About Columbia College

Established in Calgary in 1986

Non-profit institution

200+ full-time and part-time faculty and staff

Serving over 4,000 adult learners per year

Classroom-based and on-line courses

Providing education primarily to non-traditional learners

Provides up to the first two years of university

For greater insight into higher education learning and Columbia’s approach to education, please see our Foundation Documents.

Click here to read Columbia’s Human Rights and Diversity Policy.

Each year Columbia College conducts surveys of stakeholders to better understand the challenges and to celebrate the successes each year. These reports are reviewed by the College and the management team. This information is used to create an action plan to move forward in continuously improving the College.
To view the most recent report (covering September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2014) –Click here.

Commitment to the Community

The Columbia Learning Society

To help individuals, Columbia College established an independent and separate non-profit society called The Columbia Learning Society. The Society’s principle aim is to provide bursaries to children and adults who wish to attend workshops, seminars, courses or programs at Columbia College.

The Columbia Learning Society has been active since September 2002. To date, over 3700 adults and children utilized bursaries to attend classes, workshops or tutoring sessions at Columbia College.

For a current list of workshops running please see our Free Learning page.

Bursaries

Each year a limited number of bursaries are provided to those individuals attending Columbia College who have been identified as potential candidates based on the society’s established needs criteria.

Community Relations

College personnel visit schools and community groups to provide information about the College and offer a variety of services such as free resume-building workshops. They also participate in career days and trade shows and distribute information to prospective students and student advisors.

The College is committed to developing the community. The College demonstrated this commitment by establishing an independent and separate non-profit society, The Columbia Learning Society. The Society offers bursaries to attend workshops, courses, or programs at Columbia College.

Computer Donation Program and Charitable Events

Columbia College regularly donates computers that are being replaced to its students who may need a computer and to community groups who identify this as a need for their group. During 2012 Columbia College donated 30 computers to its students and community groups. The College also spends time each year having fundraising events for various charitable organizations.

Dental Services

Columbia College offers dental x-rays, dental polishing, and fluoride treatments and sealants to individuals for a fee of $10 in February/March and August of each year. The dental appointments are provided by students from the “Dental Assistant Professional Program”, under the supervision of our dental staff and dentist. The dentist will screen suitable candidates and prescribe x-rays for admission to polish and fluoride clinics. Dental Assistant Professional Program students will then provide the service. The x-rays will be given to participants to take to their own dentist for
a complete dental examination. (These Columbia College Dental Services may be valued at $350.00 in a private dental clinic.)

For more information, please visit our Patient Care page.

International Day

Each year students of the English as a Second Language Program and our Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) host International Day, a celebration meant to showcase the College’s cultural diversity. The event features over 25 different cultural groups creating interactive displays and activities highlighting the music, dance, food, and traditions of their particular community.

For pictures of our most recent event, visit our FLICKR site.

View our list of holidays and bonus days for 2016 by viewing the document: Holiday Dates 2016.

View our list of holidays and bonus days for 2017 by viewing the document: Holiday Dates 2017.

Recognition of the College

We are proud of the following list of organizations which represent the level and diversity of recognition the College has achieved. The list includes accreditation, licenses, memberships and professional associations. Either the College or its employees have a formal relationship with:

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
Adult Higher Education Alliance
Alberta Association of Career Colleges
Alberta Association for Supported Employment
Alberta College of Paramedics
Alberta Corrections
Alberta Council of Disability Services
Alberta Education
Alberta Education – Teacher Certification
Alberta Education, Private Institutions Branch
Alberta Teachers of English as a Second Language
American Management Association
American Marketing Association
Association of Canadian Community Colleges
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
Athabasca University
CAEL – Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
Career Development Association of Alberta
Calgary Area LINC Coordinators Committee
Calgary Community of Adult Learning Association
Calgary Region Community Board, Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Canadian Association for Supported Employment
Canadian Criminal Justice Association
Canadian Dental Assistant Association
Canadian Military Police
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
City Police Forces in Alberta including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta
College of Alberta Dental Assistants
College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA)
Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada
Electronic Recycling Association
Human Resource Institute of Alberta
Immigrant Language and Vocational Assessment Referral Centre (ILVARC)
Immigrant Services Calgary
National American University
National Dental Assistants Examination Board
Royal Roads University