| Tell us about your city (founding year, notable events/history, festivals, notable residents, etc.) |
Hugging the eastern banks of the Chattahoochee River, Columbus, founded in 1828, is home to nearly 200,000 residents. It blends urban life with walkable neighborhoods, expansive public parks, and countless cultural attractions, including the Springer Opera House, Georgia's State Theatre, and the longest urban whitewater rafting course in the world. Columbus was the host city for the sport of softball during the 1996 Olympics and is home to multinational companies such as Aflac, Synovus, TSYS, A Global Payments Company and Pratt & Whitney. Fort Benning, one of the largest military bases in the US and home to the is home to the Maneuver Center of Excellence, Army Infantry School, and Army Armor School, borders Columbus. Notable Columbus natives include MLB Hall of Fame member Frank Thomas, 2007 NBA Coach of the Year Sam Mitchell, former US Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, investor of Coca-Cola John Pemberton, Mother of Blues Ma Rainey, author Carson McCullers, noted banker and businessman George Foster Peabody, filmmaker Nunnally Johnson, and artist Bo Bartlett. |
| What are your school's unique traditions? |
Winterfest - an annual winter wonderland held on campus for all faculty, staff, students and community members celebrating the holiday season!
Day of Service - annual campus-wide community service focusing on projects in the Columbus area.
Legacy/Diversity Forum - an annual celebration of CSU's diverse and accomplished community |
| Tell us about your school's founding and history. |
Founded in 1958, Columbus College, at the time, was a junior college before graduating it's first four-year class in 1970. After continuous growth and community support, the college received its new name, Columbus State University, in 1996. CSU now offers more than 70 programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels on two campuses after expanding to create the RiverPark Campus located in the heart of Uptown Columbus. |
| What is your school's mascot? What was it originally (if different). What is the history of the mascots you have had? |
Columbus College's original mascot was the Rebel. After the college's president at the time, Dr. Thomas Whitley outlawed the name, a student vote was held. The nickname "Cougars" won in a tight vote in 1970 paving the way for the induction of Cody the Cougar. |
| What awards or recognition has your school received? |
Columbus State has been recognized for the following degree programs by Intelligent.com, which collects and analyzing information from hundreds of schools ranking them based on student engagement, the potential return on investment and leading third-party evaluations.
2nd - Master's in Computer Science
3rd - Master's in Special Education
3rd - Communications
10th - Master's in Education
23rd - Master's in Higher Education
34th - RN to BSN Degree
37th - MBA Degree
US News and World Report Rankings
31st - top public regional universities in the South
73rd - Best Regional Universities |
| What notable alumni has the school had? |
Joni Ernst (master's degree) - US Senator for Iowa
Mark Immelman - CSU Director of Golf/Golf Analysis for CBS Sports and PGATour.com
Jim "Bones" Mackay - golf commentator/former caddie for Phil Mickelson
Tom Mackay - President, Sony Music Film and TV |
| What is the mission of your institution? |
The CSU Department of Athletics will empower its student-athletes and athletic staff to contribute to the advancement of our local and global communities through an emphasis on excellence in academic achievement, athletic competition, servant leadership, diversity and inclusion and the overall development and well-being of the student-athlete.
The six institutional core values are as follow:
Excellence: Committed to the best practices through teaching student-athletes, achieving athletic excellence in competition and abiding by all Institutional, Peach Belt Conference and NCAA rules and regulations.
Engagement: Active engagement of student-athletes and athletic staff with the campus community (students, faculty and staff), the Columbus community and surrounding areas and supporters of CSU Department of Athletics to enhance the gameday experience.
Creativity: The creation of the ultimate game experience by engaging dialogue and partnerships to create a representative vision of CSU Department of Athletics stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, Columbus and surrounding communities and supporters).
Servant Leadership: Committed to servant leadership within the community of our CSU stakeholders.
Inclusion: Fostering and promoting a gameday and working environment that embraces diverse people, ideas, views, and practices.
Sustainability: Commitment to departmental and team practices that will ensure consistency, efficiency, and success in all facets of the Athletics Department operations. |
| What kind of community engagement activities has your school and athletic department conducted? |
Make-A-Wish
Toys for Tots - annual toy drive during the holiday season
Cougars for Causes - called to check-in on students during the COVID-19 pandemic to offer support. Also, helps with The Food Pantry, CSU's food bank. |
| Any other fun facts about your school or athletic department you want to share? |
Girls in the Game Initiative - Launched in 2015, the Girls In The Game mission is to advance and support Columbus State University’s female student-athletes allowing them to reach their full potential academically and athletically while empowering them to become leaders in life. The Girls In The Game Luncheon brings together those who are passionate about supporting sports programs for female student-athletes. Past speakers include tennis legend Tracy Austin, FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Brandi Chastain, and World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sörenstam.
Sea of Red Game - For one night during each sport's respected season, the entire Columbus State University athletic department comes together to cheer on the Cougars dawning red shirts creating a "sea of red". |
| What are your social media accounts? |
Twitter: @CSUCougars
Instagram: @CSUCougars
Facebook: @CSUCougars |