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