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
Nimisha Misra arrived in New York from India to achieve her goal of becoming a global filmmaker. Columbia is helping her achieve that dream.
2024 Sundance Film Festival winners were announced Friday, and two Columbia filmmakers took home prestigious awards.
Another Land of My Body, a new poetry collection by Writing alumnus Rodney Terich Leonard ’18, will be published by Four Way Books in March 2024.
Sound Art alum Char Jeré '23 has unveiled their debut New York City solo exhibition at Artists Space, Zoo or an Orchestra, an exploration of the nonlinear temporality within the African diaspora through various art forms.
Roxy and Coco, a novel by Writing alumna Terese Svoboda ’78, is forthcoming from West Virginia University Press in February 2024.
The 75th Emmy Awards took place last night in Los Angeles, California, and several projects with Columbia ties took home wins, with three of the projects topping the list for most awards.
Writing alum Nathan Xavier Osorio '16 has been named the winner of the 2024 Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize for his collection Querida. This collection, which will be Osorio’s debut, will be published by The University of Pittsburgh Press as part of the acclaimed Pitt Poetry Series on September 10, 2024.
With The Vulnerables, a seemingly random, often discursive, thoroughly wonderful new book, Sigrid Nunez ’75 (BC '72) has written not so much a novel as another of her virtuoso mash-ups of fiction, memoir, and intellectual rumination. Read more in Columbia Magazine.
Visual Arts students Laurena Finéus and Annika Tucksmith, together with alum Kelsey Shwetz ’22, have been named Autumn 2023 recipients of Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grants.
Several works involving Columbia alumni took home major prizes at last night's 81st Golden Globe Awards.
Theatre alum James Dacre ’10 has launched Living Productions, a company focused on developing and producing a diverse range of creative works in the United Kingdom.
Writing student Asha Lemmie has recently published her second novel, The Wildest Sun. This eagerly anticipated release follows her successful New York Times bestselling debut, Fifty Words for Rain.