Campus Life

The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science attracts and admits an exceptionally  interesting, diverse, and multicultural group of students, and it takes steps to provide a campus  environment that promotes the continued expansion of each student’s ideas and perspectives. 

While the School is large enough to support a wide variety of programs, it is also small enough to  promote the close interaction among students, faculty, and administration that has created a strong sense  of community on campus. 

Undergraduate Student Life 

Undergraduate Student Life (USL) is comprised of Multicultural Affairs, Residential Life, and Student  Engagement. Collectively, these offices foster a vibrant community by promoting inclusivity,  encouraging responsibility, and creating and supporting opportunities for students to develop connections within and beyond Columbia's campus. Throughout the year, USL supports community events; provides leadership, cultural, and civic engagement programs and opportunities; offers diversity education and training; supports identity development and exploration; and advises students, student organizations, and residential communities. 

Multicultural Affairs 

Multicultural Affairs promotes an inclusive campus community by acting as an educational resource and  providing a supportive environment for personal exploration, intercultural connections, and intergroup  dialogue. Multicultural Affairs facilitates students' engagement with many facets of diversity, including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, country of origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity/expression. Offering programs in diversity education, social justice, leadership development,  advocacy, and mentoring. Multicultural Affairs also advises cultural and identity-based student organizations. In addition to serving as a resource for all students, Multicultural Affairs works with first-generation and low-income students, LGBTQ students, students of color, and international students through all phases of the campus experience. 

Residential Life 

Undergraduate student life begins within the residence halls, in which all first-year undergraduate students live. The University assigns rooms to incoming first-year Engineering and Columbia College undergraduate students in dedicated first-year residence halls. Once students have moved into their new campus home, they find themselves part of a residential system that offers undergraduates a network of social and academic support. 

Residential Life comprises a team of students, faculty, and professional staff who strive to enhance the  quality of the residential experience by cultivating an atmosphere conducive to educational pursuits and  developing community among the student body. This team includes resident advisers (RAs),  undergraduates who live in the residence halls and serve as peer mentors and educators. Residential Life helps facilitate connections among hallmates, provides programming opportunities, and supports shared community standards. Residential Life staff provide guidance through any challenges students may  experience adjusting to residential living at Columbia. 

Fraternity and Sorority Life is also a vibrant part of the residential experience and the Columbia  community, as are a number of special interest housing options. 

Student Engagement 

Student Engagement is committed to building a strong sense of campus community by providing programming that enhances leadership skills, fosters community engagement, and encourages the exploration of the variety of co-curricular opportunities available to students at Columbia. Student  Engagement staff advise the Columbia Engineering Student Council, as well as a broad range of student organizations recognized by the student governing boards and provide support for a host of community traditions and celebrations. Students can find opportunities for community building, social interaction, and participation in campus life through programs and events supported by Student Engagement,  including the New Student Orientation Program, pre-orientation programs, Urban NY, Alternative Break  Program, the WKCR radio station, and more. 

Undergraduate Orientation 

Columbia's New Student Orientation Program (NSOP) helps students feel at home in Morningside Heights, become familiar with the academic and co-curricular opportunities, meet the administration and faculty of Columbia Engineering, learn about campus traditions, understand how to access campus resources and support services, and connect with the Columbia community. NSOP, required for all new students, begins the transition to the excitement, opportunities, and rigor of campus life. It is the first step of many to help students acclimate. 

Student Organizations 

The Engineering Student Council (ESC) and its associated class councils are the elected representative body of undergraduates at Columbia Engineering. ESC represents student interests on committees and projects addressing a wide range of issues facing the Columbia community and helps shape the quality of life for Columbia students. Working in conjunction with the ESC, the Columbia College Student Council  (CCSC), General Studies Student Council (GSSC), Student Government Association (SGA), the  Activities Board at Columbia (ABC), Student Governing Board (SGB), InterGreek Council (IGC),  Community Impact (CI), and Club Sports, oversee the management and funding of more than 400 student organizations. 

The Activities Board at Columbia provides governance for recognized student organizations, including  pre-professional, academic, competition, cultural, special interest, publication, media, and performing arts  organizations. The pre-professional organizations are of special interest to engineering students. These  organizations reflect the range of academic disciplines and interests to be found among students and  include the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, Society of Hispanic 

Professional Engineers, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Biomedical  Engineering Society, just to name a few. 

The Student Governing Board provides governance for recognized student organizations that are religious, spiritual, political, ideological, activist, and humanitarian. 

The InterGreek Council oversees the Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, and  Panhellenic Council. Community Impact supports service organizations supporting communities of Upper  Manhattan and Club Sports recognizes recreational and sports organizations. 

Graduate Student Affairs 

From their first day on campus to Graduation celebrations, graduate students participate in breakthrough  research, social events that encourage interpersonal relationships with peers and alumni, educational  opportunities to learn from esteemed faculty, and professional development initiatives to prepare students  for careers after graduation. 

The Graduate Student Affairs team is dedicated to providing service to prospective, new, and continuing students pursuing a graduate education in engineering or applied science. 

Graduate Orientation 

All new graduate students participate in orientation. During Welcome Day and Month, new graduate students learn about various School and University resources, policies and procedures, and other essential information to assist them with their transition to the graduate program. Orientation for new graduate students starting their program of study in the fall term begins in mid-August, and spring orientation will be in mid-January. In addition to providing information on university resources and policies, students engage in cultural, social, and professional networking activities. Through these activities, graduate students are encouraged to connect with their peers, acclimate to the campus and New York City as well as develop their professional portfolios. The Office of Engineering Student Affairs strongly believes that orientation serves as a vehicle for onboarding our graduate students into an active and engaging student life experience at Columbia. 

Graduate Student Organizations 

Columbia University graduate students can participate in and enjoy hundreds of diverse, university-affiliated social, religious, cultural, academic, athletic, political, literary, professional, public service, and other organizations. At Columbia Engineering, graduate students are encouraged to become active members of the Engineering Graduate Student Council (EGSC). The EGSC is a recognized group that consists of representatives from each of the nine academic departments at Columbia Engineering. The objectives of the EGSC are to foster interaction among graduate engineering students, to serve as a voice for graduate engineering students, and to sponsor social and educational events of interest to the graduate engineering community.

Graduate Judicial Affairs 

The Office of Engineering Student Affairs is responsible for assisting graduate students with upholding academic and community standards. The office provides mandatory academic integrity training for graduate students and is responsible for the Dean’s Discipline process. 

Engineering Wellness 

Engineering Wellness provides resources and services in order to promote general wellness for students.  Engineering Wellness is a part of the Graduate Student Affairs (GSA) at Columbia University, School of  Engineering. For more information regarding resources, please visit the Engineering Wellness website. 

Student Conduct and Community Standards 

Student Conduct and Community Standards strives to effect change and promote integrity, accountability,  and respect in the Columbia University community. Working with students, faculty, and other community  partners, SCCS thoroughly investigates and resolves incidents of academic, behavioral, and gender-based  misconduct through a collaborative, educational, and reflective process guided by established values: 

Integrity; Accountability; Education; and Respect. 

Office of the University Chaplain 

Columbia is home to a community of scholars, students, and staff from many different religious backgrounds. The Office of the University Chaplain ministers to their individual faiths and supports individual spirituality while promoting interreligious understanding. The University Chaplain oversees the work of the United Campus Ministries - a fellowship of more than twenty religious life advisers representing specific faith traditions. The University Chaplain also fosters learning through spiritual,  ethical, religious, political, and cultural exchanges and hosts programs on matters of justice, faith, and spirituality. Through these and other means, the Office of the University Chaplain cultivates interfaith and intercultural awareness. 

The University Chaplain is available for confidential pastoral counseling to individuals, couples, and families in the Columbia University community. The Office of the University Chaplain may also assist with private ceremonies such as weddings, christenings, and memorial services. We warmly welcome your interest, questions, and participation. 

The Office of University Life 

The mission of the Office of University Life is to further the academic and community experience of students, faculty, and staff at Columbia. Throughout the academic year, this office, in collaboration with other Columbia student life offices and academic departments, will sponsor programming and other required initiatives to achieve this mission. 

All Columbia students are encouraged to participate in required Office of University Life initiatives.  However, new students must participate in and complete the Sexual Respect and Community Citizenship  Initiative and the Welcome to Columbia and Sexual Assault Prevention pre-arrival tutorials. 

The Interschool Governing Board (IGB), overseen by the Office of University Life, recognizes student organizations whose membership spans the various schools at Columbia.

Lerner Hall 

Lerner Hall is the student center, housing many offices central to student life at Columbia University. A  225,000-square-foot facility located on the southwest corner of campus, Lerner Hall was designed by  Bernard Tschumi, the former Dean of Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. The building features a glass facade and ramps to offer those within Lerner scenic views of campus and to allow those on campus to clearly view the activities within the building. 

Opened in 1999, Lerner Hall contains an auditorium that seats up to 1,100, a fully operational cinema, a music and performance space, plus a diverse offering of meeting, rehearsal, and event spaces, computer labs, and kiosks. 

The building also features the University Bookstore, a Columbia Dining hall, a retail cafe, and the Ticket and Information Center. Lerner Hall is home to many critical University resources, such as Undergraduate  Student Life, the James H. and Christine Turk Berick Center for Student Advising, University Chaplain,  Columbia Event Management, and two Columbia Health offices: Counseling & Psychological Services and Sexual Violence Response.