We welcome you to the fall 2020 semester at Columbia and extend an extra special welcome to our new students. (Please see a special message for new students here.) Columbia is recognized as one of the most remarkable universities and research centers globally, with award-winning faculty, extraordinarily gifted students, and experienced and knowledgeable staff. This is a place where great minds come together and great ideas come to life.
We enter this academic year during an unprecedented time. As Senior Vice Dean Cohen has repeatedly said, “If you cannot come to Columbia, we will bring Columbia to you.” We want to thank all those whose tireless work over many months has made this multi-modality possible. As we embark on this new semester together, we also ask for patience, and even compassion, entering a fall like no other.
For those of you able to join us physically in New York City, please know that Columbia has made great efforts to create a safe learning environment. However, the safety of our environment is almost wholly dependent on the actions we take as a community. You have received much information about the University’s Compact, required training, and other responsibilities we have to each other. We must all do these things, encourage each other to do so, and be supportive of one another as we learn to navigate this new reality. For more about all of this, the University’s Resource Guide is a great place to start.
When you become a student of Columbia University, you become part of an exclusive, diverse, and resilient community filled with the bright minds of Nobel laureates, academic scholars, political figures, innovative scientists, medical prodigies, and experts in various fields. Our values have developed and evolved over centuries due to diligent work and perseverance from those who have come before you. We can’t wait to see what you will add to this rich legacy.
We wish you all a safe and healthy new academic year.
Sincerely,
Dean Eggers and SPS Student Government
