Dear fellow members of the Columbia community:
Fortunately, our campuses were spared serious damage from Hurricane Sandy. At the same time, we are painfully aware of the wake of destruction the storm has left on the city and the region. Collectively, we extend our concern for those whose lives, families, and neighborhoods have been most seriously affected by flooding, loss of power, and other damage.
Many here at the University have devoted very long days and nights to maintaining the well-being of our campus community, and I want to extend a special thanks to them for these efforts. Our residential students have seen first-hand what Columbia staff have been willing to do in order to ensure that meals continue to be served, buildings and grounds are secured, essential services are maintained, and library reading rooms remain open for study. With expert coordination by our Emergency Management Operations Team, staff members have worked long hours and stayed overnight in makeshift accommodations to ensure that everyone else's life is a little easier.
Our city and surrounding communities have much hard work to do in recovering from this historic storm. But as we find the ways to both assist these efforts and begin the process of returning to our normal routines and responsibilities, we are grateful to everyone at Columbia whose professionalism and dedication make a difference not only this week, but every week at our University.
My thanks and best wishes to all,
Lee C. Bollinger