COLUMBUS, Ga,. (WRBL) -- Columbus State University President Dr. Chris Markwood plans to retire from his post this summer, the university announced in a news release.
Markwood, 56, has been president for nearly seven years. His last day on the job will be June 30, 2022.
Dr. John M. Fuchko III, the University System of Georgia’s vice chancellor for organizational effectiveness, will serve as interim president of Columbus State when Markwood retires.
“President Markwood has made a point throughout his career to focus on students and make sure they had the support they needed on campus and in the classroom to succeed,” University System of Georgia (USG) Acting Chancellor Teresa MacCartney said in the news release. “We appreciate his service to USG and wish him and his family well.”
In the news release, Markwood praised the relationship he inherited between the Columbus community and the university.
“Very few universities enjoy such a symbiotic relationship with their communities like Columbus State does,” Markwood said. “The philanthropic support we receive from our civic partners—as well as our alumni and other friends—rivals that of institutions much larger than us and are truly a catalyst in our success and the community’s future.”
Columbus State has about 8,000 students and two campuses, the main campus off University Avenue and the Riverpark Campus downtown.
The university touted a series of accomplishments by Markwood in his tenure”
● new cybersecurity and robotics engineering programs were developed in collaboration with TSYS, a Global Payments company, Fort Benning, and Pratt & Whitney.
● the renaming of CSU’s Center for Commerce and Technology—the headquarters for its D. Abbott Turner College of Business—in honor of Synovus.
● a new film production degree launched in partnership with the Georgia Film Academy, and the creation of Flat Rock Studio with support of W.C. Bradley Co.
● the birth of the student-run WCUG-FM 88.5 radio station with support of PMB Broadcasting, new focused practicums, and a CSU-based news bureau with WRBL-TV.
● a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Muscogee County School District guaranteeing a teaching contract for every qualified CSU teacher education graduate.
WRBL News 3 will have an interview with Markwood later today.
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