Vice Provost Offices and Other Reporting Units
To find a member of the Office of the Provost by name, visit the directory.
Vice Provost Offices
The Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Programs is responsible for overseeing the University’s academic programs and educational partnerships and for leading the University’s accreditation process.
The office supports the creation of new educational programs, working with schools to develop innovative curricula, and securing University approvals as well as approval from the New York State Education Department. OVPAP ensures that schools across the University have the support necessary to deliver high quality academic programs and serves as a platform to share information, innovation and best practices across and between units.
OVPAP is responsible for the conduct of periodic, rigorous academic reviews of schools, institutes, and other university-wide units. The office is also engaged in supporting faculty development, administering university-wide awards for faculty and graduate students, managing internal funding competitions for faculty, and facilitating interschool fellowships for graduate students. The office also has shared oversight of the Office of Planning and Institutional Research (OPIR) in partnership with the Office of the Senior Vice Provost. OPIR provides analytical and research support to the Provost and other senior administrators and reports historical and current information about the University for both internal and external audiences.
The Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Programs works closely with Education Deans at each school.
The Office of the Vice Provost for Communications and Engagement
oversees the communications function of the Office of the Provost, manages the administrative support team for the Provost, and supports the Provost across a range of stakeholder groups and initiatives.
This office develops provostial communications and works with the various Vice Provosts to support their priorities and initiatives. The Vice Provost staffs the Provost on a number of governance and advisory bodies and university processes.
The Office of the Vice Provost for Communications and Engagement works closely with the Provost on a range of initiatives and thus is often in touch with many units at each school, including Deans.
The Vice Provost for Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action works to prevent and respond to discrimination and harassment. This office develops and implements policies and procedures that address discrimination, harassment, gender-based misconduct, permitted and prohibited relationships, the duty to report and the duty to act, in accordance with relevant federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws.
This office offers training with a focus on education and prevention, and also responds to allegations of discrimination, harassment, and other policy violations.
At Columbia schools, when an EOAA-related issue arises, Deans, departmental leadership, as well as human resources staff work closely with this office.
The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement offers faculty development, diversity, planning, and community-building initiatives that help current and future faculty thrive.
This office administers the University’s Faculty Diversity Initiative, supporting the recruitment of scholars from historically underrepresented groups. Other projects include faculty pathways initiatives, new faculty orientation, and faculty grants and awards.
This broad portfolio also includes the Office of Work/Life, which is dedicated to the well-being of Columbia personnel, and supports faculty as they navigate schooling, childcare, and housing in the New York area.
Given its broad portfolio, this office works closely with a range of people at schools, including Deans, Diversity Officers, and Faculty Affairs leaders, among others.
[email protected]
[email protected]
facultyadvancement.columbia.edu
The Office of Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs manages the University’s tenure review process and implements policies and processes for academic personnel, and oversees the Office of Faculty Retirement.
The most prominent responsibility of the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs is supporting the Provost in their role deciding, with the assistance of the Tenure Review Advisory Committee, whom to recommend to the President and Trustees for tenure.
The office is also responsible for policies governing academic appointments. It approves salaries, leaves, and promotions of academic officers on behalf of the President and administers policies relating to them. The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs works with both the faculty affairs and human resources teams at individual schools.
[email protected]
[email protected]
provost.columbia.edu/faculty-affairs
The Office of the Vice Provost for the Fourth Provost and Strategic Impact works to strengthen efforts to apply scholarly knowledge to benefit humanity, which Columbia has identified as its “Fourth Purpose,” alongside teaching, research, and public service.
The office develops academic and administrative infrastructure to strengthen collaboration and remove barriers to partnership across the University and with external partners, and also serves as a central University resource for projects advancing the Fourth Purpose.
The Vice Provost for the Fourth Purpose and Strategic Impact is often a resource for Deans, Directors of Centers and Institutes, and Deans of Research.
The Office of the Senior Vice Provost supports the Office of the Provost’s mission by advancing excellence in teaching and learning, promoting global engagement, and supporting administration and planning.
It advances excellence in teaching and learning through the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation and the Center for Teaching and Learning and spearheads initiatives to expand the University’s online and hybrid offerings.
It promotes international engagement through developing and supporting global partnerships; assists international students, faculty, and researchers, and their families, throughout their time at Columbia; and provides pre-travel, operational, and emergency support to allow affiliates to focus on teaching, research, and learning abroad.
It supports many aspects of academic management of the University, including administrative planning, space planning, faculty housing, and K-12 schooling, and provides support to the Provost’s Office financial commitments and Human Resources support for employees of the Office of the Provost.
It also has direct oversight of several units that report to the Office of the Provost.
At individual schools, OSVP works with Deans and other leadership, including Education Deans on pedagogical innovation and student service-related issues, Faculty Affairs leadership and Deans on faculty housing and schooling issues, and Senior Business Officers on issues related to administration, planning, and financial management.
The Vice Provost and University Librarian oversees Columbia’s academic research libraries, which host over 3 million in-person and over 20 million online visits annually.
Collections – in 450 languages and spanning 4,000 years of human thought – plus library programs and services are informed by curricula, the needs of a diverse student body, emerging areas of research, and perspectives from diminished or entirely lost voices of historically oppressed, marginalized, and underserved populations and communities.
Columbia's library staff lead in many areas: digital preservation, global collection development, shared collections with partner institutions, support for research and digital scholarship, and metadata and resource discoverability.
The University Librarian meets frequently with the Executive Vice President of Arts and Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
In addition to the Offices of the Vice Provosts, the other units report to the Provost.
Other Reporting Units
Created in 2002, Alliance is an innovative academic joint-venture between Columbia University and three major French institutions: École Polytechnique, Sciences Po, and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University.
Columbia University Press seeks to enhance Columbia’s educational and research mission by publishing outstanding original works by scholars and other intellectuals that contribute to an understanding of global human concerns. The Press also reflects the importance of its location in New York City in its publishing programs. Through book, reference, electronic publishing, and distribution services, it broadens the University’s international reputation.
The Office of Faculty Retirement supports Columbia faculty by providing information about retirement planning, transitioning to retirement, and a meaningful and productive post-retirement experience.
The International Students and Scholars Office assists international students and scholars with visas and other immigration questions and with making the transition to the University's academic and cultural environment.
The Italian Academy promotes research in Italian history and society, exhibits Italian culture and art, and fosters exchange between Italy and the United States.
The Office of Planning and Institutional Research provides information for managing the University and making decisions about its policies and goals.
The Office of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation is designed to promote excellence in teaching and learning and helps to reimagine the future of higher education.
The Office of Work/Life promotes the development and utilization of Columbia's family-supportive benefits, policies, services, and programs. Work/Life is part of the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement.
The School offers a rigorous education from kindergarten through eighth grade for children of Columbia families and the nearby community.
Founded by Columbia professors in the 1930s, Tompkins Hall supports children's growth starting at 3 months of age until 5 years of age.
The Office of the University Chaplain ministers to the individual faith of the members of the University community while promoting inter-religious understanding.
The University Seminars at Columbia University brings together professors and other experts, from Columbia and elsewhere, who gather on an ongoing basis to consider issues of practical and theoretical importance that cross the boundaries of academic departments.
The Data Science Institute (DSI) strives to be transform all fields, professions, and sectors through the application of data science and ensure the responsible use of data to benefit society. To do so, the DSI trains the next generation of data scientists, develops innovative technology, fosters collaborations in advancing techniques to interpret data and address pressing societal problems, and works closely with industry to bring promising ideas to market.
Visit the Data Science Institute