Inside the Gate

College receives $1.38m to assist students

A $1.38 million grant will help first-generation and low-income students and students with disabilities in the Day program earn their degrees. The grant will provide funding through the TRIO Student Support Services Program for the next five years. This is the fourth time the college has received a grant renewal since its establishment in 2001. TRIO staff are expected to support 172 students this year through tutoring, peer mentoring, financial literacy programs, career services workshops, cultural awareness activities and preparation for graduate school. –SF

Expanding educational opportunity for City employees

A partnership with the City of Columbia offers the City’s 1,500 employees a discounted tuition rate and helps them pursue additional educational opportunities through the college’s online and evening classes on Main Campus.

“Recruiting and retaining a trained and well-educated workforce is critical for the City of Columbia,” said Columbia Mayor Brian Treece. “Thanks to this new partnership, City employees will have the opportunity to continue their education, improve their skills and deliver better service to taxpayers.” –SF

Students can apply online at apply.cis.edu, or contact Admissions at (573) 875-7352 or admissions@ccis.edu.

National Science Foundation grant spurs student to research career

As our world continues to become more and more connected through technology, securing digital networks becomes increasingly critical. For the second time in six years, a Columbia College undergraduate is contributing to research that will further that goal.

Michael Fisher, a senior computer science major from Moberly, was one of 10 students selected to participate in this summer’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Missouri’s College of Engineering. The 10-week program is funded by a multi-year grant provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Fisher noted that Columbia College’s Computer Science program continues to pump out a consistent pipeline of high-quality alumni.

I had never written a single piece of code before I got to CC, and now here I am.

While initially concerned he might not have the ability to keep pace with his peers from much larger schools, Fisher instead found that the foundation laid by his instructors at CC was precisely the cause of his success at REU.

“I just cannot evangelize the department that we have at Columbia College enough. When I went to Mizzou and I’m working on par with this person who’s about to defend her Ph.D. and this guy who has been working in the industry that’s working on his master’s, I realized that I can work with them. I’m not out of my depth at all, and that’s such an incredible feeling. I had never written a single line of code before I got to CC, and now here I am.” –KF

Alumni share memories on Facebook #WeAreCC

Bill Seibert ’10 stands on the steps of Missouri Hall, 1974-75.

Christopher Itai Cardona ’13 dresses for National College Colors Day, 2020. His sweatshirt reads, “Never underestimate a man who graduated from Columbia College.” Agreed!

Missouri Hall roommates and 1971 graduates Kathy Whiteside, Corinne “Corky” Myer Baggett, Christine Boyle, Cynthia “Benji” Beneki Risman and Jane Berkemeier Howard hold roses gifted by seniors at the Ivy Chain Ceremony in May 1970.

Stay connected: facebook.com/columbiacollegealumni

New Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Center underway; “Juneteenth” becomes official college holiday

Williams Hall

President Scott Dalrymple has approved two major initiatives recommended by the college’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. While largely symbolic, Dalrymple acknowledges these advancements come during a heightened time of social unrest in the world where “symbols matter.”

The college’s oldest building, Williams Hall, was built in the 1840s when slavery was still legal in Missouri. “I can think of no better fate than to transform it into a modern Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Center,” Dalrymple says. Preliminary designs are being discussed and fundraising efforts are underway.

“This summer, many Americans became more familiar with the historical significance of June 19,” says Dalrymple. He noted that while President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 — freeing all slaves in the Confederacy — enforcement was dependent on the Union Army’s advance. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that slaves in Galveston, Texas, were liberated. This date is now celebrated as Juneteenth. In recognition of the historical moment, Columbia College will recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday, starting June 2021. –CP

Singh named Provost and Senior Vice President

Dr. Piyusha Singh was promoted to Provost and Senior Vice President in July. In this expanded role, she will lead the college’s academic initiatives including the in-seat, online and virtual experiences. Singh also oversees Student Affairs, the Department of Athletics, the Institutional Compliance Department, International Programs and the Office of the Registrar. Singh, who is a founding member of the college’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and geography from Mount Holyoke College and a Ph.D. in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University. –SF