Charleston Southern University

Former names	Baptist College of Charleston (1960–1990)
Motto	Integrating Faith in Learning, Leading and Serving
Type	Private
Established	1964; 60 years ago (1964)
Accreditation	SACSCOC
Religious affiliation	South Carolina Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention)
Academic affiliations	CIC
Endowment	$24.4 million[1]
President	B. Keith Faulkner
Academic staff	236 Full-time and 125 Part-time (Fall 2022)[2]
Administrative staff	360
Students	3,418 (Fall 2022)[3]
Undergraduates	2,836 (Fall 2022)[4]
Postgraduates	582 (Fall 2022)[5]
Location	North Charleston , South Carolina , United States
Campus	Suburban, 300 acres (121 ha)
Colors	Blue & gold[6]
Nickname	Buccaneers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I – Big South
Mascot	Bucky
Website	www.charlestonsouthern.edu

Charleston Southern University (CSU) is a private Baptist university in North Charleston, South Carolina. It is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention).^[7]

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.^[8]

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.^[9]

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 foundation which is designed to develop problem-solving and communication skills.

Accreditation

Charleston Southern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master's, and doctorate degrees.^[10] It is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention).^[11]

Campus

Charleston Southern is located off Exit 205B on I-26 in North Charleston, South Carolina. It is situated on 300 acres (121 ha), 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, 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 Big South Conference. Charleston Southern fields teams in the following sports:

Notable alumni

• Charles James – Professional football player and star of HBO's Hard Knocks
• Sam Gandy – Alzheimer's researcher
• Bobby Parnell – Professional baseball player
• Tim Scott – 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 – Professional baseball player
• Michelle D. Commander – Associate Director and Curator of the Lapidus Center at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.