Columbus State University (CSU) is dedicated to preserving the legacy of local native writer, poet, playwright, and essayist, Carson McCullers; nurturing writers and musicians, educating young people; and fostering literary, musical, artistic, and intellectual culture in the United States and abroad. Her childhood home, the Smith-McCullers House, serves as a museum and artist residency, offering fellowships for writers, artists, musicians, scholars, and filmmakers.