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
Writers in Collaboration is a series covering writers involved in two art mediums and/or working with other artists.
On A Global Scale is a bi-weekly series about international co-productions by Columbia filmmakers.
Two films by Columbia filmmakers were nominated for the 35th annual Independent Spirit Awards last week.
Twenty Columbia visual artists, including two faculty members and nineteen alumni, will exhibit work at the 2019 Art Basel and other associated art fairs in Miami during the first week of December.
Stars Behind The Stars is a bi-weekly series featuring theatre makers behind the scenes.
Diversity in Film is a bi-weekly series covering underrepresented groups in Film.
This week, we sat down with recent graduate Rtusha Kulkarni ’19 to discuss how her cinephile parents changed her life, learning not to whitewash her own characters, and the importance of diversity in TV writers’ rooms. Kulkarni is an Indian American writer, director, and producer from Minnesota.
First Time, written & directed by current student Shu Gao and produced by current student Molly Jiang, won the Best Director Award at the sixth annual Portland Comedy Film Festival last week.
On A Global Scale is a bi-weekly series about international co-productions by Columbia filmmakers.
The Cherry Orchard directed by current student Kelly O’Donnell opens Friday, November 15th at the Theatre @ Schapiro, at Columbia University. This production brings MFA students from both Columbia and New York University together to produce the two hour play with a cast of fourteen actors and four musicians.
Columbia MFA Acting Thesis Where Do We Live brings conversation around sexuality, relationships, and community to the forefront. For the second of two thesis productions featuring the Columbia MFA Actors presented at Lenfest this November, 20-23, Where Do We Live examines the path to self-expression and identity in the face of oppression.
We sat down with cast member Clayton David McInerney to discuss decompressing when performing heavy material, his aspirations, and Where Do We Live.
Conversations with Artists in Art Getting Art is a bi-weekly series and a play on Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Juan Hernandez, a current visual arts student, has an individual exhibit at Estudio 74 in Bogotá, Colombia.