Dr. Shantay Bolton becomes 11th president of Columbia College in Chicago
Columbia College has a new leader, as Dr. Shantay Bolton was installed as the school's eleventh president.
Bolton officially became president at a ceremony called "Renaissance Rising: 135 Years Bold" in the student center on Wabash in Chicago's Loop.
Bolton is the first woman of color and he first woman in nearly 90 years to lead the school.
She was appointed on July 1, 2025. She made a bold entrance to her installment ceremony Thursday, dancing to Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal."
"Her presence on campus has just been unlike any other presidents. And her connection to students and commitment to students has been evident since day one of her arrival this summer," said associate professor of history Erin McCarthy.
Every seat was filled inside the student center to celebrate the college's first Black woman president.
"Representation matters," Bolton said. "It matters because the students that I serve and all of the students that are throughout the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois and this nation and world, they need to see reflections of themselves."
Columbia College was founded in 1890 by two women. At the time it was called Columbia School of Oratory.
"I don't think that I knew Columbia was started by two women," said alumna Vanessa Hobson. "So, it was really inspiring to hear that and then hear about how she plans to carry their mission forward. It made me really want to be a part of helping her, supporting her."
Students' work was featured on every floor of the student center so those in attendance could see their work.
"The idea is to immerse our visitors in the experience of who Columbia is, but in the context in the backdrop of our city, Chicago," Bolton said.
The ceremony featured speakers and a musical interlude of students performing songs from "Grease."
Before joining Columbia College, she was the executive vice president for administration and finance and chief business officer at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Before that, she was executive vice chancellor for administration at Washington University in St. Louis.
She has also held key executive and leadership roles at Tulane University and Tuskegee University, according to Columbia College.
Dr. Bolton got her PhD from Walden University and her MBA from Florida International University. She got a BS and MS degree in psychology from Alabama A&M University, and has taught at institutions including the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech, Palm Beach State College and the Federal Executive Institute, Columbia said.
