A Welcome Message from Laila Maher
Dean of Student and Alumni Affairs
Now more than ever it is crucial for artists to be supported as they pursue their craft. The life of an artist as well as that of a student involves much more than the classroom and the work itself, and this is where the Office of Student Affairs comes in. In addition to guiding new students through the process of transitioning to the School of the Arts, we plan the School-wide orientation, School of the Arts Convocation, and support student groups, events, and activities.
We also play a critical role in connecting School of the Arts students to the larger university and necessary services, and help students navigate many of the central offices including Health Services (which houses the Office of Disability Services, Insurance, Immunization, and Counseling and Psychological Services), Columbia Residential, Public Safety, University Life, the International Students and Scholars Office, and the Registrar's Office. Our office also helps to uphold many of the School and University-wide policies and we manage the School’s disciplinary procedures.
The Artists’ Resource Center, also part of our Office, maintains information on funding opportunities and career resources for students and alumni at the Columbia University School of the Arts, and provides consultations to students and alumni to help them look for professional development opportunities and more.
After graduation, the Office of Alumni Affairs provides more than 7000 alumni artists, creators, and leaders with opportunities to stay connected with the School of the Arts, the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA), and one another through alumni programming, benefits, a monthly newsletter, and collaborations with CAA Arts Access.
Our ultimate goal is to support our students and alums while they pursue their education as valued members of our dynamic community and as they navigate their time after graduation.
Student & Alumni News
As if nature were mirroring her own erratic life, the unnamed narrator of The Inland Sea by alumna Madeleine Watts ‘19 careens headlong into a spree of self-destructive behavior in her native Australia surrounded by an eerie ecological nightmare of brush fires, flooding, and suffocating heat.
The Alumni Spotlight is a place to hear from the School of the Arts alumni community about their journeys as artists and creators.
Stars Behind The Stars is a bi-weekly series featuring theatre makers behind the scenes.
Current student Nicole Caplain Kelly has been awarded a Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University.
Diversity in Film is a bi-weekly series covering underrepresented groups in Film.
On A Global Scale is a bi-weekly series about international co-productions by Columbia filmmakers.
Last month, VICE Arabia featured the photographic works by current undergraduate student, Amira Nazer.
A baffling illness led alumna Sarah Ramey ’07 into a near two-decade-long medical odyssey constantly frustrated by physicians who did not recognize her symptoms.
Alumnus Uri Aran '07 is currently featured in a solo show titled House in Gavin Brown’s enterprise (GBE) New York location.
Work by current Sound Art student Julian Day '20 is in this year’s Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art. This year, the Biennial celebrates its thirtieth anniversary as the nation’s longest-running curated survey of contemporary Australian art. The show is curated by Leigh Robb, who also holds the position as the Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia.
Conversations with Artists in Art Getting Art is a bi-weekly series and a play on Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. We interview artists about their art and 'getting art'.