Expanded Campus Access and Return to In-Person Education and Research for Summer Session

Dear fellow members of the Columbia community, 

We are writing to share important updates regarding campus access and plans to return to in-person education and research for the Summer Session. 

As we reach the end of the academic year on the Morningside campus, we offer our congratulations to graduating students for your remarkable accomplishments, and our appreciation to Columbia’s faculty, staff, and students for your extraordinary work, perseverance, and care for each other throughout the semester. We are excited to turn to the Summer Session that begins next week.

Effective Monday, May 20, 2024, our campus will be open to all Columbia-based affiliates from all campuses, including Morningside, Manhattanville, CUIMC, Baker Athletics Complex, Lamont, and Nevis. Due to the heightened environment of protests across New York City, a valid Columbia University ID will still be required to access the Morningside campus. This measure, along with the additional security measures we have implemented over the past few weeks, will help ensure the safety and well-being of our community as we begin the Summer Session.  

As a result of these steps and of progress made in recent weeks, we are confident that we will be able to return to in-person education and research for the Summer Session beginning on Monday, May 20. In-person instruction, learning, and discovery are integral to the exceptional educational and research experiences we strive to provide at Columbia. The opportunity for face-to-face interaction, collaboration, and engagement with our world-class faculty and peers is invaluable to our academic mission. We will be working closely with our faculty to coordinate a return to in-person instruction, and we look forward to welcoming all our Columbia community back to campus. We will provide further updates as we look ahead to the new term. 

While full access has now been restored for all Columbia students, faculty, and staff, please note that restrictions at the Morningside campus remain in effect for affiliates of Barnard and Teachers College. Click here for more details on who can currently access the Morningside campus and which gates are open. 

The Morningside campus can be accessed at College Walk at Amsterdam and 116th Street and the Earl Hall Gate at 117th Street and Broadway. Security personnel will remain in place at the Wien Gate for individuals requiring disability access to Wien Hall and East Campus. Disability Services is available to assist students with campus accessibility concerns and other accommodation needs at [email protected] or 212-854-2388. 

We understand that the CUID-only access restrictions may pose a burden, particularly when it comes to having visitors such as visiting scholars or students on campus. We are actively working to address this concern and will provide further updates as soon as possible. We also appreciate that we will be welcoming some new affiliates to campus with the start of summer semester, and we will be coordinating with individual schools to facilitate their access to campus and provide pickup locations for new CUIDs. External participants enrolled in summer instruction (e.g., summer programs for high school students) or training and research programs (e.g., National Science Foundation REU programs) will be issued temporary CUIDs; the provision of those CUIDs is coordinated through the dean’s office of the relevant school.  

Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our community members, while also ensuring the continuity of our academic mission; adherence to university rules and policies is critical to realizing those goals. 

We appreciate that these last weeks have been challenging for our community and we are grateful for your understanding as we work towards a prompt return to regular operations. We look forward to welcoming many of you back to campus for an engaging and productive Summer Session. 

Sincerely, 

Angela V. Olinto 
Provost 
Professor of Astronomy and of Physics 

Cas Holloway  
Chief Operating Officer