Get ready for Koalaween! 🎃 Join the Columbia College community for an opportunity to connect, celebrate, and enjoy the spirit of the season. October 28th 5:00pm-8:30! #ColumbiaCollegeSC #Koalaween

Columbia College has been awarded a $2.7 million federal grant to prepare teachers to support English learners across South Carolina. Through Collaborative Pathways to English Learner Achievement (CPELA), a five-year project with the SC Department of Education and the Kershaw County, Marlboro County, and Lexington Two school districts, we’ll help current and future teachers earn ESOL qualifications, with the grant fully covering tuition for coursework. Read the full story ➡️ bit.ly/4ifQh5J

It’s Transfer Student Week, and we’re celebrating a Koala who shows just how far a transfer path can take you. When Alivia Cunningham ‘25 transferred to Columbia College in 2023, she wanted small classes and professors who knew her name. She found both, plus mentors who helped shape her future. Today, she’s a graduate instructor at Clemson University, pursuing her master’s in English literature, and she says Columbia College prepared her for it. To all our transfer Koalas: we’re so glad you’re here. Read Alivia’s full story ➡️ bit.ly/3U5WyJn #CCofSC #KoalaPride #TransferStudentWeek

Future Scholars in the house! 💜 Last week’s Honors Preview Reception brought the region’s top seniors to campus for dinner, a welcome from our President, and a moment in the spotlight as they were recognized in front of faculty, deans, and current students. We hope to see you back here next fall! 🎓 #CCofSC #FutureScholars

Homecoming week kicks off MONDAY, and Koalas, we've got six days of pride, spirit, and fun lined up: 🎡 Mon 10/19: College Day at the SC State Fair 🔥 Tue 10/20: Homecoming Block Party with s'mores, food trucks, music and a bonfire 🏀 Wed 10/21: Faculty/Staff vs. Student Basketball, Grocery Store Bingo and White Out soccer 🏀 Thu 10/22: Men's Basketball Opening Night vs. Trinity College, 8 p.m. 🏈 Fri 10/23: Women’s Basketball Scrimmage & Showcase plus the Ludy Bowl Championship ⚽ Sat 10/24: Soccer doubleheader vs. Johnson University (11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.), then Men's Basketball vs. Paine College at 6 p.m. 🎶 Sun 10/25: Gospel Concert 🏫 Thinking about joining the Koala family? Saturday is also our Fall Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tour campus, meet our faculty, then stick around and cheer on the Koalas! Register at the link in our bio. Students, alumni, families, and friends, wear your purple and come home to Columbia College. 💜 #CCofSC

Columbia College will be closed Monday and Tuesday, October 12-13, for Fall Break and will reopen Wednesday, October 14, at 8:30 AM. What do you plan to do for Fall Break, Koalas? #FallBreak26🍂

Columbia College has been awarded $1.24 million in first-year Title III funding to launch a five-year initiative supporting classroom upgrades, faculty development, AI-supported learning, and student success. Read more about this exciting news: bit.ly/4ANWoqB

Columbia College has appointed Dr. Johnna Herrick-Phelps as its new Dean of Online and Digital Learning. An accomplished academic leader with more than 20 years of experience in higher education, Herrick-Phelps brings extensive expertise in online education, instructional quality, faculty development, academic operations, and student success. Read more ➡️ bit.ly/3VglE8s

The 2026–2027 academic year is officially underway! Koalas gathered at College Place Church on Sept. 10 for Convocation. President John H. Dozier welcomed the community and introduced this year's theme: Be Different. Be the Difference. Speaker Dr. Marlee Marsh shared a simple, powerful message: just show up. "You don't have to have college figured out today. You just have to show up for today." Welcome back, Koalas — let's make this year count. 🐨 Read more ➡️ bit.ly/4yA5DIO

Columbia College kicked off Fall 2026 with strong momentum: growth among returning undergrads (especially online!), grad enrollment up nearly 15% over last year, and three brand-new programs launching, including Environmental Health, Culture & Media Studies, and Graphic Design. "There is nothing quite like the energy that comes with the start of a new academic year," said President John H. Dozier. "That continued growth tells us that students see Columbia College as a place where they can build their future." Welcome back, Koalas. Here's to a great year ahead! 💜 Read more ➡️ bit.ly/46DRi27

From move-in madness to Welcome Weekend festivities, our first-years and transfer students officially kicked off their Columbia College journey in style! And a huge welcome back to our returning Koalas, who moved back in and made campus feel like home again. Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a warm welcome for all of our students. And now, the light is back on campus. Classrooms are filled, sidewalks are busy, and a new semester is officially underway. Here's to a first day full of learning, connection, growth, and moments worth remembering. Happy first day of classes, Koalas! 💜 #CCofSC

New year, new Koalas! Meet the faculty joining Columbia College for 2026-2027 — and three brand-new academic programs launching this fall. We're welcoming new faculty and academic leaders whose expertise spans special education, physical therapy, digital learning, biology, and library science, as well as new lecturers supporting our online community. And students now have three new paths to choose from: Culture & Media Studies, Graphic Design, and Environmental Health. New colleagues. New programs. Same Koala spirit. Read more ➡️ bit.ly/4xxhAyX

Dear Columbia College Community, It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of Raekwon Cave '25. Raekwon, who earned his Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies and was part of the first Call Me MiSTER cohort, was widely respected in our community for his mentorship, faith, and readiness to support others. We ask that you keep his family and all who love him in your thoughts during this difficult time.

Meet Willy Calcaño '27! This rising senior is spending his summer as a Communication Specialist II with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), working in the Fusion Center on the Operations Desk. Majoring in Forensic Psychology with a minor in Business, Willy is gaining hands-on experience that's fueling his long-term goal: a career with the FBI. Between answering calls, coordinating with agents, and processing requests, he's learning patience, attention to detail, and how to turn mistakes into growth. On campus, Willy is a Student Ambassador in Admissions, a sprinter and captain on the track and field team, and Secretary of the Criminal Justice and Pre-Law Club. But he says the biggest credit goes to his mom: "She is my hero. The sacrifices she made for me to be where I am today mean everything to me." Read more ➡️ bit.ly/4xOlEuq

Campus is about to come alive again! 💜 We can't wait to welcome our students back to a refreshed Columbia College this fall. Over the summer, we've been hard at work making improvements across campus to enhance the student experience. Here's what's new: 🌳 A beautiful new green space where the former Daniel Energy Facility and Humphries Hall once stood 🎨 Freshly painted classrooms in the Bush Science Center 🛏️ Brand-new beds and mattresses in McNair Hall 🍽️ A completely renovated Student Union food serving area, with a new "You Cook" station and a reusable To-Go Box program to help reduce waste We can't wait for our students to return, experience these upgrades, and make even more memories on campus this year! #CCofSC

Big news for our Honors Program 💜 For the second year in a row, Columbia College's Dr. John Zubizarreta Honors Program has been named a Partners in Peace institution, an honor from the National Collegiate Honors Council in partnership with the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo. This year, our Honors students took on food access and sustainability, helping establish urban gardens at elementary and middle schools in the 29203 ZIP code, plus one right here on campus. They also connected with Henrik Syse, a former member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, at the NCHC Annual Conference. Proud of these students for turning what they learn in the classroom into real change in our community. 🐨 #CCofSC Read more ➡️ bit.ly/4zlSF2Q

From the classroom to Charleston's luxury hospitality scene! 🏨✨ Business major Guerson Estervil spent his summer in the Intern Cultural Enrichment Program (ICEP), working at The Spectator Hotel and French Quarter Inn, and he walked away with a full-time job offer waiting after graduation. He's only the second Koala ever selected for this competitive program. Way to go, Guerson! 💜 #CCofSC Read more ➡️ bit.ly/4g5ObV5

📸 New Photo Album: 24K Edition 💜🐨 A camera roll full of new faces, unforgettable moments, and the very beginning of so many college journeys. Here's a look back at this year's 24K Experience, where future Koalas spent 24 hours discovering campus life, making connections, and creating memories that will last far beyond move-in day. #24KExperience #FutureKoalas #ColumbiaCollegeSC

"Even though it was a small campus, it immediately felt like home," she says. "I knew this was a place where I could make a name for myself while having people who truly wanted to see me succeed. A member of the class of 2027, Robinson is majoring in Communication with minors in Athletic Coaching and Global Sports Business and Leadership. She has shaped her Columbia College experience around leadership, involvement, and a passion for sports. This summer, she is bringing those interests together as a photography intern with the Lexington County Blowfish, a summer collegiate baseball team in the Coastal Plain League. Read more ➡️ bit.ly/4fSR10I

Today, the Columbia College family mourns the loss of one of our own. As family and friends gather in Houston this week to celebrate Janice's life, I wanted to share a few reflections. Janice Suber McNair '59 was more than one of Columbia College's most devoted alumnae. She was family. For nearly seven decades, she remained deeply connected to the college that helped shape her life, never forgetting the friendships, mentors, and experiences that began here. When Janice walked across our campus, she wasn't simply returning to a place she once attended. She was coming home. Read more ➡️ bit.ly/4wQ7Qz0