Students | COVID-19 Resource Guide for the Columbia Community

Welcome to Columbia for A Year Like No Other

Required Protocol for Returning to Campus

1. Read the Enhanced University Health and Safety Policy

This policy has been established to help protect individuals in the Columbia community and our neighbors.

Everyone who returns to campus must sign the University Health Compact, which can be found in the required online safety training.

3. Take Safety Training

If you are returning to campus, you must take the COVID-19 safety course before you return to campus.

4. Self-quarantine, If Required

International students and those traveling to campus from certain states or territories must self-quarantine as required by New York State.

5. Get Tested

To provide an additional layer of safety, Columbia will require an initial single COVID-19 PCR diagnostic test of all faculty, staff, and students returning to campus.

6. Complete the Daily Symptom Self-check

All faculty, staff, and students must complete a daily symptom self-check before enter ing campus.

Read the FAQs

Keep the Compact

Resources

Academic Calendar 2020-21

Online Learning Toolkit

Checklist for On-Campus Students

Student Accountability Plan

Become a Student Ambassador

Do Your Part

A woman walks across campus wearing a mask and holding a cell phone.

Wear a Mask

Protect yourself and others by wearing a mask unless you are alone in a room with the door closed or eating.

Idyllic home with white picket fence and large oak tree in yard

Stay Home if You Feel Sick

Stay home if you feel sick and notify your primary care physician.

A person washes their hands with soap beneath a running faucet.

Practice Healthy Hygiene

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.

Floor signage reads: Stay healthy; stand here.

Maintain Physical Distancing

Maintain six feet of physical distance between yourself and others. Stay home and avoid large gatherings.

Read the New Health Protocols

Methods of Instruction

A balding man wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt and a blue surgical mask stands with his arms crossed in front of a blackboard filled with equations.

Field Placement Protocols

Guidelines for students doing in-person field work

Learn More

Video

Stay Healthy: Keep the Compact

#KeeptheCompact PSA

Why It's Important to Keep the Compact

Photo of Ochuko Okor, a young Black woman with an afro puff on top of her head. She’s wearing a red and white polka dot v-neck and smiling. A light blue transparency over the images says Student Voices: Ochuko Okor

Columbia Student Voices on Keeping Columbia Healthy

Photo of Ozzie Celik, a young woman with long brown hair in front of a bookcase. She's wearing a yellow tank top, yellow bow in her hair, glasses and long earrings. A light blue transparency over the images says Student Voices: Ozzie Celik

How to Socialize With Friends Virtually

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Columbia Dining | Fall 2020

Get the Latest Update See What's Open

Columbia College Town Halls

Learn more about what the College has planned for the coming academic year at "Our Path Forward."

Webinar for Students

Webinar for Families

How Campus Life Will Be Different

Facilities and Operations has implemented several changes to improve health and safety on campus. Check back frequently for updates.

Classrooms

Classroom capacity will be limited to accommodate physical distancing. Classrooms will also be updated with technology that facilitates hybrid learning.

Cleaning

Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting that meets or exceeds CDC, New York State Department of Health, and OSHA standards

Elevators

Elevator capacity will be limited. Follow the instructions on the sign nearby whatever elevator you plan to use.

Outdoor Space Use

On campus and in outdoor spaces, everyone must follow University health policy.

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Adhering to Health Guidance

University Communications

October 29, 2020

University COVID Update: Travel and Safety

Columbia strongly urges curtailing travel during the upcoming holidays, particularly for undergraduates currently living in Columbia’s dormitories, as there will be limited opportunities to quarantine on campus.

Teachers College Announces Plans for Spring 2021

Teachers College will continue offering courses primarily online, with some exceptions, and continue remote operations for non-essential employees, through the winter and spring of 2021.

Columbia Expresses Strong Opposition to Homeland Security's Proposed Rule

Replacing the current Duration of Status policy for international students and scholars with a fixed two-to-four-year term and an uncertain extension of stay process, writes Interim Provost Ira Katznelson, hinders the University's ability to recruit and retain the most talented students from around the world.