Columbia State Community College opens new Arts and Technology Building on its Williamson Campus
Community members, students, faculty, staff and administration gathered at Columbia State Community College’s Williamson Campus for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Thursday, Feb. 29, to celebrate the completion of the new Arts and Technology Building.
The beautiful structure is the first academic expansion since the Williamson Campus's original three buildings opened in 2016. It creates new opportunities for enrollment growth, community partnerships and additional course offerings. Dr. Dearl Lampley, Columbia State vice president of the Williamson Campus and external services, described how the new building will help the Williamson Campus.
“I’ve often been asked, ‘What’s the justification for another building?’” Lampley said. “And the answer is pretty simple. We ran out of space! All of you are familiar with the growth of Williamson County. Well, that’s correlated with the growth of this campus. It’s no secret that Columbia State is one of the primary choices for higher education for Williamson County graduates.”
The approximately 39,000-square-foot building houses classrooms, labs and student engagement space for existing and new workforce-oriented programs that include information technology, networking, cyber defense, data analytics, art and graphic design. Building features also include a student hub and a flexible instructional space with theater-style seating and a small stage.
In addition, Columbia State has established a collaboration with Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Dickson for digital graphic design and practical nursing to be taught at the Williamson Campus starting in May. It also houses the Jackson IT Center and the Pamela Stephens and Tim Kalthoff Innovation Lab, which includes an innovation makers space, arts lab and an electronic gaming room.
“It’s such a wonderful opportunity to be able to partner with Columbia State,” said TCAT Dickson President Laura Travis. “We’re excited for the future. We’re excited for our students and for the partnerships that they’ll have to continue their education if they choose to with Columbia State.”
Columbia State Foundation members and donors were also in attendance to tour and experience the new building. Bethany Lay, Columbia State vice president of advancement and executive director of the Columbia State Foundation, thanked them for their support of the project.
“If you are here, you are part of the success,” Lay said. “All of us here today—we are what puts community in our colleges.”
“Columbia State is a phenomenal institution and it does rival any university, not just in Tennessee, but in this country,” said Dr. Flora W. Tydings, Tennessee Board of Regents chancellor. “The quality of education that happens is number one, it cannot be replicated.”
For more information on Columbia State’s Williamson Campus, visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/Williamson.
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The College System of Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 24 colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving approximately 140,000 students. The system is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.