November 11, 2020

Dear Students,

As we’ve crossed the midpoint of the Fall, I know that many of you are thinking ahead to the coming semester and may have questions and concerns about how your education will take shape. While the University has not made a final determination on how the Spring semester will be taught, as of now GSAPP is planning for the format to be very similar to the way we are operating now, with a hybrid in-person and online mode of teaching and learning. While we plan to continue within the existing framework, we have been learning from our current experiences and are grateful for input from students and faculty that we hope to incorporate so as to adjust and improve how the spaces available to us can be used within the given University and Public Health restrictions and guidelines.

In collaboration with the School’s Program Directors, as well as with faculty and students, both individually and through the recent survey, we have improved scheduling so as to increase access to facilities. This includes expanded hours and new weekend access to the studio and work spaces in Architecture, Urban Design, Historic Preservation, and Urban Planning; outdoor campus tents available for gatherings and social events that are already being enjoyed by our Real Estate Development students; remote model-making assistance through the Making Studio; and on-site model storage, amongst others. (Please see this link for the new studio rotation schedules.) We hope that these ongoing adjustments can support the best possible learning experience and strengthen our sense of community while we remain focused on staying safe as we continue to work with all of you—whether you are in New York or engaged with the School remotely.

The GSAPP Spring 2021 Academic Calendar can be found online, and reflects the University’s updated schedule. For our international students, Columbia ISSO anticipates that the Fall 2020 COVID-19 accommodations will continue for the Spring 2021 semester. Please refer to the ISSO website for latest updates and FAQs for continuing students. The University is actively tracking the pandemic and related state and city guidelines and will continue to update its stance as public health recommendations shift. I want to take this opportunity to note how grateful we are for the outstanding University Public Health experts who have worked tirelessly to keep our campus and community as safe and prepared as possible.

I am thankful for the way our School community has responded to this health, political, and social crisis throughout the past months, and I remain impressed by the quality and energy of the work being produced by students across the programs. I was thrilled and proud to see the midterms and reviews and send all of you best wishes for a successful remainder of the semester.

Sincerely,
Amale