Columbia College president completes nationwide campus tour

Columbia College’s nationwide network of campuses presents a challenge in management for President Scott Dalrymple, but he’s eager to be challenged— and he spent 82 nights on the road to prove it.

Dalrymple and his wife, Tina, completed a national tour of the college’s 36 extension campuses. In the process, they visited 13 states and traveled 23,295 miles, about 1,700 miles short of the Earth’s circumference. With the trip, Dalrymple followed through on a promise made during his introduction speech in January 2014.

In a press release, Dalrymple said: “I am so glad to have visited all of our campuses. I learned things that I never could have known sitting in Columbia. It was inspiring to see how we are changing lives all over the country.”

At each campus, Dalrymple’s agenda included a business strategy meeting with the campus director, a tour of the campus and an alumni event. Dalrymple’s visit to Columbia College’s Springfield campus drew the biggest crowd: 200 alumni, students and faculty went to a Springfield Cardinals baseball game.

“It’s easy to look at a piece of paper and say, ‘Oh, we have campuses all these places,'” said Sam Fleury, assistant director of public relations. “To get a feel for them, you have to go out and visit.”

The Dalrymples’ tour also included visits to Columbia College’s network of military campuses, located on 18 U.S. bases, including Guantanamo Bay. The school has partnered with the military since 1974 to give personnel an opportunity to earn a degree while working and living on a military base.

“Obviously, they have to approve us being there,” Fleury said, “so we try to maintain a good relationship in those places.”

Columbia College enrolls more than 18,000 students in its extension campuses, with locations as far west as California and as far east as New York.

Photo and infographic provided by Columbia College.