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.
The school was started in the educational building at the First Baptist Church, 4217 Rivers Ave., North Charleston, South Carolina.
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.
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.
Charleston Southern is located off Exit 205B on I-26 in North Charleston, South Carolina. It is situated on 300 acres (121ha), formerly the site of a rice and indigo plantation.
Leadership
President
B. Keith Faulkner is the fourth and current president of Charleston Southern University. He is the first alumnus of the school to serve as president.
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.
The university offers intercollegiate athletics for both men and women, competing in the NCAA Division IBig South Conference. Charleston Southern fields teams in the following sports:
[a] Resigned voluntarily amid internal institutional reprioritization and changes in international affiliations.
[b] Resigned citing theological drift and concerns that the council was becoming insufficiently conservative.
[c] Withdrew over the CCCU's response and deliberation process regarding member institutions hiring married same-sex faculty.
[d] Withdrew following changes to institutional employment policies regarding same-sex marriage that conflicted with CCCU membership guidelines.
[e] Voluntarily resigned after updating hiring policies to include same-sex married individuals, which prompted conflict with CCCU eligibility criteria.
[f] Lost institutional operations/accreditation status following severe financial difficulties and campus closure in 2023.
[g] Transitioned out following shifts in institutional affiliation, theological alignment, and board hiring policies.
[h] Withdrew due to differences over membership requirements, ideological alignment, and broader denominational ties.
[i] Withdrew in protest of the CCCU's prolonged decision-making process concerning schools that changed hiring policies on same-sex marriage.
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