Announcements
Professor Katznelson will continue serving as Interim Provost through 2020.
President Bollinger announced the first Columbia community deaths due to COVID-19, recognized the incredible work being done by the Medical Center and by frontline workers, and explained how virtual Class Days and Commencement would be handled.
Dr. Rustgi's appointment will begin on July 1, 2020.
I am postponing instruction for the first three days of next week. Classes will continue virtually on Thursday, March 26th. All classes this semester will be graded pass/fail. We cannot go forward with Commencement Ceremonies on May 20, as planned. And, unfortunately, we are not in a position at this moment to announce an alternative plan.
Any student who can leave must leave, by Tuesday, March 17. We must take steps to reduce our research activities to those that are “essential.” We need to close various non-academic areas that bring people together in large groups, such as the gymnasium and our Chapel.
As of Monday, March 16, we are asking only designated personnel who are required to perform essential functions to report to work on-site.
All classes for the remainder of the semester will be conducted online. Students who are able to move out of undergraduate residence halls for the rest of the semester are encouraged to do so.
The person from our community who was exposed to the virus has been tested and the early results are negative. Classes will resume virtually tomorrow. Virtual classes will continue through the week after Spring Break.
Columbia is suspending classes on March 9 and 10 and preparing to shift to remote classes for the remainder of the week.
President Bollinger announces new steps in the formation of a climate change school and the appointment of a Climate Change Officer. The University will also seek divestment recommendations and is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. And as the University seeks to become more sustainable, Commencement 2020 will be plastic water-bottle free.
For more than seven decades Mike was an adored and respected Columbia fixture—first as a student, then teacher, Dean, Provost, and President who served for thirteen remarkable years.
It is with deep sadness that I write regarding the tragic death of Barnard student Tessa Majors. As many of you may be learning this morning, Tessa was attacked while walking through Morningside Park yesterday evening. Despite the efforts of the doctors and nurses at St. Luke’s Hospital, Tessa succumbed to the injuries she sustained in the attack.