Columbia International University President Dr. Bill Jones and Provost Dr. James Lanpher will preside over two commencement ceremonies on Saturday May 2, conferring degrees on 429 graduates who have earned associate, bachelor, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Ceremonies will take place in Shortess Chapel on the CIU campus. Graduate students will walk the stage to be recognized at 8 a.m. and undergraduate students at 11 a.m.
Delivering the commencement address at both ceremonies will be Dr. Philip E. Dearborn, president of the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), an organization serving more than 170 institutions of biblical and Christian higher education across North America, collectively enrolling over 85,000 students. Under his leadership, ABHE advances academic excellence, institutional effectiveness, and mission fidelity among its member institutions.
Dearborn earned his undergraduate degree from Lancaster Bible College and completed both his Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees at Temple University in Philadelphia. Prior to assuming the presidency of ABHE, he served as provost of Lancaster Bible College, where he provided strategic academic leadership and oversight for institutional growth and innovation.
With more than 30 years of experience in higher education, Dearborn has served in a variety of leadership roles and has taught at the doctoral level. He currently contributes to the broader higher education and evangelical community through board service with the National Association of Independent Colleges & Universities (NAICU), the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), and the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE).
Founded in 1923, Columbia International University is private, Christian and multidenominational. With over 3,200 students studying on campus or online, CIU specializes in Bible-centered professional development that prepares students to impact the nations with the message of Christ in ministry, missions and the marketplace. CIU is recognized for its emphasis on biblical authority and world evangelization. www.ciu.edu
