2009-2010 Bulletin – PDF - SEAS Bulletin - Columbia University

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services designed to support a wide
range of co-curricular activities that help
build a sense of community, support
responsible student governance and
student group involvement, and further
students’ leadership development and
personal growth.
Student Development and Activities
staff members advise student organizations
recognized through the Activities
Board of Columbia (ABC), as well as
the student governments of The Fu
Foundation School of Engineering and
Applied Science and Columbia College.
SDA serves as resources for event
planning, organizational leadership,
and budgeting. The Office of Student
Development and Activities offers leadership
training workshops and helps
networking among student leaders and
administrative offices. In addition, the
SDA administers the Urban New York
Program, the New Student Orientation
Program, the Columbia Urban
Experience Program, and the Columbia
Outdoor Orientation Program.
Orientation
All new students are required to participate
in an orientation program that is
designed to acquaint them with the
University and its traditions, the administration
and faculty of The Fu Foundation
School of Engineering and Applied
Science, upperclass students, and New
York City. The New Student Orientation
Program (NSOP) for new undergraduate
students begins the week prior to the
start of the fall semester. NSOP is
intended to assist all new students with
the transition to college life.
Orientation is busy, exciting, and a lot
of fun, but it is also a week in which
important academic decisions are made.
Scheduled into the program are information
sessions and opportunities to meet
with academic advisers. Through large
group programs and small group activities,
student will be introduced to faculty
members, deans, resident advisers, and
other students. NSOP includes walking
tours of New York City, social events,
and information sessions on University
services and co-curricular opportunities.
During NSOP, new students have the
campus to themselves. This provides
students with a unique opportunity to
make friends and settle into life at
Columbia before classes begin.
Undergraduate students may e-mail
nsop@columbia.edu or call 212-854-
5808 for additional information on NSOP.
Orientation for graduate students is
scheduled during the week prior to the
beginning of each semester. For more
information on orientation for graduate
students, contact the Office of Graduate
Student Services.
Office of Student Group Advising
The Office of Student Group Advising
(OSGA) is committed to supporting the
programming of our faith-based, spiritual,
political, activist, and humanitarian
student organizations. In reaching to
fulfill this commitment, OSGA provides
programming in leadership skills, program
development, and organizational
management to all undergraduate student
organizations recognized by the
Student Governing Board (SGB) and
organizations recognized by the
Interschool Governing Board (IGB).
OSGA assists students in their development
as individuals, community members,
and leaders.
Issues of social responsibility and
civic engagement are central to the mission
of OSGA and the student organizations
that OSGA supports. OSGA strives
to encourage open dialogue at Columbia
University’s Morningside Campus and
seeks to find connections among student
groups. The Office of Student
Group Advising works to enhance the
undergraduate educational experience
by fostering a dynamic and enriching
University community, supporting
responsible student governance and
co-curricular activities, and offering programs
and opportunities focused on
civic and community engagement.
Through advising, the office encourages
critical thinking and the free exchange of
ideas by all of the student organizations
it supports.
Office of Multicultural Affairs
The Office of Multicultural Affairs is
devoted to promoting a just society and
exploring issues of interculturalism and
diversity within and beyond the Columbia
University community. By promoting
forums that address diversity issues,
self-discovery takes place along with a
greater awareness and appreciation of
cultural history within and between communities
on campus. We endeavor to
empower students, faculty, and staff
with the tools to be able to successfully
navigate their environments and thus be
able to positively change and impact the
community at large.
Programs and services provided by
Multicultural Affairs include the Columbia
Mentoring Initiative, a program connecting
incoming students with returning
students, and returning students with
alumni; Respecting Ourselves and
Others Through Education (ROOTED),
a peer diversity faciliation program;
Dessert and Discussion, the signature
lecture series; and the Intercultural
House (ICH), a unique residential experience
that is supportive of Multicultural
Affairs’ social justice goals.
Residential Programs
The Residential Programs staff, supervised
by the Assistant Dean of Community
Development and Residential Programs,
includes 8 professional staff, 13 graduate
students, and 130 undergraduates
who contribute to the growth, wellbeing,
and personal and intellectual
development of students. The staff
strives to enhance the quality of residential
life by cultivating an atmosphere conducive
to educational pursuits and the
development of community within the
student body. These contributions form
an integral part of a Columbia education
by stimulating mutual understanding and
by fostering an atmosphere based on
the appreciation of the differences and
similarities characterizing such a diverse
cultural community.
The undergraduate student staff,
resident advisers (RAs), and community
advisers (CAs) serve as role models for
their residents. They facilitate discussions
about community standards, provide
community building programs, and serve
as a resource for the residents. Their
RAs/CAs serve as the front line of a layered
on-call system and are trained to
respond to the variety of issues that
emerge in community life. As backup,
they have graduate assistants (GAs),
associate directors (ADs), and a dean-onduty.
SEAS 2009–2010