Local Residents, Businesses and Charities Benefit from National and International RevenueWith nearly 8,000 students, one of the nation’s fastest growing online universities is located in Orange Beach on Canal Road. Columbia Southern University has invested millions of dollars in Baldwin County since the university was established 13 years ago. Revenue generated from students throughout the country – and even the world – is giving a major boost to the local economy.
Last year, more than two million dollars were spent on salaries for the 64 individuals Columbia Southern University employs from Baldwin County. In fact, 69 percent of the workforce consists of Baldwin County residents. Plans to hire an additional 50 employees in the next three years open up the doors for other locals searching for new and better jobs.
Full-time Columbia Southern University employees are provided with educational assistance to reach their goals of higher education. Employee tuition fees for the university’s online degree programs are waived and the only costs assumed are for professors’ fees and textbooks. Spouses, parents, and children of full-time employees are offered a 50 percent reduction in tuition.
Partnerships with the City of Gulf Shores, City of Orange Beach, Orange Beach Police Department, Foley Fire Department, and Orange Beach Fire and Rescue include tuition discounts to encourage area firefighters, law enforcement and city employees to achieve their educational goals. In many cases, this benefit is also extended to spouses and children.
“Giving our employees the resources they need to advance their education is important to the City of Gulf Shores,” said Billy Duke, City of Gulf Shores Mayor. “We are fortunate to have a hometown university like Columbia Southern that works hard to ensure that its online degree programs are affordable.”
Organizations such as the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Dolphin Athletics Club, Orange Beach Sports Association, Perdido Beach Youth Sports Association, Orange Beach Elementary School, Foley Soccer Team and the City of Orange Beach are also recipients of the national and international funds generated from this online university. In 2006, roughly $296,000 went into charitable contributions to improve the quality of life in Baldwin County. Besides the financial commitment Columbia Southern University makes to the community, hundreds of volunteer hours are provided for events including Relay for Life and Art for Heart.
Baldwin County businesses gained $500,000 in profits produced by Columbia Southern University in 2006. All office supplies and printing services are supplied through local vendors such as Gulf Coast Supply Hut in Foley. However, this total does not include money brought into Baldwin County from students who attend the summer graduation ceremony held in Orange Beach each year.
“Columbia Southern University has always been committed to supporting the communities where our employees live and work,” said Robert Mayes, Columbia Southern University President. “Whether that means reaching out to local businesses, creating employment opportunities, donating resources, or providing volunteer hours, we work hard to fulfill our corporate responsibility.”
A leader in online education, Columbia Southern University commits resources from around the globe to enhancing the quality of life on the Gulf Coast. These types of corporate partnerships are what Baldwin County needs to make Alabama a better place to live and work.
