Columbia Southern University

Columbia Southern University is a private, for-profit, online university with its headquarters in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Columbia Southern University
MottoFlexible. Affordable. Online.
TypePrivate for-profit online
Established1993
PresidentKen Styron
ProvostBarry Goldstein, Ph.D. (Interim)
Students21,442[1]
Undergraduates15,530
Postgraduates5,912
Location
Orange Beach
,
Alabama
,
United States
ColorsNavy Blue and Gold
        
NicknameKnights[2]
Websitewww.columbiasouthern.edu

History

Columbia Southern University was founded in 1993 by Robert G. Mayes, Sr.[3][4] The university developed its first degree programs in Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health in 1994. By 1996 additional degree programs were developed and offered: The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, followed by Computer Science, Criminal Justice Administration, and Health Administration.[3]

Mayes headed the institution until his death in 2005, when his son, Robert Mayes, Jr., assumed the presidency.[4] Effective May 1, 2018, Ken Styron assumed Presidency of Columbia Southern University.[5]

Accreditation

Columbia Southern has been accredited by the Distance Education Accreditation Commission (DEAC), formerly the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), since 2001.[6][3]

Faculty and agreements with other institutions

Currently, Columbia Southern has more than 1,000 full-time faculty and staff. It enrolls and graduates thousands of students annually on both national and international level. Columbia Southern also offers online degrees through partnerships with Waldorf University.[7] The university is one of approximately 140 schools approved to offer up-front tuition assistance through the U.S. Army's centralized tuition assistance portal, GoArmyEd.[8]

Academics

Columbia Southern University consists of three colleges, offering a total of 26 degrees at the associate, bachelor's and master's levels, as well as 21 certificate programs online. CSU also offers a Doctor of Business Administration.

References
  1. National Center for Education Statistics
  2. "University adopts mascot". Columbia Southern University. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  3. Barron's Guide to Distance Learning: Degrees, Certificates, Courses by Pat Criscito (2002), ISBN 0-7641-1791-2, page 179
  4. History of CSU Archived 2008-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, Columbia Southern University website (accessed February 24, 2008)
  5. March 1, 2018, Special Announcement Email to Students
  6. Distance Education and Training Council Directory of Accredited Institutions 2007-2008, June 18, 2007 Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, page 11
  7. Online Degree Program Archived 2014-02-27 at the Wayback Machine, www.OnlineDegreeProg.com, Retrieved 23 Feb 2014
  8. List of GoArmyEd partner Colleges, GoArmyEd website (accessed March 28, 2009)
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