Columbia Southern University Welcomes Goldstein as Interim Provost

Columbia Southern University (CSU) welcomes Barry Goldstein, Ph.D., as the interim provost of the university. CSU’s previous provost and chief academic officer Jeffrey Barksdale recently joined Columbia Southern Education Group, the parent company of CSU, as vice president of special programs.

Goldstein holds approximately 40 years of experience as a research scientist, educator, administrator and accreditor in higher education.

He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Adelphi University in 1975 and a doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1979. After serving as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Goldstein joined the faculty at the Medical College of Georgia in 1981 and rose to tenured professor. In 1991, he became vice president for academic affairs at the Medical College of Georgia and served as chief academic officer until he retired in August 2010.

Upon retiring, Goldstein was the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, which he earned in 2008. He currently holds the title of provost and professor emeritus at the Medical College of Georgia, now known as Augusta University.

In 2010, Goldstein became a vice president at the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC). During his tenure at SACSCOC, he facilitated training experiences for academic administrators, CEOs, committee chairs and others as it relates to accreditation. He retired in 2018 as vice president and started an accreditation consulting service for colleges and universities.