The history of Columbus State University is closely intertwined with that of Columbus. The Columbus Chamber of Commerce first proposed the idea for a junior college in 1949. Efforts by local citizens kept the idea alive by raising money to purchase a site and developing plans for its administration. In 1958 when the law provided for the establishment of junior colleges in Georgia, Columbus College opened at the renovated Shannon Hosiery Mill on Talbotton Road with 15 faculty members and nearly 300 students. In 1963 a move to its present location -- 132 acres in the middle of town on what used to be a dairy farm -- ushered in a period of rapid expansion. I n 1965 the Regents approved the college's application to become a four-year institution, and the first four-year class graduated in 1970. Master and specialist degrees were soon added. Community support continued and supplemented state funding to provide modern facilities and state-of-the-art equipment. In 1996, the state recognized the college's expanding role and its academic standing, and the institution was renamed Columbus State University. CSU now offers more than 70 programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels and has several academic programs that have achieved national recognition. Also, national attention is frequently focused on the athletic program. In NCAA Division II competition, its teams often achieve national ranking. Several times the baseball team has participated in the College World Series, winning a National Championship in 2002. The CSU golf team has won the national championship five times. Many athletes have been named All-Americans in one year, three golfers were named All-American Scholar Athletes, a testament to the idea that CSU's athletes are scholars first. As the only four-year institution in the governor's 17-county Economic Region 5, the university provides cultural enrichment, educational opportunities, and economic development assistance to the citizens, businesses, and industries located in the region. This regional perspective offers numerous opportunities for our students to become involved in research and community projects. It also has resulted in several off-campus sites being established to better serve our students. These centers include Oxbow Meadows and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. In 2001 Columbus State opened a downtown campus, anchored by the RiverCenter. Columbus State plans to add a Theater Arts Complex to the downtown campus in the near future.