ABBOTSFORD, B.C.—Students in Columbia Bible College’s two-year program will now graduate with a diploma in human services and students in the degree program will earn a bachelor’s degree in counselling and human services. The new names are intended to better reflect the goals of each program, using current marketplace terminology. Darrin Derksen, counselling program director at Columbia, points to the natural fit between Columbia’s existing caregiving and counselling programs and human services. Human services is an emerging field of study that reflects a multi-disciplinary approach intent on supporting those coping with a range of struggles: economic disadvantage, mental health issues, addiction, familial issues or criminal justice. “Our students learn how to serve people through the lens of psychology, theology, anthropology, philosophy, communications and practical service learning,” explains Derksen. “These new titles more accurately represent their true potential in the community and the church.”
—Columbia Bible College