Columbia State Community College’s (CSCC) Williamson Campus unveiled an innovative new building on Thursday that will help propel students into exciting futures.
The newest addition to the campus — the Arts and Technology building — houses a brand-new IT center, Innovation Lab, Flexible Instruction Space (FIS) and a nursing program partnership with Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT).
Serving as both an alleviation to crowded classrooms and a step into the future, the building is a testament to CSCC’s commitment to quality higher education.
“It’s no secret that Columbia State is one of the primary choices for higher education for Williamson County graduates,” said Dearl Lampley, VP of CSCC Williamson campus and external services. “In fact, we were the number one choice until the University of Tennessee started winning football games.”
When the Williamson campus opened in 2019, first semester enrollment numbers surpassed its capacity.
“All of you are familiar with the growth of Williamson County — well that’s correlated with the growth of our campus,” Lampley said.
That first year, administrators scrambled to convert just about any open room into a classroom to serve the 400 unexpectedly additional students. Now, the fourth building on campus will offer an extra 300 classroom seats and 100 student engagement seats.
In the new IT and Innovation labs, students have the opportunity to learn and use new technologies like virtual reality, 3D printing and more. The FIS serves as both a large classroom and a theater for school performances or community events. Eventually, a community outdoor space with walking trails, a frisbee golf course and places for students to hang hammocks will join the campus.
The Arts and Technology building also provides a dedicate space for practical nursing and digital graphic design programs in partnership with TCAT Dickson.
“It is such a wonderful opportunity to be able to partner with Columbia State,” said Laura Travis, president of TCAT Dickson. “We’re excited for the future; we’re excited for our students.”
Bethany Lay, VP for advancement and executive director of CSCC Foundation, thanked a long list of people who contributed to the project. Notable donors Pamela Stephens and Tim Kalthoff are now forever honored as the namesakes of the building’s Innovation Lab.
“Many of you have donated numerous hours to this effort, but if you are here, you are a part of the success,” Lay said. “All of us here today, we are what puts community in our college’s name.”
CSCC President Janet Smith was unable to attend the ceremony, but her dedicated presence was felt, nonetheless.
“To make this campus and this fourth building a reality for the community and the college has been a passion of [Smith’s],” Lay said. Lampley added that the building was only possible because of Smith’s commitment and determination.
The building’s project manager from the Tennessee Board of Regents, Gwyn Bean, summarized the significance of the opening and what the building will truly mean to the community.
“It’s a thousand decisions that are made by hundreds of people to try to make a difference in the community and we very much appreciate the opportunity to be able to do that,” said Bean.
Find more information about CSCC at https://www.columbiastate.edu/campuses/williamson.html.
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