First Ever Cougar Homecoming Hits Big

We had a magnificent Homecoming Week! My sincere thanks to our terrific Logistics and Student Affairs teams for their extraordinary work on our first ever fall homecoming.  Parents Weekend was terrific, but matched by Cougar Lacrosse, Women's Soccer and Volleyball and the outdoor family movie, Finding Nemo in Woodruff Park. I was so very proud of our Club Football Team, coaches, and student-athletes for their victory at Doughboy Stadium. What a great evening. Major General Miller and his staff were so very gracious, and we had our largest attendance ever at the game. It was a grand event!

The Homecoming Parade was exceptional. This year, our Equestrian Team rode in the parade! How very proud I was of the number of floats, student participation and the great outpouring of support from the Columbus community. Mayor Tomlinson rode in the lead Mercedes, and we do so appreciate her support, attendance and advocacy.

Provost Hackett, AVP Spence Sealy, and I ran in the Cougar Madness ROTC 5K on Saturday morning. It was cold and fun. Kudos to our Cougar Battalion, Col. Feret, and cadets for a great event.

Our CSU Alumni Association dinner, dancing and fireworks in Uptown was spectacular. Dillingham Bridge was closed, and the fireworks provided a great exclamation mark on our Homecoming festivities. In all, a fantastic team effort. I am so proud of my colleagues.

USG Presidents Grace CSU's Campus

We have been so very fortunate to host so many terrific visitors from across the University System of Georgia (USG). Last week, the Board of Regents' Jim Hull and Sachin Shailendra spent the better part of a day on campus meeting with students, faculty and staff and touring our campuses. They were incredibly complimentary and engaged, and it was a wonderful opportunity to show off our many assets to these System leaders. Yesterday, Chancellor Hank Huckaby and Vice Chancellor Tom Daniel were on campus. They, too, visited with individual groups of students, faculty, staff, and our Cabinet. The meetings were interactive, filled with questions, and the Chancellor was very responsive to the various meetings. Last night, Lauren and I hosted the USG presidents and guests at our home for dinner. Today and tomorrow, the presidents are meeting at our university. I am so proud of our logistics, UITS, Cunningham Center and transportation teams for their support of this important meeting. We are honored to serve as host, and you should be very proud of the many kind things these colleagues are saying about Columbus State University.

Garbology Author Challenges Students to Go Green

Pulitzer Prize winning author Ed Humes was on campus this week sharing his insights on the trash and recycling challenges we face. The author of Garbology, Mr. Humes related that at death we would not only occupy our own grave site, but over our lives have generated enough garbage to fill up another 1100 grave sites, a daunting picture. He excited our students and challenged them to be greener. Our own Byron Harris directs our campus green initiatives and works closely with a faculty/staff/student committee deeply devoted to environmental stewardship.  Mr. Humes was invited by our colleague Dr. Terry Irvin, who has done an exceptional job over the past six years launching and managing our First Year Experience (FYE) program. Upon his return to California, Mr. Humes shared the following letter with Dr. Irvin:

Dear Terry,

You are so welcome. I loved visiting Columbus State, loved the great questions posed by the Enviro Sciences students, and the engaged audience at the lecture. President Mescon’s introduction was so gracious and thoughtful. Being part of such an event doesn’t even feel like work to me: it’s energizing and rewarding. Plus your hospitality was the best!

I will forward the PP slides to Steven, happily. And please let me know how I can support your faculty in their use of Garbology in class. I am at your (pun intended) disposal.

With Warmest Regards,

Ed

Riding the Zip Line

Last Friday, I had the wonderful opportunity (though I was decidedly overdressed) to ride the new zip line going from GA to AL over the whitewater course on the Chattahoochee River. What a treat! Dan Gilbert and his extraordinary team at Whitewater Express have done a great job with the zip line as well as with the two high ropes courses on the Alabama shore and the second zip line ride, running parallel to the river on the Alabama side. When you're done, you are transported back to the Whitewater Express outfitter store via power boat. Bundle these activities with one or more rafting rides down the Chattahoochee and you have an incredible set of experiences. What a wonderful opportunity for Columbus State University students and what a grand addition to our RiverPark Campus.

The Importance of Greek Life at Columbus State University

Over the years, many universities have run hot and cold in their treatment and support of Greek Life, fraternities and sororities. Thanks to the great work by our Division of Student Affairs and my colleague Britney Kelly, director of Greek Life, Columbus State University is seeing a surge of student interest in this wonderful co-curricular option. This week, some brothers from the Eta Theta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, including Reuben Riley who is also in the GA National Guard, came to visit me in my office. Some of these brothers now live in the designated CSU Greek Housing on Maryland Circle, but all want to know how they can help advocate for CSU. It was a great visit and to meet majors in business, psychology and criminal justice gives me great confidence in our collective future.

Key Elementary Stuffed with School Supplies

What a pleasure it was for me to join Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, Gina Sheeks, Columbus State's VP for Student Affairs, Chip Reese, Dean of Students and AVP, and Dana Larkin, Asst. Dean of Students, at Key Elementary School on Friday.

Special thanks to Rachel Green, Vice President-Scholastic Affairs in the Columbus State University Student Government Association. Rachel is a hyper-involved student leader majoring in early childhood education in the Servant Leadership Program; she is a mentor at Big Brothers Big Sisters and active in the AKA Sorority. Rachel galvanized a wonderful group of students who managed to secure over 400 book bags, stuff each with assorted school supplies and distribute them to every student and teacher at Key Elementary for the start of this school year. 

What a great morning it was! I am so very proud of these students and this important outreach into the community. This is Servant Leadership at work. This is what makes Columbus State University such a very special place.

Spirit of Suffrage Movement Captured During Women's Equality Day

My sincere thanks to Dr. Larry Dooley, Chair of Columbus State University's Department of Theatre, and six great theater majors (Natalie Brock, Allison Bennett, Brandon Mitchell, Rylee Bunton, Tate LeClair, and Devin Shaw) for their wonderful performance during Women's Equality Day at Ft. Benning. Commanding General Miller and his team orchestrated a fantastic event, keynoted by City of Columbus Deputy City Manager Lisa Goodwin. The students captured the spirit of the suffrage movement in period costume and set a wonderful tone for the event. What a fitting follow-up to great speeches by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (author of Lean In) and Spanx founder Sara Blakely at our Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum. Today's event was one more reflection of Columbus State University reaching into this wonderful community.

Students and Faculty Shine During CSU's Day of Service

I am so very proud of our Columbus State University family for the fantastic turnout at the 6th Annual Day of Service. Led by colleague Anne Vogler Brown (enthusiastically joined by her husband, Kevin), more than 500 students, faculty and staff worked across the region at 22 non-profits in Georgia and Alabama reinforcing Columbus State's core value of true servant leadership.

There was a wonderful turnout from our student-athletes in softball, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, golf, baseball, cheer, our Mascot Cody, and their coaches. Also, our VP for Business and Finance, Tom Helton; our VP for Student Affairs, Gina Sheeks; our AVP for University Relations, John Lester; our incoming Managing Director of the Cunningham Center, Ed Helton; our Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Todd Reeser; and many, many others participated in the event.

My wife Lauren and I joined Columbus State's Director of Financial Literacy, Ginny Rae Turner, and her husband Brad at a battered women's shelter in Phenix City, Alabama. The center must open by October, and our students worked wonders preparing rooms for occupancy.

Later in the day, we all joined in a terrific cookout and shared stories of the day's adventures and fellowship. Special thanks to Potiphar Alexander, Director of Transportation, for assuring all ended up in the right place and eventually back on campus. This event has matured greatly over the years, and the involvement by our entire campus community is reflective of a caring culture.

Smooth Move on CSU Move-In Day

Kudos to Residential Life staff led by Jonathan Lucia, Steve Morse and team in Logistics, and so many others for a smooth early a.m. start to move-in day at our stunning River Park housing complex. It was nice to see Dean Richard and Tammy Baxter volunteering, and Professors John Finley and Kim Gill (right, with Cody), our faculty-in-residence on hand as well. 

This can be a stressful day for students and their families, but no institution handles this better than Columbus State University.

Preparing for Accreditation Visit Helps Us Focus on Progress

Our regional accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, recently held its summer meeting. I was proud to join a team of Columbus State University colleagues as we prepare for our 10-year maintenance of accreditation visit.

Additionally, and as importantly, the university team is working across the institution in the development of our new Quality Enhancement Plan. The QEP, linked to our mission and strategic plan serves to galvanize the focus of our institution and give us an overriding theme that will thread through thousands of courses, student activities, staff engagement and campus life for the foreseeable future.

While I have the opportunity to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees of SACSCOC, I learn a great deal from these meetings. I do so appreciate the work of our team and look forward to reporting on our progress over the next two years.

Trombone Concert Brings Top Artists to Columbus State Stage

Saturday night, Lauren and I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Southeast Trombone Symposium Professors Choir under the direction of Professor Bradley Palmer from CSU's Schwob School of Music.

Trombone faculty from across the country were joined by artists from the New York Philharmonic, Utah Symphony, Atlanta Symphony and National Symphony, treating an enthusiastic audience to some wonderful music.

Pieces ranging from Classical Gas to the world premiere of Awakening (Anthony Barfield) reflected once again the pivotal role great faculty and great facilities can play in building reputation. We were honored to have these faculty and many of their students at our RiverPark campus and look forward to hosting the group again in the future.

CSU Connects with Students at Atlanta-Area Receptions

Over the last two nights, a great team from CSU — recruiters, financial aid and other student affairs professionals, as well as our crack logistics experts — helped deliver two very special open houses: one in Alpharetta and the other in south Fulton County for admitted and prospective students.

I was proud of our colleagues, who work so hard in communicating our "first choice" agenda with prospective students and their parents. Special thanks go to Richard Holmes, a CSU Foundation trustee and distinguished alumus, for attending the south Fulton reception. The event reflected the progress and so many great initiatives taking place at our university.

Commencement Offers Fitting Farewell to 2013-2014

It was wonderful to see the Columbus Civic Center packed Monday night for our spring 2014 commencement.

And it was the greatest of honors to have Gov. Nathan Deal deliver the commencement address. We also recognized Phil Tomlinson, chairman and CEO of TSYS, with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Recognizing our graduates, from those receiving associate degrees to those donning doctoral hoods, is always an incredibly special and moving event — indeed, my favorite night of the year. We hope to see many of these graduates back on campus in the years to come.

Celebration Highlights CSU's Servant Leadership Commitment

I had the great opportunity today to join Mr. Bill Turner, Mr. John Turner and Dr. Ron King at a luncheon with close to 200 students, community agencies and friends of our renowned Servant Leadership Program.

Dr. Stuart Rayfield, CSU's Frank Brown Distinguished Chair in Servant Leadership, emceed this marvelous event, where graduates of our Servant Leadership senior class shared with the audience their insights and observations related to experiences in the program. Of special note was this year's partnership with The Literacy Alliance and the creation of a CSU chapter of the International Justice Mission to combat human trafficking.

Kudos go to these exceptional young men and women and their passion for service. I was so very proud of their individual and group accomplishments. They truly epitomize all that is so very impressive with today's Columbus State University graduates.

Sophomore Year Experience Helps Students Succeed

Our Sophomore Year Experience at Columbus State University is off and running.

Dubbed, Y2@CSU. The eight Y2 Ambassadors participated in more than 20 events that entail academics, leadership, professional development and student activities. They helped rebrand and expand the Y2 program and made it a safe haven for sophomores.

Some of the unique successes of the students in this year's program include:

• Shakiyla Ellis developed her leadership skills and sharpened her communication skills, which has opened doors for many leadership opportunities.
• Nadiya Johnson improved her public speaking skills and is a great mentor to freshmen students.
• Ambrionna Dallas, working with staff, organized a full week of Financial Success programs that allowed the Columbus State University community to become more fiscally conservative.
• Victoria Owens has refined her ability to form lasting relationships with her peers and has done an outstanding job in planning for her future endeavors both professionally and personally.
• Dawn Grier polished her ability to network with faculty/staff and develop her communication skills as well.
• Brittany Reeves learned the value of building relationships and boosting team morale.
• Briana Zeigler developed necessary tools to balance her time as a very busy student.
• Chaiya Thomas’ willingness to pursue all aspects of the Y2 program is an indicator of her dedication as a student to Columbus State University.

My thanks go to our staff colleague, Ginny Rae Turner, who also directs our Financial Literacy Program in CSU's Center for Career Development for her leadership.

Leesburg Unites with CSU to Empower Educators

What a great day it was in southwest Georgia, Leesburg in Lee County to be specific, as Columbus State University's College of Education and Health Professions signed an agreement with the Lee County School District to deliver classes in our Ed.D. program there. Dean Buckner, program director Dr. Michael Richardson and a group of dedicated faculty worked so very hard on this agreement, and we fully believe this will be the first of many to come. Kudos to the Leesburg community, school board and legislators for their wonderful endorsement and support.

Cougarthon Gets Students Moving for American Cancer Society

I am so very proud of student co-chairs Ravhen Maddox, Akilah Anderson and Kameron Griffin and their team of 16 colleagues for the launch of our first-ever Cougarthon dance event to support the American Cancer Society. This year's inaugural event, in our Student Recreation Center, honored CSU colleague Rex Whiddon and his wife, Lynne. Joined by hundreds of students, the six-hour event was a great social and service success. Our Center for Career Development colleague, volunteerism director Anne Brown provided exceptional staff support. We're so proud of CSU's enormous commitment to servant leadership.

Saturday Gives Columbus State a Chance to Truly Shine

Saturday was a magnificent day on the Columbus State University campus. We started at 9 a.m. with a Discovery Day designed for admitted freshmen and transfer students.

The energy was palpable. Students were joined by family members for an immersion into campus life, course selection and an incredibly energetic introduction to CSU. My thanks to Amy Clines and her entire recruiting team for orchestrating a truly powerful day.

At 1 p.m., Lauren and I hosted Columbus State's Peach Belt champion women's basketball team, coaches Jonathan Norton and Quacy Timmons, and their children. Our student-athletes are exceptional. This is a wonderful group of women who had an exceptionally wonderful season ending in the NCAA regionals. Lauren and I were so very proud of them and honored to host the celebration at our home.

Saturday night at RiverCenter, our Schwob School of Music held its annual Kaleidoscope concert. This unbelievable event features every student in every studio in the Schwob school. For 70 minutes, the audience was mesmerized by the talent of our students and the leadership of our faculty.

It's amazing how, all in a single day, anyone can see why Columbus State is a First Choice university.

One CSU Events Demonstrate Commitment to Sustainability

I am so very proud of our students, faculty and staff for planning another round of One CSU events on April 18-26. So many have worked diligently to support a week-long commitment to sustainability. As a university, we are committed to reducing the university's ecological footprint through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions campus wide, to enhancing university environmental stewardship efforts and to fostering the concepts of sustainability and environmental ethics in the curriculum. Please go to the One CSU sustainability page and join us in some of these incredibly important events, activities and programs.

CSU Shines with Day at the Capitol

My sincere thanks go to the great team that represented our university in such a wonderful manner at the state Capitol in Atlanta on Monday. The exhibits -- Oxbow Meadows, Coca-Cola Space Science Center, ROTC, Google Glass and others -- were all well-attended, and Steve Morse and the CSU Logistics team outdid themselves again. Great meetings with so many legislators and senators. Our delegation was terrific, and we appreciated the fact that Chancellor Huckaby and Dr. Steve Wrigley stopped by as well. A special shout-out is also due to the 25 students who joined us -- during Spring Break!

Our Student Musicians Continue to Amaze Me

On Thursday, Feb. 13, I watched an amazing concert by the Columbus State University Singers and Choral Union, conducted by visiting professor Frode Gundersen and accompanied by Janie Lee Bullock and Susan Hoskins. What a show! From Greek folk songs to Brahms, the performance filled Legacy Hall with incredible sound and reflected the great partnership between the Schwob School and the community, with a number of friends of CSU performing in the Choral Union.

Last night, 17 students in professor Sergiu Schwartz's Violin Studio mesmerized an audience with their Spotlight on Violin! Studio Gala. The students from eight countries and five U.S. states, both undergraduate and graduate, were absolutely superb, and again Susan Hoskins and a very talented graduate student, Alina Sarkisyan, accompanied these students. Professor Schwartz's graduates go on to attend great music graduate programs and perform professionally around the world. A great night for CSU.

Cougar Leadership Conference Holds Promise for Students

Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Gina Sheeks, our vice president for Student Affairs; Collins Brown, assistant director for Student Life and Development; and student leaders OluwaKemi OluwaDamilola Faderin, Mallery Spinks and Victoria Weaver, the Cougar Leadership Conference, with the theme of "Stir Up the Leader in You," is off and running.

Well over 100 CSU students participated in the inaugural event, comprised of a series of engaging workshops and an after-dinner keynote address by acclaimed speaker Justin Jones-Fosu.

This is a most important initiative at our university focused exclusively on developing student leadership talent. In March, participants will have the great pleasure of attending a speech by Dan Amos, chairman and CEO of Aflac. All told, this represents a terrific series of programs for our students.

Regent Kessel Stelling Tells Business Students, Faculty about Progress at Synovus

Our Turner College of Business hosted a terrific lecture this week by Kessel Stelling, chairman and CEO of Synovus, as well as a member of our state Board of Regents.

Regent Stelling gave a fantastic overview of the enormous progress made by Synovus over the past few years. He discussed the TARP repayment, the "ringing of the bell" at the New York Stock Exchange by the Synovus team and the culture that has been so unique and impressive at Synovus.

Former Synovus executive and CSU Foundation trustee Jimmy Yancey was in attendance, as was Gardiner Garrad, CSU Foundation trustee and former Synovus board member. The students and faculty heard great lessons from a great leader. Kudos to Dean Hadley and team.

Governor Offers Vivid Tribute to CSU's Command College

Gov. Nathan Deal has been front and center among state officials warning the public about winter storm threats this week. Yesterday, during a nationally televised news conference, an alumnus with a sharp eye noticed the governor, right, was wearing a bright red jacket bearing the official seal of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College.

Columbus State has been home to the Command College since 1995, when the university formalized a partnership with the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. Since then, more than 1,200 law enforcement managers from throughout Georgia and beyond have gone through extensive coursework here to obtain a master's degree specifically tailored to help them do their jobs better.

Command College Director Archie Rainey, a longtime CSU professor of criminal justice, presented the distinctive jacket to the governor in 2011, shortly after he took office. As you can see on the Command College's homepage, Dr. Rainey (standing just to the right of the governor in that photo) was among 15 state law enforcement leaders meeting with the governor at the Capitol that day.

We're proud of the level of professionalism among Georgia law enforcement that our Command College has been able to help foster over the years. The governor's red Command College jacket offers a vivid reminder of the work they do during times of crisis and beyond.

Faculty Artists Offer Gold Medal Performance

Sunday: I joined a packed audience at Legacy Hall to witness a spellbinding concert by professors Alexander Kobrin (piano), Sergiu Schwartz (violin) and Wendy Warner (cello). These three faculty, each holding an endowed distinguished chair in our Schwob School of Music, performed Schubert and Mendelssohn pieces that enthralled an incredibly enthusiastic audience for two hours.

These faculty attract from around the world best-of-class students who enhance our university population and add incredible diversity to our student body. Endowments create a much-needed competitive advantage for public universities, providing a competitive edge in recruiting outstanding faculty.

Of course, our Saunders Center for Music Studies, thanks to the generosity of the Schiffman family, is  an "All-Steinway" facility, and this too is so very important. In the midst of all the Olympic excitement in Sochi, it was incredibly gratifying to see a gold medal performance from our faculty in Uptown Columbus at the RiverCenter's Legacy Hall.

CSU Theatre Offers Powerful Drama in Stop Kiss

Congratulations are in order for these Columbus State University theatre students:

• Quanesha Wilson
• Brooke Pulaski
• Danny Blanda
• Matthew Scott
• Alden Burroughs
• Kayla Reid
• Rachel Wolovick

They all offer compelling performances in CSU Theatre's latest production, Stop Kiss. This powerful drama is directed by professor Becky Becker; professor Sam Renner handles scene and technical design; lighting is the work of professor Scott Parker; sound is by professor Krystal Kennel; and costumes are by professor Steven Graver.

All contributions were exceptional. As I looked at how students in various classes contributed to this production, it reinforced how very fortunate we are to have such a compelling and engaged theatre program at our university.

World-Class Piano Concert Reflects Gift's Impact

Often, the term "world class" is embraced by universities intent on using compelling terminology to describe key initiatives or programs that hopefully will be considered competitive and successful.

Our Schwob School of Music's Pianomania concert last week set a new definition for "best of class" and is reflective of the power of faculty recruiting and its impact on student performance. It is a pleasure to share with you a letter written by Ike Van Meter, director of institutional sales for Steinway, following his attendance at Pianomania:

Please accept my most sincere thanks for inviting me to attend the 2014 "Pianomania" fundraising concert at CSU this past Sunday. You may recall that I have attended this event every year since its inception and I am writing today to say that it is now very obvious that each year at this event the bar of excellence has been not only placed but literally shoved higher and higher. After last year's performance (which was excellent by the way) I didn't think a performance of mostly college students could get much better. I was dead wrong. Sunday's Pianomania performance exhibited a level of artistry, musicianship and technical prowess...no, wizardry that was far beyond impressive. Alex Kobrin and his current piano studio at CSU are nothing short of amazing. I've never heard a student performance that comes close to touching what I witnessed that afternoon. 

I was so impressed with the experience that first thing yesterday morning I wrote to Sally Coveleskie, national director of institutional sales at Steinway & Sons in New York, to tell her of what a fabulous concert that you had presented. In no uncertain terms I mentioned to her, because of the huge and easily demonstrable difference that the All-Steinway program has made at CSU, that if any school deserves to be the "poster child" for the All-Steinway School program, it is CSU and its Schwob School of Music. I believe that the story of how Maxine Schiffman's gift, enabling CSU to become All-Steinway, has allowed your institution to attract and retain superbly talented, highly qualified faculty and students (not to mention the story of the progress that you have made since then) needs to be shouted from the roof tops of every Steinway dealer in America. What I heard and saw on Sunday was a fabulous testament to what "can be" when the right people, with the right equipment come together to make a difference in our world. This is a tale that should to be told... and told often.  

Also... it did not escape my attention that Alex's student, Tatiana Muzanova, was the first prize winner in the Artist Division at the 2013 Liszt-Garrison Piano competition in Baltimore this past October. I imagine this is the start of a trend which, if Sunday's performance is any indication, will certainly continue and increase in frequency all the while bringing greater welcome attention and recruiting power to the Schwob School and CSU.

Congratulations on a creating and nurturing such a fabulous program and its absolutely stunning results.

Sincerely;
Ike
Ike M. Van Meter
Director, Institutional Sales
Steinway Piano Galleries