Dear fellow members of the Columbia community:
Kristine Billmyer, Dean of the School of Continuing Education, has informed me of her intention to step down as dean at the end of the coming academic year and return to the faculty at Columbia. For the past five years, Kristine has led the School through a period of dynamic change, innovation, and growth that has benefitted its students and their professions.
Under Kristine's leadership, the School has introduced a model of continuing higher education that reflects and leverages the diverse academic strengths of Columbia, establishing fifteen new programs and collaborations with the schools of Business, Engineering, Social Work, International and Public Affairs, Law, and Nursing, and with the Earth Institute. Notably, during a period of global experimentation and growth in online learning, the School established a sophisticated online and low-residency learning model. The model has become respected for effective use of interactive technology, giving rise to new courses, blended and online master's degrees, and certification programs in partnership with the schools of Social Work, Business, and International and Public Affairs. Internationally, the School has programmatic partnerships with over thirty institutions abroad, and new Continuing Education programs are launching this coming year at the Columbia Global Centers in Beijing and Paris, and elsewhere around the world.
Together these achievements have driven significant enrollment growth and contributed to the broader University community. Kristine will leave to her successor a school that is positioned to further enhance its contributions to Columbia and to the field of continuing education. As the year unfolds, there will be many occasions to celebrate her accomplishments. For the present, we extend our sincere appreciation to Kristine for her vision, leadership, and contributions, and we look forward to welcoming her as a member of our faculty.
Sincerely,
Lee C. Bollinger