Columbia College’s intention is to hire the most academically qualified candidate for each faculty position in the college. In addition, each facilitator is expected to have a depth of relevant and current professional experience. This powerful combination enables our faculty to expose the students to both theoretical and practical applications related to each field of study. This helps students develop the ability to interact, discuss, analyze, recommend, apply, perform and solve today’s problems and tomorrow’s challenges.
Columbia’s faculty create and maintain a challenging and supportive learning environment in which the student can build a strong base of knowledge and ability. Students who have graduated from Columbia College feel this approach has been a major factor in their success.
Methods of Facilitation and Evaluation
Students are exposed to a wide range of learning techniques that focus on learning primarily through interactive experiences. This is why Columbia calls its course presenters, facilitators, as opposed to professors, instructors or lecturers. A facilitator in a single course of study may incorporate the case study method, individual or group presentations, guest speakers, experiential learning, discussion, role playing, panels or debates, demonstrations, simulations, lab work, field trips, or any other method that assists learners in the learning process.
Our faculty also uses a wide variety of evaluation methods to assess a student’s knowledge and/or skills. These normally include daily quizzes, short tests, papers, presentations, demonstrations, observations, final exams or evaluations, peer evaluations, or other such methods. These provide a clear and accurate assessment of our students’ knowledge and/or skills acquisition.
Columbia College’s faculty understands that what people hear they tend to forget, what they see they tend to remember, but what they do, they tend to understand. Therefore, emphasis in the classroom is placed on learning by doing.