Social Networking Edges its Way Into Online Education

Columbia Southern University Offers Alumni a New Way to Connect

ORANGE BEACH, AL - The absence of social networking has always been one of the major arguments for online education opponents – until now. Columbia Southern University (CSU), one of the nation’s first completely online universities, recently launched the CSU Click, an exclusive new service for CSU alumni. Click is an online social networking community that allows alumni to network with more than 9,000 other CSU graduates from all over the world.

“As a graduate of Columbia Southern University, I’ve spent the last several years trying to create an active alumni association,” said Jamie Gauthier, CSU Alumni Association President. “Now the CSU Click has sparked worldwide attention from our alumni and we are beginning to see the strongest, most enthusiastic alumni association I’ve ever seen from any online university.”

With Click, CSU alumni can find other graduates with similar interests, share photos, explore job opportunities, and more. Other special features of the CSU Click include the ability to:
· Network with alumni about career and business opportunities
· Share photos and blogs in a secure environment
· Share information or seek advice by messaging networks
· Hear about events going on in different locations hosted by CSU alumni
· Start groups to find other alumni with similar interests

After alumni register with the CSU Click, it only takes them a few minutes to create a profile, upload a photo and start inviting other alumni to join their network. Since CSU launched this social networking tool in August, hundreds of graduates are already beginning to take advantage of this opportunity.

The CSU Click is offered at no charge to CSU alumni and can be accessed by visiting http://www.columbiasouthern.edu/alumni/index.asp. For more information, please contact Jamie Gauthier, CSU Alumni Association President, at jamie.gauthier@columbiasouthern.edu.