President's Blog

Enjoying our Incredible Community Connections

Monday, April 30, 2012 at 1:34pm -- It was, once again, a most incredible weekend at Columbus State University.

Friday evening, on the green, at the Saunders Center for Music Studies in front of Columbus State's Schwob School of Music, Dr. Alex Pershounin led our CSU Jazz Orchestra in a wonderful concert under the stars. We brought lawn chairs and joined so many others for a truly remarkable performance. Immediately after, Dr. Matt McCabe led a multi-talented band of students in a terrific contemporary concert that kept everyone engaged.

We were on the lawn as the Ron White show ended at RiverCenter's Bill Heard Theatre, and I could sense so many wished they had joined us for the evening of food and fun outdoors, perfect weather and great talent.

On Saturday, CSU students partnered with the First Freedom  Climb, a fundraiser for the Fountain City Chapter of the national Federation of the Blind of Georgia and, at our world-class Student Recreation Center, helped an incredibly brave group of friends maneuver and climb the 40-foot vertical walls. Our students served as spotters and belayers and again reflected that culture of servant leadership that is such a dynamic part of our university.

Lauren and I had the great opportunity to watch our men and women's tennis teams battle it out at the NCAA Regional Tournament at the Blackmon Tennis Complex on campus. The women compete in the finals this afternoon and the men lost a heartbreaker. The tenacity and focus of these student-athletes is incredible, and we still marvel at how they balance full-time academics with an incredibly rigorous competitive schedule.

This morning at 6:30, I met Lt. Col. Feret and the Cougar ROTC Battalion at our intramural field. I joined them on a 5k run and proudly brought up the rear!  What a commitment these students have in terms of academics, country and more. It was a real treat to join in the cadence calls of the battalion, and I thank Lt. Col. Feret and his team for the great work they are doing.

Oi Sigma Alpha, Pi Alpha Alpha induct new members

Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 2:10pm -- Kudos to the students involved in these two academic honorary societies for political science and public administration for a great induction ceremony. Dean David Lanoue, Dr. Kimberly Gill, Dr. Kyle Christensen and Ms. Amber Dees, along with chair Dr. Tom Dolan, were in force with a number of their faculty colleagues.

Gerald McKenna, finishing up in a couple of weeks shared insights on his 10-year service as a Marine working at embassies around the globe and how this along with his great CSU academic experience is shaping his future. The evening featured Israel's consul general for the Southeast, Opher Aviran, who delivered a terrific message and challenge to those in attendance. This was truly a wonderful celebration of academic success.

Volunteers rally to deliver CSU Day signs

Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 2:04pm -- Today is the 18th annual kickoff for CSU Day at our university. For 18 consecutive years, faculty, staff, students, friends and alumni have fanned out across the region to deliver CSU Day signs to residences and businesses throughout the region. We had a great pancake breakfast this morning, and Kelley Gibson, director of our Annual Fund, and Russ Carreker, this year's campaign chair, rallied our supporters for this important event.

Jimbo Davis, an assistant athletic director, paid special tribute to Sharon Wiley, who has worked tirelessly on this campaign for 18 years and will be retiring in June. There was a great turnout this a.m., including our Cougar ROTC Battalion, Lady Cougars soccer team, deans, provost and more to get the day started right. When you travel the region in the next few weeks and see thousands of CSU Day signs, you realize the impact of the university on this region and our community.

Holiday Weekend Celebrates Inclusion

Friday, April 6, 2012 at 3:48pm -- I want to begin by wishing all who celebrate a happy holiday weekend. The combination of both Easter and Passover over the same weekend reinforces our exceptional commitment to celebrating diversity and inclusion. Our recent Legacy Celebration served to remind our campus of our unwavering commitment to inclusiveness on the Columbus State University campus. Indeed one of our core values reads: "Inclusion – Fostering and promoting a campus that embraces diverse people, ideas, views, and practices." I want to thank our Student Affairs team for choreographing such a wonderful and spirited event.

It's been another great week for faculty and student music on our campus. The LegacyLive concert by professors Sergiu Schwartz and Alexander Kobrin was moving and powerful. The packed house was so very impressed by the performance of these faculty, performing works from Mozart to Mendelssohn. Three days later, professor Kobrin performed with professors Wendy Warner and Lisa Oberlander, offering another exceptional evening, including works by Schumann and Brahms. Last night, Legacy Hall rocked with the sounds of the CSU Jazz Band led by professor Alex Pershounin. The 17-piece band has grown in such popularity that the concert was moved from the Studio Theater to Legacy Hall. The audience cheered, and the students responded. It was a great evening for all.

Finally, yesterday, I had the great pleasure of introducing Georgia's gifted Attorney General Sam Olens at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. The AG was here to promote his food bank campaign across Georgia involving attorneys and law firms. This great effort will provide a much-needed boost to Feeding the Valley, and it was a great honor to participate in this visit.

Busy Campus Keeps Us on the Run

Tueday, March 20, 2012 at 3:01pm -- For the 20th consecutive year, our College of Education and Health Professions (COEHP) brought the National Teacher of the Year to Columbus. This year, Michelle Shearer, an AP Chemistry teacher at Urbana High School in Frederick County, Maryland, spoke to COEHP students and faculty, to the Columbus Rotary and to honorees in the 2012 Muscogee County Teacher of the Year program. Ms. Shearer embraces technology and teaching strategies and pushes students to push themselves into the STEM disciplines. Her talks were inspiring, and the STEM focus was incredibly appropriate, given our participation in the UTeach program. What a treat to have her on campus.

This past weekend, professor Alex Kobrin, who directs our piano studio in the Schwob School of Music, performed at Legacy Hall in a special concert with some of his students. The concert, performed on four Steinway concert pianos, was truly exceptional. No less exceptional was the performance of our Women's Tennis Team, a gifted group of international student-athletes who remain undefeated, and the great first place showing of our Women's Golf Team in a tournament in Carrollton.

By the way, I did manage to finish in the middle of the pack in Cody's Run on Saturday, a 5K coordinated by our Sustainability Committee.

CSU ensemble wows National Band Directors Association audience

Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 1:43am -- I know this is homecoming weekend, and Lauren and I look forward to continuing to participate in an exciting array of activities (including getting a whipped cream pie in the face for charity).

But today I had the remarkable pleasure of driving to Atlanta to attend a meeting of the National Band Directors Association, where our Schwob School of Music Wind Ensemble was invited to play before attendees. Under the direction of  Dr. Jamie Nix, the students (over 60, in all) were truly remarkable. The students, taught by 15 wind and percussion faculty, were poised for a great evening. Additionally, Dr. Amy Griffiths performed flawlessly in conjunction with the ensemble in the Concerto for Saxophone by Ingolf Dahl. I was so very proud of this magnificent performance.

Perhaps the greatest tribute to Dr. Nix and the ensemble was the thundering standing ovation delivered by a very grateful audience.  To which I say, bravo!

Terrific students make for terrific programs, events

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 9:15pm -- Special thanks go out to so many Columbus State University students who committed so much time, energy and effort to fighting cancer with a series of special events at our men's and women's basketball games this week. The players were adorned in pink, and the efforts of these students and funds raised  will contribute wonderfully to cancer research. For our family, where my wife Lauren is a 20-plus year survivor, this is most important work. Thank you.

Both our men's and women's basketball teams will play in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament, which will be held in our own Lumpkin Center arena. We are thrilled.

Last Sunday, Lauren and I, had the opportunity on our anniversary to hear our violin studio gala featuring the students from the studio of professor Sergiu Schwartz, the William B. and Sue Marie Tuner Distinguished Faculty Chair in Music. There are 18 students in the studio from the U.S. and seven other countries. What a concert!  Immediately after, we went to Columbus' famed Liberty Theater to hear the Pershounin Project, the jazz quartet led by Schwob School of Music faculty Alex Pershounin and Paul Vaillancourt. It was a truly great evening.

Today, our Student Government Association learned their voices were heard as our 2012-2013 senior meal plan for residential students was modified to meet the needs and desires of students. A great shout out goes to SGA President Antonio Orsborn for his wonderful work.

From the Capitol to our campuses, what a week!

Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 8:34pm -- Columbus State University will never be accused of demonstrating anything but an abundance of energy.  The past week was one more exceptional example.

On Tuesday, a team of CSU students, faculty and staff descended on the state Capitol in Atlanta and hosted our first-ever CSU Day. With great support from our legislative delegation and wonderful friends of CSU like Pete Robinson, the day was a huge success. We left the campus at 5:30 a.m. and showcased an incredible array of programs, from our UTeach initiative and various graduate programs, to the Coca-Cola Space Science Center to Oxbow Meadows. Our exhibit areas were packed with visitors and our students were incredibly engaged all day. Special thanks go to John Lester in University Relations and Steve Morse and team in Logistics for all of their pre-visit work and set-up.

We had an exceptional program at Legacy Hall featuring our Woodruff Scholars in the Schwob School of Music and honoring our donors. This followed a great musicale delivered by select Woodruff Scholars  hosted by Dr. Catalina Aranas and Mr. and Mrs. Akitoshi Kan.

Following an amazing weekend of watching men's and women's tennis, basketball and our Cougar baseball team, Lauren and I had the great fortune of seeing Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom presented at our CSU Riverside Theatre, as well as seeing senior violinist, Zubaida Azezi's recital. Also, I stopped by our Ilges Gallery for our new art exhibition, Soft Science, and managed to visit the Coca-Cola Space Science Center's Mission to Mars.

What a great, engaged campus, offering best-of-class academics and community programs and interaction. That's what wonderful universities are all about.

Faculty help produce crowd-pleasing HMS Pinafore

Tueday, January 17, 2012 at 7:07pm -- My sincere congratulations go to Schwob School of Music professor Joseph Golden, artistic director, and Dr. Lawrence Dooley, stage director, of HMS Pinafore.

The performances played before sold-out audiences in RiverCenter over the weekend, and everyone in attendance truly enjoyed themselves. The 22-member chorus was wonderfully prepared by professor Constantina Tsolainou, and the cast was fantastic.

The show, a great reflection of the College of the Arts partnership between music and theatre, portends great things for our opera program in the future.

Wishing all a happy and healthy 2012!

Tueday, January 3, 2012 at 2:41pm -- Lauren and I so enjoyed the time spent with so many international students and athletes at our home over the holiday period. Many often forget that a number of students are simply unable to travel over the break. This is the fourth consecutive year we have opened our home for these students and a number of faculty to help usher in the holiday season. How very special when a terrific student athlete and a world-class faculty member, both from Croatia have the opportunity to visit for the very first time!  This is truly one of the great distinctions of global institutions

Great weekend closes semester

Monday, December 12, 2011 at 4:20pm -- We are in the midst of final exams, clearly a demanding time for all but one that also validates the hard work done by students over the past 15 weeks.

On Friday, we had our annual holiday celebration in two shifts! Thanks to great work by Laurie Jones, director of Human Resources, we had a huge afternoon event for faculty and staff at our Cunningham Center and than later a smaller but no-less-wonderful event for our many staff who work the evening shifts at the university. This is important recognition for very important people who many rarely see because of their work hours.

On Saturday, our men's basketball team posted a victory over the University of West Alabama, and two of our soccer players were named All-Americans, marking the first time ever that two student-athletes in soccer were honored the same year.

Later on Saturday, our Student Recreation Center hosted the annual holiday gathering for one of the Valley's great non-profits, Big Brothers,Big Sisters. We had the "bigs" and the "littles" on campus, and it was a great affair.

That evening, Lauren and I took the entire student delegation from the Beijing Institutue of Petroleum and Technology for dinner. They had a great semester and will be exceptional ambassadors for CSU in China.

We are looking forward to commencement on Friday the 16h and hosting Regents chair Ben Tarbutton and honoring our friend Mrs. Richard Hallock with an honorary degree.

From music to athletics to lectures, ours is a busy, busy campus

Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 2:49pm -- Last night, Lauren and I had the great pleasure of enjoying a student chamber recital in Legacy Hall involving some 30-plus Schwob School of Music students performing nine different pieces.

From Beethoven to Brahms, Schubert to Dvorak, it was a great end-of-semester concert. My thanks go to professors Oberlander, Schwartz, Tomkiewicz, Pershounin, Kobrin and Jakovcic for coaching the various groups of students. Tonight is a wind orchestra concert. Last night, the men's basketball team beat the U of West Alabama for the first time and are 3-1.

Tomorrow, I will be visiting high schools in metro Atlanta with our enrollment management team, home basketball games resume, and we'll host an important presentation by Dr. Jane Nsubuga, a physician, originally from Uganda, who will present the "Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS: the Successes/Challenges of Current Treatment" and a global perspective on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, including a Ugandan case example.

These days offer quite a reflection on the diverse array of quality programming at our university.

Week's events offer plenty of reasons to give thanks

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 7:01pm -- What a great week at Columbus State University. First, allow me to wish all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday. Special thanks to all of our troops serving around the globe during this holiday season. We can thank you and all veterans for the freedoms we enjoy.

Over the past week, I enjoyed an extraordinary concert in Legacy Hall presented by our Schwob School of Music Jazz Ensemble under the exceptional guidance of Dr. Alex Pershounin. The concert was truly spectacular, and the talent among our students is best-of-class. I then had the unique opportunity to attend an incredibly innovative performance comprised of music and art students at our Corn Center for the Visual Arts.

The audience was fully engaged and the program assembled by professor Kristen Hansen was most impressive. Three Sisters, the famed Anton Chekhov play, was performed by the students in our Theater Program in the Studio Theater. They were terrific, and the audience was again treated to great acting, costumes, set design and performance.

I attended a magnificent original short story reading by  David Samuel Levinson, the 2012 Marguerite and Lamar Smith Writing Fellow, who has spent the fall semester living in the McCullers House on Stark Avenue. Levinson is a writer driven by passion and sentiment and experience. The reading was outstanding and one, I am certain, we will see in print.

Our campus Visitation Day was busy!  Thanks as always to our Enrollment Management Team, CSU Cheer Team, all faculty who attended and the staff who work tirelessly to make the event run flawlessly. Saturday and Sunday , come help us cheer the CSU Lady Cougars basketball  team at Lumpkin arena.

Inaugural, bike ride and Gusto!

Monday, November 14, 2011 at 1:39pm -- What an honor and a privilege it was for me to attend the 12th investiture ceremony for a University System of Georgia chancellor. Chancellor Hank Huckaby was formally installed in the State Capitol, and the ceremony, conducted by the governor and the speaker of the House, was truly exceptional. What an honor for Columbus State University that our Student Government Administration president, Antonio Orsborn, was in attendance. Also, of all the faculty in the USG, our own Curry Eminent Scholar Chair, Earl Coleman, was selected to represent the faculty in speaking at the investiture. His remarks were outstanding and a great day was had by all.

On Friday, my wife Lauren joined me as we biked from the RiverPark campus along the Fall Line Trace with students, faculty and staff to the recreation center on main campus. Thanks to a crack CSU Police escort, the ride was smooth and without incident, and all of those in attendance celebrated for the second year in a row this fantastic trail that gives a new meaning to personal transportation in Columbus. My thanks to the Student Affairs staff who ensured a fantastic evening.

Saturday night, our own Columbus State University Schwob School of Music hosted Gusto! an elegant evening of fare and flair at the RiverMill Event Centre. Co-Chairs Gail Greenblatt and Jackie Titus led a committee that produced a magical evening and the performances of our students were breathtaking. My thanks to all involved in every detail, from table decor to logistics. This set a new standard for CSU special events!

College of the Arts dean responds to student death

Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 8:35pm --

As you may have read through an email and posting on the university's Facebook page, our campus is mourning the loss of theatre student Shea Barnett. Interim Dean of the College of Arts Richard Baxter offered his own words to members of that college today. They are touching, timely and thoughtful. With his permission, I'm posting his note here:

Dear College of the Arts Majors:

It is with great sadness that I share with you the tragic loss of Shea Barnett's family and our college family in Shea's death yesterday. On behalf of you, the faculty, and the staff of the College of the Arts, I want to express our condolences to the Barnett family.

The CSU Counseling Center has outstanding staff members who can assist you in coping with your grief for a lost peer or any anxieties you may be feeling as the semester continues and pressure in your classes mount. I would also remind you that your faculty members are dedicated professionals who care about your well-being and are committed to helping you with the challenges you may face.

I chose to come to CSU seven years ago because I was impressed by the genuine care faculty had for the students. My time here has only reinforced that perception as I have witnessed your faculty celebrate your success, through their laudatory remarks after your performances, and their expressions of empathy at your less successful efforts. They all have rich experiences in life and are a valuable resource available to you.

I personally can relate to your feelings at this challenging moment having tragically lost a fraternity brother when I was a senior in college. The death of a peer rattles our sense of security, it challenges our feelings of invincibility, and it heightens our anxieties about the ambiguity that is life.

Hopelessness is a state of mind; it is not a physical action. Like love and anger it can manifest itself in action, but in and of itself it is not an action. You must make a conscious effort to turn feelings into action. Sharing your feelings with family, friends, faculty or counselors can give you a broader perspective of what your feelings mean and how best to act upon them.

Do not lose sight of the fact that this is about Shea and the loss of her family and not solely about us the survivors. At the same time, commit yourself to create support networks among your peers, encourage each other, and remember your life is precious to all of us.

My door in the Dean's Office in One Arsenal is always open to your needs. My email is baxter_richard@ColumbusState.edu if you are ever alone and need to talk. I receive my emails on my phone, and I would rather be awakened by a call for help than the notice of another student tragedy.

May God watch over you,

Richard Baxter

Interim Dean, College of the Arts

CSU Again Rated Military Friendly University

Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:07pm -- Thanks are due Mark Ridley, our military affairs representative, and his team for orchestrating this very important designation for the second year in a row. Our relationship with Fort Benning is so very important, and this national recognition emphasizes our ability to turn intent into action. Tonight, also for the second year in a row, our Cougar club football team goes head to head with the Fort Benning team at Doughboy Stadium. It should be another great event!

Several events, people contributed to Alumni Weekend success

Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 12:05pm -- Thanks to to so many for a spectacular alumni weekend, our first truly comprehensive weekend devoted to alumni reunions, celebrations and visits. Jennifer Joyner and the rest of the alumni team led the celebrations while Lyn Riggsby-Gonzalez and a wonderful group from Student Affairs directed a great "Day of Service" for the community. From a reception at The Loft to a celebratory luncheon outside the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, campus tours, a great student jazz concert at RiverCenter directed by Dr. Alex Pershounin and a magnificent dance and dinner at the CSU Theatre and Woodruff Park. It was great to meet old and new friends and a wonderful reflection on our university.

Professor Andrew Zohn

Tueday, September 27, 2011 at 1:56pm -- Professor Zohn enthralled a grateful audience at Legacy Hall last night with an incredible guitar program. For more than a decade, he has directed our guitar program and organized the annual Guitar Symposium. His own composition, Con Pulso, dedicated to Carlos Perez, our 2011 Amos Eminent Scholar, was truly exceptional.

What a weekend

Monday, September 26, 2011 at 6:54pm -- Kudos to our great Orientation and Student Affairs team for a wonderful Parents Weekend, as well as an early fall Open House. Great energy, programming and attendance. My thanks to all involved. The caricatures on Woodruff Park were a great hit, as was the spectacular weather.

Sunday afternoon, baritone student Byron Mayes rocked the Studio Theatre at RiverCenter with a wonderful concert. The program was great from Gagliano to Brahms to Hogan, and the audience was mesmerized by his passion and talent.

On Sunday night, our LegacyLive concert series brought P\professors (in alphabetical order!) Jason Eklund, Zoran Jakovcic, Lisa Oberlander, Alex Pershounin, Sergiu Schwartz, Wendy Warner and Ron Wirt together for an all-Beethoven concert. Legacy Hall was packed, and the concert was incredibly powerful. How fortunate we are to have this array of world-class talent on the faculty of the Schwob School of Music.

CSU Wind Orchestra

Friday, September 23, 2011 at 8:51pm -- What a night! Under the direction of conductor Dr. Jamie Nix, guest conductor\ Dr. Sean Powell and graduate conductor Josh Kearney, our Wind Orchestra mesmerized a great crowd at Legacy Hall. All the compositions played were written by composers who studied at either Eastman or Juilliard. The progression of one-half century of composition revealed some fascinating insights into the evolution of sound and musical style. Kudos to the Schwob Students who truly distinguished themselves last night.