A Brief History of the College
On June 22, 1965, the State Board of Education approved Columbia as the site of Tennessee's first community college. Once the Board of Education had approved the location of a college in Columbia, the Maury County Quarterly Court approved a resolution to purchase the two hundred four-acre Hickman farm and pledged $250,000 to aid in the construction of the college.
Columbia State graduated its first class in June 1968. These students had enrolled in 1966, when the College was temporarily housed in the Education Building of the First Baptist Church and other facilities throughout the city. The Columbia campus was occupied in 1967. At that time the facilities were comprised of the administration, gymnasium, library, maintenance, student center, and science buildings.
The two-story Frank G. Clement Building was completed in 1969, and the maintenance building was remodeled and enlarged in 1970. In 1971, the Jones Student Center was enlarged and an athletic track was built. In February 1972, the John W. Finney Memorial Library was completed, and in 2017-2019 the John W. Finney Memorial Library was renovated, adding offices for Evening Services, Trio, and the Tutoring and Learning Center. The redesign added an open first floor plan with 50 computers and a cafe. The second floor now has 2 large conference rooms, 7 study rooms, a computer lab with a teaching station, and several open reading areas. In the spring of 1976, the Health Sciences Building was completed. On August 10, 1989, the Natatorium, a mini-Olympic indoor swimming pool, was dedicated. The most recent building, the Waymon L. Hickman Building, was completed in 2001. In 2011 Columbia State completed a redesign of the original Natatorium into a Wellness Center, in 2014 the Jones Student Center was renovated and in 2019 the John W. Finney Memorial Library went through a renovation with the addition of multiple computer labs and conference rooms.
In January 1988, Columbia State began offering courses in the Yates Vocational Center in Franklin. In 1994, the facility was transferred to the Tennessee Board of Regents, providing a permanent location for the College's Williamson Campus. In 2016, the campus moved to a new location. Three additional semi-permanent sites have since been established in leased facilities: the Lawrence Campus, opened in 1988; the Lewisburg Campus, opened in 1996; and the Clifton Campus, opened in 1997. In 2016, an entirely new Williamson Campus opened at 1228 Liberty Pike, replacing the Yates Building location. In 2021 the Lawrence Campus moved to the Southern Tennessee Higher Education Center, which is located at 169 Southern Tennessee Lane.
Mission, Vision and Values
Mission
Columbia State Community College nurtures success, and positively changes lives through teaching, learning, and service.
We are committed to:
The core values of access, community, excellence, innovation, integrity, learning, respect and success. These values guide and direct Columbia State as we pursue our vision.
Vision
Columbia State will be the "1st Choice" for citizens of South Central Tennessee seeking post-secondary learning and hailed as outstanding by students, community partners, and national benchmarks as a student-ready college.
Our Foundation
Student success at Columbia State is defined as the completion of educational, professional and personal goals resulting from increased knowledge and skills. Success encourages lifelong learning, promotes responsible citizenship and enhances the quality of life for self and others.
Our Responsibility
Columbia State intentionally cultivates a climate which values every individual student, employee and community member and fosters success for all. We recognize and embrace individual differences through a culture of listening and empathy to achieve excellence, including social and economic opportunity.
Campus Locations
There are five locations throughout southern Middle Tennessee.
Columbia State serves a nine-county area in Middle Tennessee: Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Hickman, Marshall, Maury, Perry, Wayne and Williamson.
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AdmissionsColumbia State - A great place to start!
AcademicsThe courses offered at Columbia State are gateways to growth. Through the gateways–and in those classes–you’ll learn about your world and about yourself; you’ll discover new careers and you’ll grow.
Campus LifeWe understand that your personal and professional growth isn’t limited to what you learn in the classroom. Or rather, at Columbia State, the entire campus and its surrounding community is your classroom.
AthleticsColumbia State fields five NJCAA Division I teams. The Chargers have routinely moved on to Division I programs, been drafted by Major League Baseball clubs, and more. Go Chargers!
Arts & EntertainmentWe celebrate the important role of the arts in a well-rounded education. In addition to the books read, tests taken and study groups formed that make up our students’ academic growth, we also provide a wide range of cultural and intellectual opportunities.
Workforce & Continuing EducationIf you want to develop new skills, improve your organization’s performance or just learn new things, you have found the right place!
