President Of Columbia College And His Wife Are Stepping Down From Their Roles

The President of Columbia College is stepping down.

According to a release, Dr. Scott Dalrymple is stepping down effective December 1^st due to family reasons.

Dalrymple’s wife, Dr. Tina Dalrymple, is also resigning as chair of the College’s nursing and health sciences programs.

Current Chair of the Board of Trustees, Dr. David Russel, will serve ask acting President until December, when the board will appoint an Interim President to lead the school until a permanent President is selected.

Dr. Scott Dalrymple, president of Columbia College since 2014, is stepping down as president for family reasons, effective December 1, 2020. Dalrymple’s wife, Dr. Tina Dalrymple, will also be resigning her position as chair of the College’s nursing and health sciences programs.

President Dalrymple said he will seek another presidency, but family is his top priority heading into 2021. The Dalrymples are both natives of Upstate New York. “Tina and I have a deep love for Columbia College and its students,” Dalrymple said. “They have become part of our family. But our actual family is in the Northeast, and we have both parents and children there who need our help as a result of the COVID pandemic.”

“Dr. Dalrymple leaves an impressive legacy at Columbia College,” said Dr. David Russell, chair of the Board of Trustees. “He strengthened the College’s academic offerings by adding new majors and sports opportunities. He developed a successful COVID-19 plan to safely bring students back to campus and worked with faculty and staff to develop a new “High-Flex” model that allows students to choose between in-seat or virtual learning on a daily basis.

“Dr. Dalrymple also completed several major building projects, including a new business school/residential space, developed the College’s main quadrangle into a focal point for academic life, and promoted efforts in support of diversity, equity and inclusion,” Russell said. “The Board of Trustees wishes the Dalrymples every success in their future endeavors.”

Russell will serve as Acting President of the College in a non-salaried capacity to provide continuity of leadership as provided for in the Board’s bylaws. Russell’s appointment will become effective Dec. 1, 2020. The Board will appoint an Interim President in the next few weeks to lead the College while the Board conducts a national search for a permanent President.