COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY

'Columbus State University' is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Columbus, Georgia. The university was established and is administered by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and is fully accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Contents

History

Academics

Facts and trivia

Notable Alumni

See also

External links

History

The university was first called Columbus College when it opened as a junior college in a downtown hosiery mill in 1958. The college was staffed by fifteen professors and catered to almost three hundred students.
In 1963 Columbus College relocated to the midtown area, building a campus defined by modern architecture on what was previously a dairy farm. The school was granted four-year status in 1965 with offerings of bachelor's and master's degrees. The first four-year class graduated in 1970.
In 1996 the school was renamed Columbus State University as part of a program to rename four-year institutions within the state's university system. The school now offers undergraduate and graduate programs in more than ninety academic disciplines. As of the 2007 academic year, the university enrolled more than 7,500 students. In early 2007, the art and theatre departments moved to the university's newly built RiverPark Campus in downtown Columbus. The complex was designed to provide students of the fine arts with a tightly-knit living community and larger studios, laboratories, and galleries. The Schwob School of Music is housed in the adjacent RiverCenter for the Performing Arts.
Frank Brown has been the President of Columbus State University since 1988. Prior to holding this office, he was Vice President for Business Affairs. In August 2007, Brown announced that he would retire at the end of the 2007-2008 academic year.^[1]

Academics

The university has received special recognition for its business school which offers a reputable MBA program, as well as for its servant leadership program. The department of theatre also boasts the only accredited teacher education and certification program in drama in the State of Georgia.
In addition to co-educational intramural and recreational programs, students participate in more than fifty chartered student groups, sororities, fraternities, honor societies, and special-interest clubs. The Columbus State University Cougars compete in NCAA Division II men's and women's athletics, including basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, and cross country. The Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center, a 4500 seat arena, houses the Cougars.
The university recruits from all fifty states as well as every major metropolitan area in the state of Georgia. Because of the school's international education programs, presently offering exchanges to more than thirteen countries, the university has been known to be a popular destination for international students including those from India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Facts and trivia

★ Before becoming the Cougars, university faculty and students were heralded as the Rebels.

★ The baseball team at Columbus State University has made four trips to the College World Series, numerous NCAA Regional Championship appearances, and is frequently in the NCSWA National Top 30 Poll.

★ Greater that half of the musicians of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra were trained at Columbus State University.

★ The official university newspaper is ''The Saber''.

Notable Alumni

★ Bobby G. Peters, former Mayor of Columbus, Georgia (1995-2003) and current Superior Court Judge (2005-Present).

★ Eileen J. O'Connor, Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division, United States Department of Justice.

★ Michael W. Patrick, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Carmike Cinemas.

★ Kathleen Kennedy, former news anchor for CNN Headline News.

See also

★ University System of Georgia

★ List of colleges and universities in the United States

External links

★ Columbus State University Official Website