After spending 40 years in newsrooms and locker rooms,Warren Peper is spending his days in conference rooms and the halls of academia in his new role as director of the Graduate School at Charleston Southern University.
“It’s kind of crazy how it’s come full circle,” said Peper, a 1974 Charleston Southern graduate. “The place still has a palpable feel to it – how you’re greeted and treated, a sense of energy, a sense of welcome. I want to take that good vibe to all parts of the Lowcountry,” he said.
Peper, no stranger to the Lowcountry, said, “For so many years I boiled down information into a more concise, understandable, digestible content, that I’m hoping it will help me explain the master’s programs and share a lot of the good stories going on at Charleston Southern. I want to get out and explain why the programs and the professors at CSU are so highly thought of in the education community.”
Peper said, “I want to help people increase their marketing opportunities, earn better salaries and promotions – all those things that come with improving your lot as an adult who is already in the workforce.”
Many of the master’s programs are offered entirely online, others offer classes on campus and in a blended format of on campus and online classes to fit into students’ busy schedules. “The nursing, criminal justice and education programs are thriving,” said Peper. “And our business programs are highly popular around the state with employers such as Boeing, Bosch and BMW.”
The Graduate School serves as an umbrella for CSU’s graduate programs and works with the deans and directors to raise the profile of all the programs. The university has master’s programs in nursing, criminal justice, education, business administration, organizational leadership and organizational management.
In addition, certificate programs are available in entrepreneurship, human resource management, nursing education, operations management, organizational leadership and supply chain management.
Two more master’s programs will begin this year in computer science and Christian studies. “On the front burner is another exciting master’s program in athletic training that will hopefully begin within the next year,” said Peper. “We’ve got some good people here who really know their stuff,” he said.
“My job is to get out and spread the word. It’s an exciting time to be here with all the growth and the direction of the school. It’s cool to see just how far it has come through the years.”
Peper, an award-winning journalist, was previously the multimedia producer for the Post and Courier and will continue writing his I’m Just Sayin’ column for the newspaper.
