Dean Josef Sorett shared the following message with Columbia College students, families, alumni and staff on September 30, 2024.
September scenes from around Morningside Heights.
Dear Columbia College Community,
As we close out the first month of Fall term, I’ve been thinking about resilience. Many in our community approached the start of this academic year with competing feelings of optimism and trepidation. Thus far, both in the classroom and beyond, we’ve seen people talking, listening and granting each other the grace and space to take up the tough questions encouraged and demanded by academic inquiry. This tone — evident in my meetings and encounters with students, faculty, staff and alumni over the past weeks — reflects the strength of our collective character, commitment to the College’s mission and belief in each other. From all that I have observed, we seem to have gotten off to a great start:
- This year’s move-in weekend, and in particular the leadership of the entire NSOP crew, was deeply impactful to me and many others. The spirit captured in our new student orientation — embracing both the challenges and potential our community represents — truly set the tone for what I hope will be a transformative year. Indeed, our first-year students and their families were welcomed with great enthusiasm!
- We’ve witnessed our campus come back to life with numerous formal and informal gatherings — from barbecues, to debate viewings, to movie nights and much more …
- A new curricular structure for College students was officially launched and promises to unlock more opportunities for exploration and academic excellence. The commitment and care that faculty bring to committees that help steward the undergraduate curriculum continue to inspire me in this shared work.
- We’ve heard two important student voices, our inaugural Undergraduate Community Initiative essay contest winners. Their reflections prompt all of us to think more deeply about what it means to be a Columbian in this moment.
- An exciting new pilot program for undergraduates has just been announced as part of the Undergraduate Community Initiative. The Deans’ Practices in Community Building Fellowship provides substance and structure to student-led projects that imagine and foster community in all its myriad forms.
Each of these developments is emblematic of the kind of campus life we are always pursuing. I have been heartened to hear from and see students, leaders, faculty, staff and alumni — the people who bring this place to life — prioritizing the vitality of our academic mission and the well-being of our campus. This shared work has invited all of us to both step up and pull together in new ways, and I, for one, am proud (and unsurprised) to see us rise to the occasion of welcoming one another back to Morningside Heights.
In that spirit, I am excited to share a more frequent window into my work as your dean — as an advocate for our undergraduates and the faculty, staff and alumni connected to Columbia College. Via @deanjosefsorett, I’ll be sharing regular glimpses of what I’m working on and thinking about, and every month you’ll hear from me — whether to provide an update on how I’m spending my time, to look ahead to upcoming events or simply to share my thoughts on recent developments.
The days and weeks ahead will continue to present us with new challenges and opportunities, both as individuals and as a community. As we move into October and the U.S. election season quickly approaches, I look forward to seeing each of you — and all of us! — engage with each other intellectually and socially with equal measures of curiosity, empathy and humility.
We will continue learning together — talking more, and listening more — as we keep taking action to sustain the kind of Columbia community we are all proud to call home.
With respect,
Josef Sorett
Dean of Columbia College
Vice President for Undergraduate Education
P.S. — I look forward to seeing many of you as our whole community comes together later this fall for Homecoming and Family Days on Oct. 25-26!