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.