Columbia College president announces retirement

The president of Columbia College has stepped down, the school announced Tuesday.

Carol A. Moore, who had been president since 2016, will be replaced by former President Peter Mitchell, who will serve in an interim capacity, according to a press release from the school.

“Dr. Moore has been invaluable to our mission,” Board of Trustees Chair Toby Goodlett said in a news release. “We respect her decision to step away at this time to care for her family and her health and we want to express our appreciation for her unwavering dedication to our school and mission.”

Moore’s resignation is effective immediately, said spokeswoman Erika Dawkins.

Columbia College is a private, four-year school in North Columbia with an enrollment of roughly 1,300, according to the S.C. Commission on Higher Education. Historically, the school was women-only, but today, men are allowed to take online, night and weekend courses, according to Columbia College’s website.

The school chose Mitchell as an interim president because the board wanted a “familiar voice” to help respond to coronavirus and to guide the school’s transition to being a co-ed school, according to the release.

Mitchell had been serving as a consultant to the school for the last 13 years, according to the release.