University College

University College is dedicated to student success. Here, everyone from our top honor students to those who need additional preparation for entrance to four-year programs finds the support and services to complete educational goals. University College consists of two divisions: the Center for Academic Support and Student Retention and the Department of Basic Studies. University College also houses the Office of Disability Services, the CSU Honors Program and the CSU Servant Leadership Program.

Center for Academic Support and Student Retention

Serving both University College and Columbus State University, the Center for Academic Support and Student Retention promotes student success and retention through its programs, courses, and services. 

The Center for Academic Support and Student Retention promotes the academic and intellectual growth of the students it serves while encouraging self-sufficiency. Tutorial services and study skills workshops provide students with strategies to reach the goals of thinking critically, reasoning scientifically, and understanding mathematical data and processes. Free tutorial assistance is provided to students enrolled in learning support and core curriculum classes, such as English, math, chemistry and others.

A collaborative team approach is taken in advising students in their programs of study. The Center for Academic Support and Student Retention advises adult re-entry students, high school joint enrollment/post secondary options students, audit students and transient students enrolled at Columbus State University. Through community outreach programs such as Bridges PREP for middle school and high school students, McBride College Bound for elementary school students, Adult Re-entry, and High School Joint Enrollment, the Center for Academic Support and Student Retention provides educational services to the region's diverse population. 

With a major emphasis in University College on retention, the Center for Academic Support and Student Retention coordinates the core curriculum, the orientation program (in collaboration with student services), the college success course, the university honors program, academic advising, interdisciplinary core courses, and assessment of the general education program.

The Office of Disability Services coordinates the compliance of Columbus State University with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, not merely to achieve legality but to foster academic potential through individualized plans tailored to the particular needs of the student. Students with a documented physical, psychological, or cognitive disability should contact the Office of Disability Services as early as possible so proper arrangements can be made. 

The CSU Honors Program is designed to attract exceptional students to Columbus State University. The program offers opportunities for students to enrich their educational experiences, with special academic courses, cultural activities, and social interactions. Honors Scholarships are available each year for entering freshmen. Admission into the program is highly selective, requiring a high school or college GPA of 3.5 or higher and a total SAT score of 1200 or higher, among another criteria. The CSU Honors Program features small classes (15 students maximum), special luncheons with guest speakers each semester, and study abroad opportunities. For more information about the CSU Honors Program, contact the Office of the Dean of University College at 565-4009.

The CSU Servant Leadership Program is for students who are interested in leadership from the perspective of service. Insight and skills are developed through both academic and experiential learning. Stipends are available for a limited number of entering freshmen. Recipients are selected on the basis of demonstrated potential in the areas of service, leadership, academics, and commitment to the development of self and others. In return for the stipends, students participate in a leadership seminar for one semester hour of elective academic credit each semester and engage in volunteer service through community agencies. They also participate in mentoring as both a mentor to an at-risk child and as a mentee. In addition to the stipend recipients, other students may take the seminars and participate in aspects of the program. The program is a collaborative effort between university, business, professional, and private interests. The mission is to help students become servant leaders who, in turn, enable others to grow into healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous servant leaders themselves.

Department of Basic Studies

The Department of Basic Studies serves highly motivated students who desire to pursue a college education but need additional academic preparation to enter four-year programs. These students fall in the following categories:

• Adult students who graduated from high school five or more years prior to admission and need refresher courses before being main-streamed into regular classes
• Students whose SAT or ACT test scores are too low for regular or limited admission into a four-year college
• Students who failed to complete required college preparatory courses while in high school

The following non-degree credit classes are offered by this department:

• Learning support courses in English, mathematics, and reading
• Learning support classes in science and social sciences for students with CPC deficiencies
• Modules for transfer students in such areas as presentation graphics, word processing, and information retrieval.

To improve the chances that students in learning support courses will succeed, the Board of Regents has placed certain limits on the extracurricular activities of these students. While in University College, students cannot join a fraternity or a sorority and cannot participate in intercollegiate athletics. The Board of Regents' policy indicates the seriousness with which students should approach the opportunity to remediate the deficiencies.

Admission Requirements

Students who do not meet the requirements for admission to Columbus State University may be considered for admission to the Department of Basic Studies in University College. Please refer to the undergraduate admissions section of this catalog for specific requirements.

Learning Support Requirements

Although institutional credit is granted for learning support courses, no degree credit is awarded. Students placed into learning support courses must be enrolled in required courses until all subject areas have been satisfied. Students may earn a maximum of 20 degree credits while enrolled in learning support courses, but may not enroll in degree credit courses which require the content and skills of learning support courses as prerequisites.

During each semester of enrollment a student must first register for all required learning support courses before being allowed to register for degree credit courses. There are two exceptions:

• When two or three learning support areas are required and a student is enrolled in at least one learning support course, then College Success (CSUS 1106) or physical education or other activity or performance courses may be taken that semester instead of one of the required learning support courses.
• If a required learning support course is not available, a student may enroll in a course for degree credit if the student has met the course prerequisites.

Students who have accumulated 20 semester hours of college-level credit and have not successfully completed required learning support courses must enroll in only learning support courses until requirements are successfully completed. Students with transfer credit or credit earned in certificate or prior degree programs who are required to take learning support courses for their current degree objectives may earn up to 20 additional hours of college-level credit. After earning the additional hours, such students must enroll only in learning support courses.

Students with learning support requirements who are enrolled in both learning support courses and credit courses may not withdraw from the required learning support courses with a W unless they also withdraw from credit courses.

Students are eligible to take the COMPASS examination in mathematics after successfully completing Math 0098. To exit the mathematics subject area, students must receive a minimum COMPASS score of 30. Students are eligible to take the COMPASS examination in reading after successfully competing READ 0099 or, with the instructor's permission, READ 0098. To exit the reading subject area, students must receive a minimum COMPASS score of 74. To exit the English subject area, students must first pass an essay examination and then must receive a minimum COMPASS score of 60. Students who successfully complete ENGL 0099 are eligible to take the essay examination. Students who successfully complete ENGL 0098 must receive the instructor's permission to take the essay examination.

After two unsuccessful attempts to satisfy any required subject area, students are placed on probation. After three unsuccessful attempts to satisfy any required subject area, students are excluded from University College. Students may not be considered for readmission within three years of the exclusion. Prior to exclusion, however, a student may appeal for one additional course attempt under the following three conditions:

• the student is individually evaluated and determined to have a reasonable chance of success;
• the student is in an exit level course; and
• the student has reached the limit in only one learning support subject area.

Progression and Exit Requirements

All students referred to University College for further screening and subsequent enrollment must meet exit requirements before they are eligible to transfer to a four-year state institution. For traditional students, these include the completion of all learning support requirements and 30 semester hours of degree level credit with a minimum grade point average of 2.0. Students may transfer to a two-year state unit if they meet the freshman admission standards of that unit before completing the 30 semester hours of other requirements. University College students are limited to courses offered by University College and courses in Areas A through F of the core curriculum.

Courses Offered by University College

• CSUS 1105 Learning to Learn: Adult Re-entry
• CSUS 1106 College Success
• ENGL 0098 Developmental Writing 1
• ENGL 0099 Developmental Writing 2
• LEAD 1705 Introduction to Servant Leadership
• LEAD 1706 The Individual as Servant Leader
• LEAD 2705 The Language of Leadership
• LEAD 2706 The Servant Leader and Power
• LEAD 2707 Servant Leaders in Films and Movies
• LEAD 2708 Leadership: A Biographical Approach
• LEAD 2709 Servant Leader as Assistant
• LEAD 2715 Servant Leader in Project-Based Learning
• LGSU 0097 Learning Support: Scientific Inquiry
• LGSU 0099 Learning Support: Social Science Primer
• MATH 0097 Developmental Math 1
• MATH 0098 Developmental Math 2
• READ 0098 Developmental Reading 1
• READ 0099 Developmental Reading 2
• RGTE 0198 Regents' Test Remediation: Reading
• UNIV 1105 Strategic Learning

Modules Offered by University College

• MODL 0088 Introduction to Microcomputers
• MODL 0089 Introduction to the Internet
• MODL 0090 Word Processing
• MODL 0091 Presentation Graphics