A new chapter at Coastal Carolina

Before we go any further, in the spirit of full disclosure - I need to say up front that my wife is a part-time employee of Coastal Carolina University, serving as Special Projects Coordinator in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.

Now back to the blog.

Today is an important one in the history of Coastal.

Dr. David DeCenzo will be sworn in as the only school's second chief executive this afternoon in a ceremony certain to be filled with plenty of pomp and circumstance.

The circumstances that led to this day have been interesting. The process of selecting the school's new leader was packed with politics with powerbrokers from Horry County Council to Governor Mark Sanford chiming in on the subject. Once that was over, there were well-publicized allegations of misappropriation of schools funds by Coastal's outgoing administration, which seemed to lead to Dr. Ron Ingle stepping down from the presidency a few weeks early. Earlier this week we learned of a SLED investigation into allegations that a campus public safety officer provided alcohol to an underage student. On Thursday, we found out that dozens of students at CCU had been ticketed for drinking underage at an off-campus party. It all adds up to one side of the Coastal story.

Last week, we had the pleasure of taking our 5:00 and 6:00 newscasts on the road to Coastal. Bob and Martha were joined by the school's cheerleaders, as well as members of the Chanticleer marching band. We focused on efforts by the staff at Coastal to improve security in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, as well as Dr. DeCenzo's vision for Coastal. It was a great experience, being back on campus, and meeting the students that make Coastal a special place. They represent the other side of the Coastal story.

And so Coastal begins a new chapter today, with a new President and a new administration. Optimism abounds, as it should. New beginnings do that.

In the weeks, months, and years to come, there will be new chapters written in the Coastal history book. Some will be good, some will be bad.

The university has shown remarkable growth over it's relatively short history, and it's just getting started. I've had the honor to meet Dr. DeCenzo, and through those conversations, along with my interactions with the students and staff members, I'm confident the school's best days lie ahead.

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