President's Report 2022-2023

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

“

I AM WELL AWARE THAT NONE OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE EXTRAORDINARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY, AND STAFF WHO SERVE THE LORD AND OUR STUDENTS. I THANK GOD FOR THE BLESSING OF LOCKING ARMS WITH THE LIKES OF THESE WINNERS. -Dondi E. Costin, PhD President

Dear Friends, The university began the academic year on Aug. 22, 2022, with 957 new undergraduate students, and we expect to eclipse those numbers this fall. Last fall’s enrollment success led to a CSU record of 1,364 students in our residence halls, which required us to fill the Wingate by Wyndham hotel on campus. The university also welcomed 570 graduate students this year, while our online undergraduate enrollment team doubled their incoming student goals with 235 new students. Notably, our enrollment team has increased new student enrollment by 19% relative to 2018-2019. Our students ended the year enjoying the state-of-the-art, multisport intramural field complex we dedicated in March. It is also noteworthy that these students achieved the highest 4-year and 6-year graduation rates on record, which speaks volumes regarding our continuing efforts to increase retention and graduation rates..

Charleston Southern celebrated 711 students graduating with bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees on May 6. Dr. Jacqueline Fish, vice president for academic affairs, was the 2023 commencement speaker and received the honorific titles of professor emeritus of criminal justice and provost emeritus. Rev. Clark Carter, retired vice president for student life and dean of students, received the title of vice president emeritus, and Dr. Mela Wyeth, professor of business, received the title of professor emeritus of business.

Chaplain, Major General (Ret.) Charles C. Baldwin was awarded an honorary Doctor of Christian Leadership in honor of his decades of distinguished service in the United States Air Force, which culminated as Air Force Chief of Chaplains. Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth was recognized with a Distinguished Service Award for serving as the Executive Director-Treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, and Mr. Kyle B. Kallander received a Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his 27 years as commissioner of the Big South Conference.

We are rejoicing with our Campus Ministries team that more than 40 college students gave their lives to the Lord this academic year in formal programs on campus, 102 students surrendered to full-time ministry, and 170 rededicated their lives to the Lord. For the fourth consecutive year, CSU set the national collegiate record for Operation Christmas Child by packing 13,019 shoeboxes to spread the gospel around the world.

Closer to home, the North American Mission Board recognized the state of South Carolina for sending the largest number of collegiate summer missionaries through its GenSend initiative, and CSU sent more collegians on mission (21 of 51 from South Carolina) than any other university in the state. We thank God for inspiring our students to set the missions standard for others.

For the second consecutive year, our Athletics program finished 3rd (of 10) in the prestigious Sasser Cup competition, which ranks Athletics programs within the Big South Conference based on success in both men’s and women’s athletics programs. Our men finished second in the men’s standings, while our women finished third in the women’s standings. These results represent the best finish for both programs since the 2003-2004 academic year, when the conference began recognizing gender-based placement. In the dynasty conversation, our men’s cross country team and women’s tennis team won their respective conference championships for the third year in a row. On the academic front, our student-athletes posted a cumulative 3.23 GPA, the third consecutive year above 3.0 and the highest cumulative athletic GPA on record in university history.

I am thrilled to report that we eclipsed $5 million in total contributions again this year due to the generosity of supporters like you. This year’s $5.22 million total and last year’s $5.7 million represent the only two years in university history we raised more than $5 million in a single year. The nearly $5 million raised for unrestricted scholarships during the last five years is more than any other five-year period in CSU history. Plus, the last four years have marked the only period in CSU history in which we received new million-dollar-plus commitments for four consecutive years.

In fact, the $18,742,070 raised the last five years represent 29% of total giving since Charleston Southern attained university status in 1990. From a different perspective, the university raised $1.8 million from its founding to 1983 (average of $72,600 per year), $50.69 million from 1984 to 2018 (average of $1.49 million per year), and $18.74 million from 2018-2023 (average of $3.75 million per year). I thank God for His blessing and our Development team for their tireless efforts to make possible the kind of education Charleston Southern provides.

This year’s Giving Day totaled $649,610 in contributions, second only to last year’s success as the largest Giving Day total in CSU history. We continue our diligent efforts in support of the Limitless Campaign and are encouraged to report that the university has received nearly $16 million in donations and pledges committed to our original $35 million goal. Thank you for your generous support and continued prayers, as we strategically engage future donors to help advance the university in pursuit of its mission and our students. We were especially blessed by a nearly $1.5 million gift from the estate of the late Barbara “Binky” Mead. This blessed gift from heaven is the largest single gift to endow scholarships in the history of the university.

As I complete my final year as CSU president, the bottom line is worth noting. Having inherited an endowment of $19,630,648 in 2018, our endowment is now $26,561,403, an increase of $6,930,755. In the summer of 2018, the university had $43,507,291 of cash in all accounts, whereas we now have $60,935,376, representing an increase of $17,428,085. In the summer of 2018, the university had $64,709,302 in debt, an amount that has been reduced by $10,413,017 to $54,296,375 in the last five years. All told, in addition to the many academic, athletic, student life, enrollment, fundraising, facility, and other successes the Lord has brought our way during the last five years, we have seen an increase of $24.4 million in our comprehensive cash position and a reduction of $10.4 million in debt. By my calculations that’s a $34.8 million swing to the good relative to 2018.

The university continues its push to improve our Christ-honoring culture by intentionally focusing on our four E.P.I.C. core values: Extra-Mile Service, Passion for Student Success, Innovation Across the Institution, and Christian Community. Our ongoing partnership with His Way At Work has facilitated this drive to becoming a best place to work, even as we tackle the decades-long challenge to improve faculty/staff pay.

Our Institutional Priorities Project (IPP) and Move The Needle (MTN) project with Credo are off to great starts and should pay huge dividends with respect to our Wildly Important Goals of Enrollment, Retention, and Graduation Rates.

Charleston Southern University was recognized in September of 2022 as the sole winner of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year. It is again worth noting that our most recent overall U.S. News & World Report ranking of universities in the South (#49) represents an increase in overall standing of 13 positions since 2018.

As I reflect on the past year of adjusting to life on this side of the pandemic while positioning the university for its next season of miracles, I am well aware that none of these accomplishments would have been possible without the extraordinary Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, and staff who serve the Lord and our students. I thank God for the blessing of locking arms with the likes of these winners.

Vickey and I thank you for the opportunity to serve Charleston Southern University the past five years. It has been the honor of a lifetime learning, leading, and serving. And we have been amazed by your passion for the impact God’s university has – for time and eternity – as we prepare servant leaders to pursue significant lives.

We covet your prayers as we transition to our next assignment. We will be cheering you on from the sidelines and cannot wait to see what the Lord does for the good of others and the glory of God. Go BUCS! Dondi Dondi E. Costin, PhD President

Our Year by the Numbers 2023 GRADUATION –

711 GRADUATES

4x

#3

NATIONAL RECORD HOLDER

in the Big South Conference Sasser Cup

FOR MOST OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD BOXES PACKED BY A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY

$5.2

MILLION RAISED

O NE O F O NLY TWO YEARS IN U N I VE RS I TY H I STO RY WE RAI S E D MOR E T H AN $5 M I LLI O N I N A S I NGLE YEA R

40

STUDENTS

GAVE THEIR LIVES TO THE LORD THIS ACADEMIC YEAR IN FORMAL PROGRAMS ON CAMPUS

2

BIG SOUTH

CHAMPIONSHIPS

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

COMMENCEMENT On May 6, 2023, CSU celebrated 711 graduates with bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Dr. Jacqueline Fish, vice president for academic affairs, was the 2023 commencement speaker and received the title of professor emeritus of criminal justice and provost emeritus. Rev. Clark Carter, former vice president for student life and dean of students, received the title of vice president emeritus, and Dr. Mela Wyeth, professor of business, received the title professor emeritus of business.

CELEBRATED

711

GRADUATES

COLLEGE OF CHRISTIAN STUDIES The College of Christian Studies continued building on its mission to serve the university and South Carolina Baptist Convention in order to extend the impact and reach of the gospel. In collaboration with Dr. Tony Turner, VP of enrollment and marketing, the CCS has awarded 12 of 25 available Call to Ministry scholarships, which grants incoming freshmen pursuing a Christian Studies major with nearly $70,000 in scholarships over four years. This scholarship demonstrates the depth and focus of CSU’s commitment to preparing the next generation of missionaries and ministers to South Carolina Baptist churches, and to growing the number of young men and women prepared to serve Christ’s Kingdom.

THE DEWEY CENTER FOR CHAPLAINCY The Dewey Center for Chaplaincy hosted its second annual Chaplaincy Conference, providing chaplaincy training for over 50 participants across three days. The Dewey Center represented CSU at the 2023 World Congress of the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation in Baltimore, where Dr. Ron Harvell led a breakout session on the value of faith for “Finding Purpose in a Sea of Despair.”

CSU was the only university represented at a conference of hundreds of first-responder trainers from more than 10 countries with the Dewey Center booth. Dr. Ryan Gimple took a small group of students and faculty on a mission trip to Honduras in May to involve the participants in missions and also make connections and develop relationships for future mission trips.

COLLEGE OF NURSING The first-time pass rate for the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses for students graduating during 2021-2022 was 85% (an increase of 2% from 2020-2021). The ultimate pass rate for the NCLEX-RN (includes repeat exam attempts) for 2021-2022 was 99%.

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ENGLISH Professor Dan Leach published two original works: a lyric essay “Like Trees, Walking,” in The Windhover, a journal of Christian literature published by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and a poem “An Empty Tomb Is Its Own Kind of Architecture” in the North Dakota Quarterly.

HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE The department hosted its first Lowcountry Social Studies Workshop for area secondary school teachers, attracting two dozen participants representing all three local school districts. It included sessions led by Dr. Brian Miller, Professor Christi Gramling, and Dr. Charles Smedley, as well as a guest lecture by Dr. Benjamin Severance, professor of history at Auburn University, Montgomery.

History and Political Science, the Graphic Design program, and the CSU Center for Global Education co-sponsored the first campus commemoration of Yom Ha-Shoah (Israel’s national Holocaust Memorial Day) in mid-April. The event included a photograph gallery, a memorial ceremony, and a talk by Mrs. Anita Zucker about her extended family’s experience of the Nazi genocide directed at European Jews.

PSYCHOLOGY Dr. Christina Sinisi submitted “The effect of spirituality on bullying behavior and correlations of forgiveness to victimization outcomes” for publication by the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research.

85% FIRST-TIME PASS RATE FOR THE NATIONAL COUNCIL LICENSURE EXAM FOR REGISTERED NURSES

HANS A. NIELSEN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS Faculty completing doctorates: •Kimberly Champagne, EdD in leadership from Charleston Southern University •Sally “Emory” Hiott, DBA in marketing from Gardner-Webb University Faculty recognized: •Dr Maxwell Rollins, awarded tenure as a full professor •Dr Mela Wyeth, 22 years of service, awarded professor emeritus status •Dr Mark Rieman, 10 years of service, recognized as retiring faculty

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION The COE was evaluated this year by the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation for our education preparation programs and our principal preparation program. The report was written by Dr. Kari Siko-Walters with the support of the faculty, staff, and leadership in the college.

The evaluation group interviewed CSU leadership, faculty, students, and stakeholders virtually in April. Preliminary results indicated two areas for improvement which are being addressed. Overall, the COE scored very high, and we are anticipating that the college will be reaffirmed by CAEP in December 2023.

COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES Dr. Gabrielle Poole was named dean of the College of Health Sciences in May. The College of Health Sciences now houses four graduate programs (Physician Assistant, Athletic Training, Clinical Counseling, and Doctor of Physical Therapy) and two undergraduate programs (Kinesiology and Public Health).

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAM Dr. Ami Steele was named program director for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies and began her role in April. Dr. Steele brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the program, most recently serving five years as the Program Director at Gardner-Webb University.

The program earned Accreditation-Continuation status from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant in March 2022 and will have its next review in 2032. The program held its fourth commencement ceremony in December 2022, with 34 students graduating from the program and earning their master’s degrees. The program had a 97% first-time pass rate on the national board exam for the Class of 2023, and all students have now successfully passed the exam. The program has a Five Year First Time Taker Average Pass Rate of 96% which is higher than the Five Year National First Time Taker Average of 94%. Thirty-three students in the Class of 2023 earned their White Coats. These students began their clinical rotations in January, and completed their fourth clinical rotation at the end of May.

PHYSICAL THERAPY The program enrolled 48 students in the inaugural cohort of students; 45 students completed the first year of the program successfully. Four of these students are enrolled in the PT/MBA co-enrollment degree program. The program enrolled its second cohort of 48 students in May. The program’s next CAPTE site visit is August 2024.

ATHLETIC TRAINING Dr. Renae Bomar is the new program director, and Dr. Haleigh Gray is the new clinical education coordinator. Steele Morris, instructor of public health, will begin teaching as a core faculty member for the Master’s in Athletic Training this summer, in addition to his responsibilities with the Department of Public Health. The program is undergoing an extensive review process to ensure high quality recruitment and retention efforts and the delivery of an outstanding curriculum that prepares students to pass their national board certification exam.

CLINICAL COUNSELING The Department of Clinical Counseling has a full cohort for fall, with 31 students who have paid seat deposits.

The program launched a synchronous online cohort last fall that enrolled three students; the program will have 20 students enrolled in the online cohort this fall. Program leadership is working on the CACREP accreditation application, with an anticipated site visit date in spring of 2024.

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS BIOLOGY Dr. Lauren Wills was appointed to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Grant Review Committee, a high honor in biology, chosen from candidates throughout the nation. All environmental NIH grants must pass through Dr. Wills for funding.

ENGINEERING Dr Joel Chapman received his PhD in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech in May 2022. CSU has awarded degrees to the first BS engineering class. One graduate has a job with Boeing, one with Booz Allen Hamilton, and one is heading to graduate school for a PhD in applied mathematics. The Senior Project team successfully built a t-shirt launching robot that will be used at university and outreach events. Our engineering seniors had a 100% pass rate on the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, required for pursuing professional engineering licensure.

COMPUTER SCIENCE Our cybersecurity team grew and had notable achievements this spring after participating in several competitions.

GRADUATE RESEARCH INTERNSHIPS WITH MUSC Two graduate students from Computer Science, Armando Diaz and Zach Moolman, and Professor Julie Henderson worked with the MUSC Cancer Genetics Research Group. The collaboration is using artificial intelligence to help organize a cancer genetics knowledge base and build clinical decision support tools.

MATH DEPARTMENT Madelyn Parsons ’23 presented the results of her S.C. Independent Colleges and Universities grant project at the SCICU research symposium and at the MAA-SE sectional meeting. Her research was supervised by Dr. Ryan Thomas and Dr. Emily Thomas.

AERONAUTICS DEPARTMENT Aeronautics celebrated its first graduate from the Professional Pilot program with the coveted Restricted-Airline Transport License certification. Granted in December of 2022, this authority has been years in the making with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Aeronautics leadership team. This final milestone has clinched CSU, in partnership with CRAFT Flight Training, as the only institution of higher education with this authority in South Carolina. Aeronautics has partnered with the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff’s AFJROTC Flight Academy program, bringing 10 fully funded cadets to campus over the summer to earn a Private Pilot Certification in just eight weeks.

This program is a critical part of keeping the training aircraft utilization rate up during the summer break. These efforts will pave the way for a recurring program in subsequent years.

AEROSPACE DEPARTMENT/AFROTC DETACHMENT In March, eight cadets were awarded Air Force Enrollment Allocations and are attending Field Training (Basic Training equivalent) this summer. Upon successful completion of Field Training, they will be contracted in August into the Air Force and commissioned as Second Lieutenants in 2025. In May, we successfully commissioned 10 2nd Lieutenants into the United States Air Force.

Summer duties: Capt. Faulk is a Field Training Officer for 40 cadets from schools all over the country, training, mentoring, and evaluating potential future Air and Space Force Officers. SSgt. Moore is the Vehicle Control NCOIC for Field Training, where he oversees operations of 30 government vehicles. Lt. Col. Rothwell is the Vigilant Warrior Field Training Operations Commander, leading a team of over 40 individuals to plan, organize, execute operations to train and evaluate leadership and critical thinking skills for nearly 2,200 cadets in a simulated deployed environment in Alabama.

COLLEGE OF ADULT AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES The College of Adult and Professional Studies serves more than 235 undergraduate students, 148 of whom are exclusively enrolled in CAPS programs. The college also provides oversight and quality matters approval for online classes taught in the traditional programs.

L. MENDEL RIVERS LIBRARY Librarian Karen Meharg presented “Tools and Tips for a Successful Breakout/Escape Room” at the Annual Conference of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians in March. She has earned a statewide reputation for her expertise in utilizing breakout/escape room kits that create experiential learning environments through games designed to encourage collaboration and critical thinking. .

STRATEGIC PLANNING & CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP

STRATEGIC PLANNING During the academic year, university leadership continued to execute the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. Thirty-five teams, each led by a team captain, pursued a department-related goal that advanced the university’s Christian mission and prepared students to be servant leaders who pursue a life of significance. The plan’s seven major goals are: •Exemplify a Distinctively Christian Identity •Pursue a Culture of Excellence and Innovation •Attract and Engage a Vibrant Student Body •Prepare Graduates to Flourish Spiritually, Intellectually, Physically, and Professionally •Inspire, Empower, and Equip Faculty and Staff •Renew, Develop, and Strengthen Relationships to Fulfill the Institution’s Mission and Vision •Faithfully Steward Resources

VIEW THE PLAN: charlestonsouthern.edu/strategic-plan

WHITFIELD CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP The mission of the Whitfield Center for Christian Leadership is to equip individuals for leadership and service through the development of a biblical worldview.

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW INSTITUTE Dr Cole Jeffrey, assistant professor of English, led two reading groups for students, faculty, and staff during the spring 2023 semester. Participants read The Question of God by Armand Nicholi, and Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis. On March 1, Scott Klusendorf, president of the Life Training Institute, spoke in chapel and at an event for students. The Life Training Institute exists “to empower others with the knowledge and conviction necessary to make a case for life that changes hearts and minds.”

FAITH AND LEARNING INSTITUTE The Faith and Learning Institute hosted Dr. Bill Brown, senior fellow of worldview & culture/dean of the Colson Fellows Program, to speak to faculty on the major worldviews. The Faith and Learning Institute’s New Faculty subcommittee provided faith and learning excellence training sessions for new faculty during the spring semester.

CSU faculty and staff participated in the International Alliance for Christian Education spring reading group program, reading and discussing Craig Ott’s Teaching and Learning across Cultures: A Guide to Theory and Practice (Baker Academic, 2021). Four CSU faculty attended the International Alliance for Christian Education Faculty Development Conference at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas in May.

LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE The President’s Cabinet learned how to improve student success efforts by listening to multiple speakers: Dr. Costin, CSU SGA student representatives, Dr. Emily Heady, partner & chief academic officer at Magellan Learning Solutions; and Dr. Marcus Leeds, associate vice president, retention and student success, Cedarville University.

MARKETPLACE MINISTRY INSTITUTE

Dr David Palmer, dean of the Hans A. Nielsen College of Business, leads the Marketplace Ministry Institute. Steve McCullough presented “How to Improve Our Spiritual, Personal, and Business Lives” at a God in the Workplace event. Anne Obarski, founder of Merchandise Concepts, shared a presentation on customer service at the God in the Workplace breakfast.

ATHLETICS

ATHLETICS BIG SOUTH SASSER CUP The Buccaneers won two Big South Championships and finished third overall (of 10 teams) in the Big South Conference Sasser Cup, which awards the teams in the league with the most successful athletic year in both regular season competition and championship tournaments. The men’s championship in cross country helped lift CSU to second place in the men’s standings, its best since the league started presenting separate awards by gender in 2003-04. The Buccaneers men’s teams averaged 7.542 points, less than one point behind first-place Campbell. Cross country brought in 11 points, golf, nine points, and outdoor track & field and indoor track & field, eight. Women’s Tennis grabbed the most points with 10.5, cross country, nine, and outdoor track and field and indoor track and field, each eight. The third-place ranking on the women’s side is the best for the Bucs since the league started presenting separate awards by gender in 2003-04.

BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS Men’s Cross Country and Women’s Tennis won their respective third consecutive Big South conference championships.

02

BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS WON BY THE BUCCANEERS

COACHES OF THE YEAR Men’s Cross Country Head Coach Jim Stintzi and Women’s Golf Head Coach Jordan Jeffers were each named Coach of the Year in the Big South.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS Student-athletes achieved CSU’s highest-ever cumulative GPA of 3.23

GRADUWAY PARTNERSHIP The Buc Club has partnered with Graduway to assist individual sports by offering an online platform for raising money for projects which will assist with strengthening each team.

PEAK MANAGEMENT Charleston Southern Athletics has partnered with Peak Management to assist athletics departments in enhancing their overall brand while strengthening sponsorship footprints and media strategies to enhance the CSU Athletics brand as a whole as well as boost each program.

ROPER SAINT FRANCIS PARTNERSHIP The Athletics Department partnered with Roper Saint Francis Healthcare to provide outsourced athletic training for each of our teams, saving nearly $250,000 and greatly enhancing care for our student-athletes.

CUMULATIVE

GPA OF 3.23 ACHIEVED CSU STUDENT-ATHLETES

FOLLOW ALL THE BUCCANEER ACTION AT csusports.com

FINANCE & BUSINESS

FINANCE AND BUSINESS LAUNCH OF THE CREDO INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITIES PROJECT The Credo Project, launched in August 2022, started with an in-depth discovery analysis of critical areas including enrollment, organizational structure and efficiency, and academic programs. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected to establish opportunities to gain efficiencies for the institution. The analysis of the data was used to determine which priorities the institution should focus on to gain the most efficiencies. It was determined that the areas of focus would be in academic and administrative efficiency reviews and to develop a strategic enrollment plan. In order to execute on those areas, two diverse task force teams were chosen to develop a rubric tool that will be shared with various chairs, directors, and senior officers to evaluate the programs and departments under their supervision. The analysis piece of the project will conclude in August 2023, and implementation of the recommendations from that analysis will begin.

CREDO MOVE THE NEEDLE PROJECT Move The Needle is a comprehensive student success strategic plan designed and delivered by the campus through a multiyear partnership with Credo. This partnership includes an analysis of our current student experience and an assessment of our campus systems, processes, culture, and practices that impact students. From the analysis, CSU will design improvements or launch new strategies to increase student retention by 5% or more over the next five years. In addition, many of our leaders on campus will receive specialized leadership development training.

EMPLOYEE RETENTION CREDIT CSU worked with CapinCrouse to determine eligibility for an Employee Retention Credit that was established during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was determined that the university was eligible for this credit, which resulted in funds being received for approximately $9,000,000.

CAPITAL PROJECTS NORRIS WINGO AC/ROOF REPLACEMENT The roof replacement started in May and will be completed before the fall semester begins.

WOMEN’S SOUTH ACCESS CONTROL PROJECT The Women’s South Access Control Project is in progress and should be completed this summer.

CHAPEL Design and cost estimates are being finalized for the chapel seat replacement project. This work will be completed over Christmas break.

INTRAMURAL FIELD COMPLEX We dedicated our new intramural field complex in March and are finalizing cost estimates for the intramural entrance improvements (fire pits, grill station, sidewalk replacement, and renovation to existing deck). This project should be completed this summer once a funding source is identified.

SUMMERSALT This year’s SummerSalt campers are the first to enjoy our newly constructed state-of-the-art, multisport intramural field.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS CSU’s student information system, Jenzabar, was upgraded from the legacy version of the software to the latest iteration, J1. Jenzabar’s J1 includes new features for the desktop, has a web-based interface, and will have new modules, updates, and security features added in future releases.

A new document management system is currently being implemented and will be completed in July. CSU is replacing its current system with Etrieve by SoftDocs. Etrieve combines document management, electronic forms and contracts, and workflows into one system. The system will provide an enhanced set of features and realize cost savings over the previous product.

INFORMATION SECURITY CSU purchased the SentinelOne Singularity XDR Platform that provides visibility, prevention, detection, and response for endpoints and servers. SentinelOne hunts for malicious files and programs, such as malware and ransomware, and quarantines anything suspected of being malicious. SentinelOne provides an extra layer of security for CSU data.

NETWORK SERVICES Information Technology rolled out 112 new access points in the Quad residence halls over the last year. These access points, known as “hospitality aps,” were installed in every room, replacing the previous access points that were staggered throughout the Quads. These units provide better signal for all users, as each room has its own access point, greatly reducing the number of issues and calls from the Quads.

EFAX CSU’s faxing was converted to eFax with the latest upgrade from Windstream. With the end of support of copper phone lines, the campus service transitioned from traditional copper PRI lines, to new-fiber based lines. This allowed IT to update to the newer eFax solution.

SENATOR TIM SCOTT On May 22, Senator Tim Scott, 1988 alumnus, announced his United States Presidential Candidacy.

This event was livestreamed from the CSU Field House, and CSU IT provided the network bandwidth for the livestream and for Senator Scott’s team throughout the event. This highly successful event shed a nationwide spotlight on the university.

CLASSROOMS AND LABS A new flight simulation lab was created for CSU’s Aeronautics program, and a general use student lab was relocated to a larger space. The Flight Simulation Lab provides a space for Aeronautics students to study and practice, while the general use lab allows all students access to a lab with 20+ computers containing various software programs.

NEW INTERACTIVE FLAT PANEL Displays were installed in four classrooms. Two displays were installed in Wingo Hall for the College of Education. These IFPs allow Education majors access to the same type of equipment they will be using in K-12 schools during their student teaching and career as an educator.

DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPMENT GIVING UPDATE CSU had a record breaking $5,215,217 given within the 2022-2023 fiscal year. For only the second time in university history, gifts from alumni and friends topped the $5,000,000 mark. Words cannot express the gratitude we have to our loyal supporters for continuing to believe in and invest in the mission and vision of CSU. This support, coupled with the Lord’s faithfulness, continues to provide countless blessings for CSU and its students.

SUPPORT FROM THE CSU COMMUNITY Through the support of our faithful alumni and friends, students can discover their passion in order to live out their calling and pursue a significant life. A total of 1,535 supporters joined us in our efforts, representing a 10% increase in alumni and friends supporting our students.

CSU GIVING DAY CSU Giving Day 2023 was filled with divine surprises and an abundance of special support from the CSU community. A total of $649,610 was raised by the CSU family. The generous gift from The Frederick K. Norris Jr. and Mary Ann R. Norris Charitable Remainder Trust was an important contribution to the overall success of this year’s Giving Day. The long-time support for CSU from the late Norrises continues to impact our students through the Norris family’s future provision and the next generation, Fred III, and Cindy Norris ’15.

$649,610 RAISED BY THE CSU FAMILY DURING CSU GIVING DAY 2023

$1.5

OCC BOXES PACKED

Million

GIVEN BY BARBARA “BINKY” MEAD LIMITLESS CAMPAIGN As the Limitless Campaign continues, we persist in our fundraising efforts for a new convocation center, student scholarships, enhancing the student experience, and more. Launched in 2021, nearly $16 million has been committed to the $35 million goal of the Limitless Campaign.

THE BARBARA MEAD ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP As the impact of Barbara “Binky” Mead’s $1.5 million gift continues to bless our students, we celebrate the largest single gift ever received to endow scholarships in university history. Numerous students will benefit from Mead’s generosity for years.

THE DR. ROYCE W. BRELAND JR./DR. HAROLD H. ADAMS JR. ENDOWED CHAIR OF BUSINESS Dr. Harold “Hal” H. Adams Jr. ’69, established The Dr. Royce W. Breland Jr./Dr. Harold H. Adams Jr. Endowed Chair of Business within the Hans A. Nielsen College of Business through a gift of $500,000.

The gift honors the late Dr. Royce Breland, a longtime influential College of Business faculty member. The chair will position the Nielsen College of Business as a leader in a burgeoning new field that recognizes sustainability and values co-creation as a viable and lucrative corporate strategy.

WOMEN’S COUNCIL The Women’s Council annual auction raised $53,518 for student scholarships through two main events the Women’s Council hosted, the auction and the Triumphant Quartet concert. Funds received directly support student scholarships, including the three established $100,000+ endowed scholarships: the Mattie Leigh Frances Endowed Scholarship, the Charlene Kirk Endowed Scholarship, and the CSU Women’s Council Endowed Scholarship.

HOMECOMING 2023 & GOLDEN BUCCANEER REUNION All alumni, friends, and parents are invited to join us for Homecoming, Oct. 13-15, 2023. We celebrate our newest Golden Buccaneers, the Class of 1973, on Friday, Oct. 13, with a reunion in the Whitfield Center for Christian Leadership. We will host an all-alumni brunch on Saturday, Oct. 14, with a special focus on the graduating classes in years ending with 3 and 8. Formal invitations and more details to follow.

ENROLLMENT & MARKETING

ENROLLMENT ENROLLMENT UPDATE The enrollment team continues to labor diligently to reach as many prospective students as possible with the abundance of opportunities at CSU to pursue their educational goals. This past year, students filled all residence halls, including the hotel. The enrollment team exceeded budget projections for new full-time undergraduate students with 957 new students (more than 100 new students than projected). In addition, the online undergraduate enrollment team doubled their incoming student goals with 235 students. CSU welcomed more than 570 graduate students.

Overall, 3,433 students called Charleston Southern their educational home. We are grateful for all the work the enrollment team has done and continues to do to enhance CSU’s footprint in the higher education marketplace. Currently, we have an increase in the number of applications and acceptances compared to last year. This summer the enrollment team is hosting New Student Registration Days to help students prepare for move-in on August 17.

NORTH AMERICAN CHRISTIAN COALITION OF ADMISSIONS PROFESSIONALS CONFERENCE The Enrollment and Marketing team hosted the North American Christian Coalition of Admissions Professionals conference in May. This conference is one of the country’s largest groups of Christian admissions professionals. Conference attendance was the second largest in 10 years. We are grateful for the campuswide support that helped make this conference wildly successful.

HONORS PROGRAM COMPETITION In collaboration with the honors program, CSU enrollment hosted an honors competition. Over 30 students from across the country competed for several full-ride and full-tuition scholarships. To compete, students must have a 3.8 GPA and a minimum SAT of 1300 or ACT of 30. Our first year was a success, and we hope to build upon this experience to expand our outreach to those with high academic achievement.

FINANCIAL AID Financial Aid is an essential source of funding for CSU students. With the assistance of our financial aid leveraging partner, a new scholarship was offered this year for students pursuing full-time ministry. The new scholarship aims to assist students pursuing a call to ministry while minimizing the debt load to help these students launch into ministry sooner. Our financial aid team disbursed more than $80 million in financial aid to CSU students this year, helping them afford a Christ-centered education.

3,433 STUDENTS

CALLED CHARLESTON SOUTHERN THEIR EDUCATIONAL HOME

MARKETING & COMMUNICATION The Office of Marketing & Communication combined Graduate and Online advertising budget lines to increase impressions and conversions to applications.

UNDERGRADUATE AD BUDGET ALLOCATION: 50% paid search, 31% CTV/OTT (digital TV), 9% paid social media, and 9% print.

GRADUATE/ONLINE AD BUDGET ALLOCATION: 27% paid search, 23% CTV/OTT (digital TV), 17% TV, 14% YouTube, 11% radio, 4% paid social media, and 4% programmatic.

NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS New advertising campaigns included focus on the Passport to Purpose theme, using student and alumni testimonials sharing their individual paths to success and purpose. Performance metrics slated increased engagement—the highest we’ve seen in the last four years.

SOCIAL MEDIA

APPLICATIONS

10.2

%

%

INCREASE IN CROSS-CHANNEL AUDIENCE

INCREASE OF APPLICATIONS THROUGH THE WEBSITE

5.7

SOCIAL MEDIA CSU’s social media cross-channel audience increased by 10.2% in 2022-23. This put us at the 3rd highest growth rate in comparison to our competition. As for the website, MarComm surpassed one of our Wildly Important Goals of increasing applications through the website by 5% for the year—we hit 5.7% year over year! This can be attributed to increased organic reach through the launch of the blog, an improvement with site speed, and increased engagement and click-through from digital ad and social video campaigns.

OVERALL SUCCESS Overall, Team MarComm succeeded in all areas, having completed the Passport to Purpose printing project, newly branded road signs and campus light pole banners, audits of marketing materials around campus, refreshed enrollment materials, management of the campus TV system, and so much more!

STUDENT LIFE

STUDENT LIFE CAMPUS RECREATION We opened the new $1.8 million intramural complex and are currently working on a fire pit project to create a grand entrance to the complex. This will be the highlight of prospective student tours!

Estimated completion time is end of the fall semester.

CAMPUS SECURITY CSU consistently ranks as not only one of the safest colleges or universities in the United States, currently ranked No. 252 of 1,310 institutions, but also No. 3 of 24 in the state of South Carolina.

Campus Security recently added Rapidwarn software to our Buc Alert system. This software automatically sends any National Weather Service warnings for the campus to everyone enrolled on the Buc Alert list as well as the campus outdoor warning sirens and will provide a quicker warning in case of severe weather.

THE CAREER CENTER The Career Center saw the return of in-person on-campus recruitment post-Covid through Career Chats in the fall and four major-specific Career Expos in the spring. We welcomed over 120 employers to campus to speak with and recruit our students. With renewed focus on professionalism and equal opportunity, the Career Center committed to growing offerings for its career closet that will serve students who may lack the means to obtain professional clothing for interviews, internships, and presentations. Through a persistent social media campaign and targeted messaging to alumni, faculty, and staff, the options for students have grown exponentially. The students even contributed to naming the closet Suited to Sail, and the closet will hopefully be available for them to shop starting in the fall. We are continuing to accept any and all professional wear donations, including ties, jewelry, and shoes.

COUNSELING SERVICES 1,547 hours of counseling hours provided to students during the 2022-2023 academic year. There were 992 individual appointments made during the academic year; 8.5% of those appointments were triage/crisis appointments.

RESIDENCE LIFE The Residence Hall numbers increased with a total of 1,364 residents starting in the fall compared to 1,252 last fall. This is CSU’s record number of residents living in our residential communities. We maintained a 97% retention rate between fall and spring semester.

SPIRITUAL LIFE/CAMPUS MINISTRIES ON-CAMPUS WORSHIP Elevate had a year high of 212 students and saw 50% of all Elevate students attend a small group throughout the year. We began new partnerships with local ministries and increased partnership with Charleston Baptist Campus Ministries to reach greater Charleston. Chapel averaged 780 and had a high of 1,240.

MISSIONS We had three mission trips during spring break that assisted the Charleston area, Boston, and Erwin, Tennessee. These trips sent 100 students. This summer CSU was the number one sender for GenSend through NAMB (21 of the 51 students from South Carolina were from CSU). We sent 74 students on domestic and international mission trips.

DISCIPLESHIP The CSU women’s ministry had a high of 100 one-on-one discipleship relationships. The men’s ministry began its early stages of discipleship. Campus Ministries partnered with the worship leadership program to develop a pipeline to supply local churches with worship leaders.

RECRUITMENT Student Leadership University (SLU) had 288 students attend CSU after Drop/Add. SummerSalt had 15 students attend CSU. In total, 303 students came to CSU through the Office of Spiritual Life’s recruitment efforts.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT Partnered with the American Red Cross to host six blood drives on campus, collecting 143 units of blood, which impacted/saved 429 lives. Four new student organizations were added to our Board of Student Organizations, and the Campus Activities Board was re-established. Fifteen student organizations participated in the Lowcountry Relay for Life, helping to raise over $60,000 for cancer research with the American Cancer Society. Thirteen student organizations participated in Walk for Water with Water Mission International, helping raise over $13,000 with our CSU Service-Learning Team. Miss Charleston Southern University Keiara Williams competed in the Miss South Carolina Pageant in June and won the Morgan Nichols Scarnecchia overall interview award.

SWEET 16 In 2022-2023 the university averaged almost 700 people at Sweet 16 events, our largest events each year. Some events are open to our campus community, including employees, board members, and alumni. Departments such as Enrollment and Development/Alumni Relations have aligned much of their planning to correspond with several Sweet 16 events. Everything about Sweet 16 meets CSU’s E.P.I.C. initiative. For the fourth year in a row 94% of the student body voted in a campuswide student survey that Sweet 16 events directly affect their overall student satisfaction. Student surveys have shown that Sweet 16 events, eight in the fall and eight in the spring, have had a positive impact on recruitment, enrollment, retention, and overall student satisfaction. Big school or small school, no one does events like CSU!

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD One of the most successful Sweet 16 events of all is mission based: Operation Christmas Child with Samaritan’s Purse. CSU has now broken the national record for the past four years, packing more shoeboxes than any other college or university in the nation. In 2022 we packed over 13,019 boxes. Four years ago we were packing just 2,400 total.

RING CEREMONY CSU celebrated our second Ring Ceremony in April overlooking the Reflection Pond with a beautiful view of Lightsey Chapel. We had 103 students attend and receive their signature class ring. Over 600 guests attended this new CSU tradition. After the ceremony all enjoyed a reception on the lawn with music and refreshments.

A gorgeous ice sculpture of the CSU signature ring was the perfect photo spot for our students.

THE OFFICE OF DIVERSITY Through celebrations of Culturefest, Black History Month, and Women’s History Month, our campus community came together and built better relationships. We held a series of talks called Courageous Conversations that brought faculty, staff, and students into a safe space to have hard but beneficial engagement in pursuit of giving everyone a sense of belonging.

13,019

OCC BOXES PACKED

UPCOMING EVENTS •

FIRST DAY OF CLASSES – AUG. 21

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PRAYER FIRST CHAPEL – AUG. 23

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PRESIDENT’S CHAPEL – AUG. 30

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FIRST HOME FOOTBALL GAME (CSU VS. NORTH GREENVILLE) – AUG. 31 (6 P.M.)

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PRESIDENT’S GOLF TOURNAMENT – SEPT. 11

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HOMECOMING (CSU VS. LINDENWOOD) – OCT. 14

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CSU WOMEN’S COUNCIL AUCTION – NOV. 4

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COMMENCEMENT: DOCTORATE IN EDUCATION – DEC. 8

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COMMENCEMENT: PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT GRADUATION – DEC. 9

INTEGRATING FAITH, IN LEARNING, LEADING, AND SERVING.