All About Columbia

Want the University to change but don’t know where to start?  You should first start with the SEEJ Operating Manual (aka SEEJ Zine), if you can get your hands on a copy.  Then look at this page.  Most of the information on this page is found through its links, so don’t just read this – click it.

The Administration - Academic Programs - Student Groups - Media

The Administration

Columbia or Barnard?
Columbia and Barnard have a complex and ambiguous relationship, but they are administered separately.  So if you want to change something at Barnard, go to the Barnard Administration; if you want to go to Columbia, keep reading below.
The page has much more information about Columbia than Barnard (sorry!).  This is largely the result of SEEJ having worked with the Columbia Administration much more than the Barnard Administration. 

Who Runs Columbia?
The Columbia Administration runs Columbia, by definition.
Columbia is structured like a large corporation.  The equivalent of a corporation’s board of directors is Columbia’s Board of Trustees.  They have the ultimate responsibility for the wellbeing of the University.  They have the final word over everything the bureaucracy does.  But they don’t run the University on a day-to-day basis.  While they’re powerful, they leave most of the operations to the hierarchy below them, at the top of which is the President.  The President is probably not the first person you want to reach out to as part of your campaign.  Many SEEJ campaigns have had success without directly engaging the Office of the President.  The Senior Executive Vice President “oversee[s] the ongoing operations of the university,” i.e. runs much of the show, and is a good higher-up to talk to if your campaign gets to that point.
Don’t forget that alumni wield much power.
Some other useful people to talk to:

Environmental Stewardship Office:  Nilda Mesa is the Director – and guru – of Environmental Stewardship.  She is the first person to talk to about environmental issues.  If you have an idea for something that needs improving, it might be a good idea to check with her to see what its status is first.  Even before you talk to her, though, go on the website and check it out.  She was recently hired (summer of 2006) by a committee including SEEJ members.  Email her and let her know what’s up.

Housing and Dining:  Many environmental issues closest to students (such as lighting in the dorms or take-out containers in the dining halls) fall under Housing and Dining’s aegis.  SEEJ and other environmental groups on campus have had a productive relationship with Housing and Dining, and they have been quite good at incorporating sustainable practices into their operations.  Associate Vice President Scott Wright (sjw91) has been our principal contact.

Facilities:  They manage Columbia’s buildings, walkways, construction, parking, etc., including HVAC and electricity.  So Facilities controls the parts of Columbia with the greatest environmental impact.  We have been in touch with the Energy Manager, Marcelo Cairo (mc7). 

Some Nifty Info about Columbia

• Columbia’s 2005/2006 budget.  Highlight:  The $2.7 billion 2006 operating budget is funded only one-fifth by student tuition, even after subtracting financial aid.  Government grants and contracts form the largest source of funding.  See previous years as well.
• Navigate the University like a member of the faculty with the handy-dandy (though out-of-date) Faculty Handbook.
• We’ll put in more of these when we think of them.

Academic Programs

Columbia has some amazing environmental departments and institutions.  They are potential allies and resources.  Read the comprehensive list. 

Student Groups

There are a ton of exclusively, partially, or tangentially environmental student groups on campus.  But you wouldn’t necessarily know it.  Let’s name a few:

The Green Umbrella:  An umbrella group for campus environmental organizations.  I stole many of the links below from the Green Umbrella website.  Click for even more contacts than are listed here.
SEEJ:  Yours truly!
EarthCo:  “a Columbia/Barnard student action group which works to make our university more sustainable. We promote environmental consciousness through outreach and service to the community.”
Barnard Earth:  The principal Barnard environmental action organization.
Environmental Law Society:  ELS works to promote environmental law, educate the community about environmental issues, and promote improvement in environmental activities and policies of Columbia and the broader community.
Columbia Students for Environmental Action:  A newly-formed (2007) environmental group based out of the Medical Center.
Food Sustainability Project:  “The group is committed to working with Dining Services at Columbia to support a more sustainable environment, economy and way of living.”
Core Foods:  “Columbia's student-run organic foods co-op, which is housed in JJ's place in the basement of the John Jay dorm.”
Engineers without Borders:  “We are Columbia University students committed to designing and/or implementing practical and technical solutions to improve the quality of life in developing communities.”
The Eco-Reps:  “The Eco-Reps are a group of students working in partnership with Columbia’s department of Housing and Dining in order to make Columbia’s campus more environmentally sustainable.”

Other local environmental groups exist outside of Columbia, believe it or not.

Media
You know you need ‘em.  Tell everybody what’s going on, or find out yourself, through these local outlets:

Print Press
The Columbia Daily Spectator
The Blue and White
The New York Times
The Record

Digital Media
Barnard Bulletin
The Bwog
NYC Indymedia
Columbia Facebook
WikiCU
cuenv
Columbia News

Radio
WBAR
WKCR

TV
CTV
MNN