The Columbia College Leadership Vision
 
Imagine. Imagine between 500 and a thousand young women a year emerging with the courage, confidence, commitment, and competence to build a better world. Imagine the effect they can have on government, business, education, human relations, the arts, technology and the sciences, and the ways we understand and communicate with each other.  Imagine the states that comprise the Southeast no longer lagging behind in women’s economic autonomy, physical well-being, and political participation. Imagine thousands of now challenged women making important contributions to the region’s economy, tax structure, and social progress.  Imagine the economic and social benefits they can bring to all citizens.

At Columbia College we have committed our imaginations to creative action, with initiatives and strategies by which we will achieve our goal—improvement in the status of women in the Southeast.  For 152 years, Columbia College has worked to educate women to be of service.  In 1854, that meant changing the social mix by ensuring that women had the opportunity to develop their minds through higher education.  In the 20th century it meant working for the right to vote and equal rights for all.  Today’s women leaders must be able to envision themselves as empowered with the confidence, skills, and knowledge to solve 21st century global problems.

The center of our focus on empowering women is our women’s college.  The heart of the college is our liberal arts program, and its excellence is crucial to our success.  In addition to support for the traditional program, the plan calls for completion of our infusion of leadership development throughout the curriculum.  For our goals to succeed, every student will be directed to examine her leadership potential through development of her Courage, Confidence, and Commitment in such college-wide experiences as mentoring and a personalized leadership semester.  In addition, each must hone her Competence through a major field of study which is infused with a leadership emphasis. The “4Cs,” as we call these steps toward leadership, will be a unifying thread through each student’s college experience.

Our commitment to elevate the status of women through leadership programming led to the creation of our Leadership Institute which serves both our students and girls and women throughout South Carolina and beyond. Research and experience tell us that the drop in confidence and courage that too often affects young women begins in middle school—long before they become our students.  Our commitment to elevating the status of women must begin there, too, and that has led to the creation of our summer leadership camps for girls.  It is also important to our success that we extend our leadership development to women beyond college years through offerings in our evening and graduate programs, and through programs for women at all stages of their careers.  There is exciting new potential for elevating the status of women through our pioneering Alliance for Women, which is in partnership with the governor’s South Carolina Commission on Women.

Columbia College programs, initiatives, and resources will underpin the success of our vision:  we will enhance the status of women and through them the future of our world beyond imagination.