About the Columbia State Community College Foundation

The Columbia State Community College Foundation’s mission is to support and partner with Columbia State to positively impact our communities and student success through the maintenance and enhancement of resources through excellence in relationship building, fundraising and investment management. Foundation management is under the direction of Bethany Lay, Executive for Advancement for Columbia State. Advancement also includes annual giving, alumni relations, community events and grants management.
In addition, for more than a decade the Foundation has partnered with Columbia State Community College, First Farmers Bank and other sponsors and patrons have successfully brought local and world-renowned artists to perform on the Cherry Theater stage as part of the Performance Series. The Foundation also supports the mission of the Pryor Art Gallery, located on the CSCC campus in Columbia, which strives to a first-class artistic venue where appreciation for all forms of visual art is enhanced through presentation of stimulating exhibits and programs that inspire, educate, enlighten, challenge and entertain.


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New Campus for Williamson County Closer to Reality




The College's Office of Advancement and Foundation leadership are working together to raise $3.64 in match funding for a state contribution of $36.4 million for a new campus for Williamson County.
Williamson County takes pride in its rich educational legacy. Across two centuries the county and its communities have recognized the value of education in creating a solid foundation for continuous growth and sustainable development. Public and private institutions of learning offer diverse and comprehensive educational choices, meeting and exceeding the expectations of Williamson County’s discerning citizens. Our local schools are consistently recognized as being among the best in the country, giving our young people a vast advantage as they prepare to enter the workforce or attend college.
An important component of our educational legacy is Columbia State Community College. Throughout the four decades that Columbia State has operated a campus in Franklin, educational opportunities have expanded, enrollment has increased and thousands of students have earned associates degrees or completed professional certificate programs. Columbia State has been proactive in developing courses that address anticipated workforce needs, even customizing selected Williamson County campus programs for emerging regional industries, such as entertainment, healthcare and technology. Additionally, the college’s relationship with area high schools gives college-bound students a convenient and affordable start through dual enrollment.
Of profound importance to Williamson County is the role Columbia State plays in economic development by upgrading the skills of our labor force. The college serves older, non-traditional students, some of whom are dislocated workers seeking to retrain for a new occupation or veterans returning from service to our country. Columbia State is highly attuned to the needs of local businesses, tailoring courses and curricula to the needs of local industries, often partnering with specific companies to provide customized job training or develop cooperative education programs that combine classroom learning and practical on-the-job experience. The college is positioned to participate with local government and industrial recruitment in initiatives to attract corporations to build or expand facilities here and to serve as a third-party training arm to teach local citizens the skills required by these new employers.
As a result of its increasing educational benefit to Williamson County, Columbia State’s existing facility is insufficient to meet growth demands. A new campus for Williamson County is an important investment in the community's economic future as well as its quality of life. Funds have been secured for land acquisition and for initial construction with a required community match.