Charleston Southern University (CSU) is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

university in

North Charleston, South Carolina North Charleston is the third-largest city in the state of South Carolina.City Planning Department (2008-07)City of North Charleston boundary map. City of North Charleston. Retrieved January 21, 2011. On June 12, 1972, the city of North Charlest ...

. It is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention ( Southern Baptist Convention).

History

Charleston Southern University was chartered in 1960 and became the Baptist College of Charleston, where it offered its first classes in the education building of the First Baptist Church of North Charleston. The university offered the first instruction at a post secondary level in 1965 and awarded its first degree in 1967. In 1990, the South Carolina Baptist Convention voted to change the university's name from Baptist College at Charleston to Charleston Southern University.

Academics

The university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's and master's degrees. CSU students can choose from more than 50 undergraduate majors and graduate programs such as business, education, criminal justice, computer science, cyber security, Christian studies, graphic design, nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, etc. Each degree program is combined with a comprehensive

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term '' art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically th ...

foundation which is designed to develop

problem-solving Problem solving is the process of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles, a frequent part of most activities. Problems in need of solutions range from simple personal tasks (e.g. how to turn on an appliance) to complex issues in business an ...

and

communication skills Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...

Accreditation

Charleston Southern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctorate degrees. It is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention ( Southern Baptist Convention). Southern Baptist Convention
Colleges and Universities
sbc.net, USA, retrieved October 22, 2022

Campus

Charleston Southern is located off Exit 205B on I-26 in

. It is situated on , formerly the site of a rice and indigo plantation.

Student activities

Beyond the classroom, students can participate in a variety of campus activities including academic clubs, service organizations, intramural athletics and campus ministries. Intramural athletic activities include flag football, basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, and more. Campus ministries include Cru,

Fellowship of Christian Athletes The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international non-profit Christian sports ministry founded in 1954 and based in Kansas City, Missouri. It has staff offices located throughout the United States and abroad. History FCA was foun ...

, Campus Outreach, and Elevate.

Student life

Single students under 21 years of age are encouraged to live on campus. There are at least four dining facilities on campus; one is the dining hall located in the Student Center, another is Java City located near the library, Chick-fil-A and, the newest addition, The Buc Stop in the Student Center.

Athletics

The university offers intercollegiate athletics for both men and women, competing in the

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic ...

Big South Conference. Charleston Southern fields teams in the following sports:

Notable alumni

Charles James Charles James may refer to: * Charles James (British Army officer) (1757/8–1821), English army officer and writer * Charles James (attorney) (born 1954), former U.S. assistant attorney general * Charles James (American football) (born 1990), Amer ...

– Professional football player and star of HBO's ''Hard Knocks'' *Dr.

Sam Gandy Samuel E. Gandy, is a neurologist, cell biologist, Alzheimer's disease (AD) researcher and expert in the metabolism of the sticky substance called amyloid that clogs the brain in patients with Alzheimer's. His team discovered the first drugs tha ...

– Alzheimer's researcher *

Bobby Parnell Robert Allen Parnell (born September 8, 1984) is an American former baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Detroit Tigers. He was drafted by the Mets in the ninth round of the 2005 Major League Baseba ...

– Professional baseball player *

Tim Scott Timothy Eugene Scott (born September 19, 1965) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from South Carolina since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Go ...

– United States Senator * Charlie Simpkins – Track and field athlete; 1992 Olympic Games silver medalist in the triple jump * R. J. Swindle – Professional baseball player *

Tyler Thornburg Tyler Michael Thornburg (born September 29, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and Atlanta Braves. Early l ...

– Professional baseball player *

Michelle D. Commander Michelle D. Commander is a historian and author, and serves as Deputy Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Education Commander received her BA in English from Charleston Southe ...

-- Associate Director and Curator of the Lapidus Center at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 32, 58, 51, N, 80, 4, 16, W, type:edu, display=title 1964 establishments in South Carolina Buildings and structures in North Charleston, South Carolina Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Education in Charleston County, South Carolina Education in North Charleston, South Carolina Educational institutions established in 1964 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Universities and colleges affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention Private universities and colleges in South Carolina