JUNE 2015 STAKEHOLDER'S REPORT

CSU Global’s 2015 Commencement Ceremony Sets a New Standard

More than 700 students walked in this month’s Commencement Ceremony. That’s a record for CSU Global, and it wasn’t the only way in which the university broke ground. For the first time ever, Commencement was streamed live over the internet for students and their families who couldn’t attend in person, and a dedicated hashtag allowed viewers all over the world to share words of support.

The event was a major success, and we encourage you to read more about it on our blog here.

In Other News

• CSU Global has elected to maintain its low tuition rates for the fourth consecutive year.
• U.S. News & World Report ranked CSU Global #6 for the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, as well as within the top 50 for Best Online Graduate Business Programs, and the top 100 for Best Online Graduate Education Programs for Veterans.
• In May we signed a statewide Memorandum of Understanding with the Wisconsin Technical College System. That’s 16 more schools that now offer seamless transfer to CSU Global.

Staff Spotlight 
Jay Drake was born into a military family. Now he is a decorated veteran and our Learning Solutions Manager with a specific focus on the armed services. Read about his 22 years of service, as well as how he applies his experience to helping prospective students, in his Staff Spotlight.

Faculty Spotlight 
Tech-savvy Dr. Jacqueline Derby joined the CSU Global team in 2013, and is one of our Online Teaching and Learning faculty members. In her Faculty Spotlightyou’ll learn about what got her interested in technology, how it affected her course of study, and her sappiest hobby.

The Global Broadcast, the official blog of CSU Global, has been publishing great, supportive content for current and prospective students. If you haven’t been reading, here’s some of what you’ve missed.

• The importance of making a great first impression is well known, but it goes beyond dressing nicely and maintaining eye contact. In fact, your writing may serve as your first impression, and we provided some advice on how to make sure it’s a good one.
• There are many factors that contribute to academic success, including those that exist outside of the structured school environment. To help students succeed on this front we’ve been posting advice, such as this article and infographic on how to budget for school.
• Our students and alumni have valuable advice and tips to share with others studying at CSU Global. If you’ve ever wanted direct insight into what makes our students tick, and succeed, you can find it right here.
  
  Do you have your own insight and expertise to share? EmailNews@CSUGlobal.edu to contribute to the blog.

Colorado State University Global received its initial regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in June 2011. This initial accreditation was for five years and must be reaffirmed during the 2015-2016 academic year.

In May 2014, CSU Global began the process of reaffirming our accreditation through an 18-month reflective process that culminates in a comprehensive visit in February 2016. We are well into this process, and are beginning to write our assurance argument which details how we meet the five HLC Criteria for Accreditation:

• Criterion 1. Mission
• Criterion 2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
• Criterion 3. Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support
• Criterion 4. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement
• Criterion 5. Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness

In other important news our review team for the February visit has been assigned by the Higher Learning Commission, and we have begun a major communication campaign for our faculty that has so far included an overview of the accreditation process; our mission, vision, and core values; and how we assess student learning.

We have also conducted extensive training with our Program Coordinators at our commencement retreat in June, and will do so again at our fall retreat in October. Our staff communication plan began at this month’s all-staff meeting, and we will continue training and development up to the time of the visit.