Updated attestation form and language in offer letters for new academic hires and rehires
Dear Deans, Chairs, Directors, Academic Deans, and Departmental Administrators:
Please see the latest version of the attestation form to be used for all new academic officer hires: https://provost.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/Faculty%20Affairs/CUattestation.pdf.
This version replaces the form shared in an earlier September 18, 2025 email. Please use this version for all new hires going forward.
Since the early months of 2023, the Office of the Provost has been planning to expand Columbia’s attestation process beyond tenure-track and tenured faculty hires. This expansion was seen as a crucial part of an ongoing effort to ensure that Columbia hires academic officers who embody the highest professional and personal standards of behavior. In a September 18, 2025 email notification, we notified you about expanding the pre-hire attestation form to all full-time and part-time academic hires including off-track faculty, officers of research, and officers of libraries, and included an updated attestation form. Here, we include a more recently revised version. With helpful feedback, we have amended the form to capture the purpose of the attestation more effectively. We have added, for example, more precise attestation questions that enable the University to learn about potential new hires who may have resigned before an investigation into allegations of improper professional behavior was completed in their prior institutions or employment.
As a reminder, the attestation form is required for not just all new academic hires, but also for those who are reappointed with gaps in employment (e.g., part-time faculty who complete the attestation form for an appointment during the Fall term, and have no teaching responsibilities in the Spring, must complete a new attestation form to teach in the Summer; part-time faculty who complete the attestation form for an appointment during the Fall term, who have no teaching responsibilities in the Spring or Summer terms, must complete a new attestation form to teach in the subsequent Fall term).
We are also providing updated guidance on the language that needs to be inserted into offer letters. As we noted in our September 18, 2025 email notification, we provided Schools with language to include in their offer letters. That language is suitable only for offer letters for non-tenured/tenure-track faculty hires. We include the language provided in the September 18, 2025 email here for your convenience:
“Columbia University is committed to a positive and inclusive environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, and career enhancing opportunities for faculty, researchers, librarians, staff, students, and the community. We strive to ensure the highest professional and personal standards of behavior from our academic officers. Along with the signed conditional offer letter, you must complete the attached pre-hire attestation. The attestation asks that you disclose whether you have ever been investigated or were about to be investigated before leaving a position for engaging in discriminatory, harassing, or retaliatory behavior; scientific misconduct; or other wrongful conduct, or inappropriate behavior or other policy violation. Formal execution of your appointment will not be completed until Columbia University can assess this information and make a determination of its effect.”
As tenured and tenure-track faculty have been required to complete a background check in addition to a pre-attestation form since 2018 and will continue to need to do both, please use this language in offer letters for tenured and tenure-track faculty hires:
“Columbia University is committed to a positive and inclusive environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, and career enhancing opportunities for faculty, researchers, librarians, staff, students, and the community. We strive to ensure the highest professional and personal standards of behavior from our academic officers. Along with the signed conditional offer letter, you must complete a background check and the attached pre-hire attestation. The attestation asks that you disclose whether you have ever been investigated or were about to be investigated before leaving a position for engaging in discriminatory, harassing, or retaliatory behavior; scientific misconduct; or other wrongful conduct, or inappropriate behavior or other policy violation. Formal execution of your appointment will not be completed until Columbia University can assess this information and make a determination of its effect.”
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Associate Provost Zeid Sitnica ([email protected]) in the Division of Academic Appointments, Office of the Provost.
Sincerely,
Eugenia Lean
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Last Updated: 01/13/26