Talking with Toby: Five questions with CC President Dr. Toby Arquette

Dr. Toby Arquette began his tenure as Columbia College’s 19th President on Monday, March 2.

Dr. Arquette has spent his first month engaging with stakeholders across the institution while introducing himself to students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners. His arrival coincides with the College’s 175th anniversary of improving lives through quality education.

In his third week on the job, CC Connected checked in with President Arquette to ask him about his first impressions of the Columbia College community:

From your very first day, you have spent time talking with students. What impresses you most about the Columbia College student body – both in Columbia and around the country? 

What impresses me most is the sense of purpose I find in nearly every conversation. Columbia College students, whether on the main campus, online or at one of our nationwide locations, know why they’re here. Many are balancing work, family and school at the same time, and they do it with remarkable focus and resilience. What also strikes me is how often students talk about feeling known here, not lost in a crowd. For a first-generation college student like me, that means everything, and it tells me something real about the culture of this place. 

As a leader who values working closely with faculty members, what has stood out to you in your opportunities to meet with Columbia College faculty? 

The faculty I’ve met are genuinely invested in the people sitting in front of them, not just the subject matter. I hear them talking about students by name, following up long after a course ends, showing up in ways nobody required of them. I’ve also been struck by how curious and forward-looking they are. They want to know what’s next for the field, for their students, for CC. That combination of deep care and intellectual energy is exactly what you hope to find, and I feel fortunate to be working alongside them. 

What have you observed about the dedication and impact of Columbia College staff? 

Our staff are the connective tissue of this institution, and what I’ve seen in these early weeks is a group of people who take that seriously. The dedication is real, and it shows up in small moments just as much as big ones. What has also stood out is how much institutional knowledge and history our staff carry. As a new president still finding my footing, that is an incredible gift. I want to make sure our staff knows how much their work matters, because it does, in ways that are hard to overstate. 

Columbia College is on the verge of eclipsing 100,000 alumni worldwide. What have you heard from alumni as you begin your tenure? 

What I hear most from alumni is genuine pride in this place and gratitude for what it made possible in their lives. They talk about faculty who changed their direction, about being given a real chance. What also comes through clearly is that they want to stay connected. They ask good questions about where the college is headed and they want to be part of it. As we approach 100,000 alumni worldwide, that energy is something I take seriously. Building real pathways for alumni to engage is a priority, not an afterthought. 

So far in the role, what have you learned about the College’s relationship with its many community partners and supporters? 

What I’ve picked up quickly is that Columbia College has earned something that takes most institutions generations to build, which is genuine trust in this community. Partners don’t talk about the college in transactional terms. They talk about it as a neighbor, a collaborator, something they feel connected to. I’ve also heard a clear appetite for doing more together. That kind of goodwill is not something you can manufacture. My job is to honor what’s already here, deepen those relationships and make sure we show up for this community the way it has shown up for us. 

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