Announcing the Undergraduate Community Initiative

Dear Columbia Undergraduates,

At Columbia College, Columbia Engineering and Columbia General Studies, we welcome students from all around the globe, representing every conceivable kind of difference, and expect them to learn together. This simple yet fundamentally radical proposition presents us with questions that offer opportunities and challenges: How will we think and learn amidst all of our differences? 

The world and our campus are embroiled in a new season of tensions that have highlighted the profound impact that external events can have as they map onto our differences as individuals, as groups bonded by affinity or identity, and ultimately as a collective. We recognize the shocking nature of recent events on campus, and that many may feel unsafe, not welcome on campus or unwilling to share their experiences or point of view for fear of unknown consequences. 

In the face of these challenges we want to reassure you, in the strongest possible terms, that your well-being is our utmost priority — just as we emphatically condemn any threats or acts of violence directed toward anyone in our community. 

Moving forward as a community requires a clear-eyed picture of the task before us. The pressures facing students in spaces both public and private are unprecedented for many in our community, and we are committed to helping you navigate and work through them. To ensure that we have an accurate picture of what is happening on campus, and that you receive the resources, support and advocacy you need, we encourage you to continue to report instances of discrimination, bias and/or safety concerns on campus as you encounter them.

The question of how we balance our concerns as individuals — including freedom of inquiry and expression — with our obligations to one another as members of a shared community is a vital matter. 

Last Thursday evening we officially launched the Undergraduate Community Initiative at our inaugural celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. It was an inspiring event, with readings from across King’s life and work that spoke directly to the challenges facing the world and our campus at this moment — challenges which this new initiative seeks to address, in community, throughout the Spring semester.

A joint effort among our three schools, the Undergraduate Community Initiative focuses on deepening our collective understanding of and commitment to deep listening, respectful debate and social engagement. These practices are central to each of our school’s missions, and essential to the broader undergraduate community at Columbia. Moving forward in robust dialogue is our shared responsibility.

The title of Thursday’s event took its name from King’s final book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? We can think of no more fitting question to kick off this new initiative focused on our undergraduate community, and the values of belonging, respect and service.

These values are not only ideals to aspire to; they also reflect choices, behaviors and habits of mind and speech that must be cultivated and continually be reaffirmed. Together they can contribute to a campus environment that is respectful, empathetic and open to a plurality of perspectives — even as it affirms free speech and an independence of mind. 

In the face of challenge and tension, we choose community for the opportunity it represents, and look forward to engaging with you over the weeks and months ahead in this new Undergraduate Community Initiative. 

Sincerely,

Josef Sorett
Dean of Columbia College
Vice President for Undergraduate Education

Shih-Fu Chang
Dean of Columbia Engineering

Lisa Rosen-Metsch
Dean of Columbia General Studies