Reach your potential in the areas of teaching, research, and service while achieving the vision and mission of the institution.

Professional Growth

Faculty are the foundation of the great work done for the students at Columbia College. The college is committed to building a culture of learning and professional growth for all faculty. 

  • Year-long program of support for first-year faculty
  • Monthly professional development sessions for all faculty and staff 
  • Faculty Workshop series at the beginning of each semester 
  • Tenure and Promotion Writing Workshops each summer 
  • Financial support for professional activities through faculty development grants 
  • Opportunities for leadership within programs and across campus 
  • Peer Mentoring Learning Communities 
  • Monthly Technology Tips 
  • Integrated Information Literacy personalized support for course development and faculty research 
  • Specialized Adjunct orientation resources 

Community 

We also focus on personal self-care, wellness, and community-building. 

  • Weekly community lunch 
  • Monthly health and wellness activities
  • Monthly faculty and staff coffee
  • End-of-semester celebrations
  • Summer campus community picnic
  • Off-campus faculty social time following faculty meetings
  • Access to fitness facilities and scheduled classes 

Faculty and Staff chatting at coffee event

Jill Eversmann, MS, CCC-SLP

Jill Eversmann helped start a new course at Columbia College to teach ASL signs to undergraduate students as well as provide them with practical experience teaching signs for young children with special needs to use with their parents.

Dr. Carole Sox

Along with Ph.D. credentials and over a decade of teaching experience, Dr. Sox brings almost 20 years of real-world experience in the corporate and non-profit arenas. She focused on sales and marketing, meetings and events, and management.

Traci Dingle, Ph.D., JD

Program Chair of Criminal Justice, B.A.
Program Director of Criminal Justice, M.A.—Online
Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice 

Hiluv Johnson, LMSW

Director of Counseling Services

Upcoming Faculty & Staff Events

Tuesday

December 17

Fall Commencement 2024

December 17, 2024 10:00 AM

Columbia College is excited to welcome graduates, friends, families, and loved ones to Commencement on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, to celebrate their exceptional academic achievements. The ceremony will also be live-streamed for those who can not
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Monday

December 23

Winter Break (Faculty and Staff)

December 23, 2024 - January 1, 2025

Columbia College offices will be closed from Monday, December 23, until Wednesday, January 1. Regular operating hours will resume on Thursday, January 2. Happy holidays!
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Wednesday

January 8

First Day of Spring Classes

January 8, 2025

Welcome back, Koalas! January 8 is the day full-semester Spring 2025 classes begin. We wish you the best of luck in the semester ahead!
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Monday

January 20

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 20, 2025

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy, all Columbia College offices will be closed on this day. Regular operating hours will resume on Tuesday, January 21.
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Tuesday

April 22

SpearsFest

April 22, 2025

SpearsFest is a day when members of the Columbia College community are invited to share with one another the wide variety of academic excellence and experiential learning occurring across campus. Students, faculty, and staff are all invited to
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Friday

May 2

Spring Commencement

May 2, 2025 10:00 AM

Columbia College is excited to welcome graduates, friends, families, and loved ones to Commencement on Friday, May 2, 2025, to celebrate their exceptional academic achievements. The ceremony will also be live-streamed for those who can not join us in
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First-Year Experience for Faculty

Columbia College is excited to welcome new faculty to campus. We've specifically designed a year of support that:

  • Provides orientation to the life of a faculty member at Columbia College
  • Supports your teaching and scholarship with professional development
  • Creates a community of support for future teaching, scholarship, service, and leadership at Columbia College

Ongoing Support

First-Year Faculty Lunches with the Provost 

Monthly gatherings of all first-year faculty take place for a time of sharing about faculty experiences. Invited guests may also participate to discuss topics of interest and explore opportunities taking place on campus. Lunch is provided by the Provost's office. 

When: 12:30- 1:20 p.m. (Common Hour) on select Thursdays throughout the semester.

Peer Mentor Learning Community  

Faculty will become members of small mentor learning groups to share experiences and provide support across the first year (and beyond). Each community is expected to meet as a group at least twice a semester, and guidance from Faculty Development will be provided to include observation and discussion resources. Each member is to partner with another to complete peer observations. 

When: Twice a semester on select dates throughout the semester. 

Virtual Monthly Minutes 

15-minute brown bag lunch virtual chats will provide information on topics to support new faculty at Columbia College. These will be recorded and shared with new faculty unable to attend. Topics include: 

August - Campus-wide Student Support  September - Major and General Education Requirements 

 

When: 12:30 - 12:45 p.m. (Common Hour) on select dates throughout the semester. 

  • October - Sticky Teaching Situations Panel 
  • November - Supporting Academic Integrity & Policies 
  • January - Establishing a Scholarly Agenda 
  • February - Faculty Governance, Service, and Advocacy 
  • March - Teaching, Service, and Research Balance 
  • April - Understanding the Evaluation Process 
Campus-Wide Professional Development Series  

A set of monthly learning opportunities with fellow colleagues designed to foster community while building the capacity of our faculty and staff. 

When: 12:30 - 1:20 p.m. (Common Hour) on select dates throughout the semester. 

Growing & Thriving Campus

"With our growth comes the need to expand academic offerings by adding to our already exceptional team of educators so that we may better serve our student body. I am thrilled to welcome new faculty members to the Columbia College family as we seek to equip our students with the tools they need to live lives of impact."