vice president for University Relations.

This was a busy meeting as the Regents approved the consolidation of eight institutions into four. The meeting was also significant because it was the first with Regent William “Dink” H. NeSmith Jr. as chair, and he opened the meeting emphasizing three priorities of the University System of Georgia:

• Complete College Georgia. With this incredibly important initiative, Georgia is one of 30 state participants in the Complete College America Program, which hopes to graduate an additional 200,000-plus students over the next seven years with certificates, two- and-or four-year degrees. It is driven by retention, progression and graduation, and nothing is more important to the USG.
• Good stewardship. With 315,000 students, 40,000 faculty and staff, the USG budget exceeds $7 billion. We are absolutely responsible for ensuring prudent use of resources as we move forward.
• Economic development. The USG is committed to creating more jobs. USG is a major driver of economic development, and we along with the State of Georgia need a global brand.

Regent NeSmith emphasized that this will only happen with teamwork.

This is a tremendous and important challenge for all 31 USG institutions.