CCSC Top 5 Priorities Committee

Date: February 14th, 2016

Name: Josh Schenk
General Topic: Administrative Transparency
Objective: The objective of the CCSC is to improve communication between students and
administrators and to foster an atmosphere of transparency and accountability.
Methods:

Monthly emails
o While the Columbia College administration works hard for students, most
students are unaware of initiatives being taken on their behalf by high-level
administrators. We believe that a monthly email that summarizes issues being
addressed and decisions being made by the Dean of the College and other highlevel administrators would help improve student-administrator relations and
collaboration. Additionally, a reformed Columbia College website updated
weekly could provide a conduit for information to flow from Deans and other
Columbia College administrators to students. The committee believes that such
action, in addition to a stronger Columbia College social media presence, will

further inform students of the work being performed by their administrators.

Weekly Interactions with Students
o Currently, opportunities to meet with the Deans office are often limited to
lotteries for meals and office hours. While these opportunities are appreciated,
they are limited in frequency and in the variety of Deans and other high-level
administrators willing to make themselves available to students. Based on student
feedback, the concept of a lottery system to meet with Columbia College Deans
and other administrators creates distance between students and administrators and

contributes to a perception of administrator disconnectedness with students and

indifference toward student concerns. Students would benefit from weekly,
informal opportunities to meet with Deans of the College, especially the Dean of

the College, in dining halls for meals and coffee chats.

Administrator Infographic
o Apart from President Bollinger and the Deans of the Undergraduate College,
many students are unaware of the Columbia University and Columbia Colleges
administrative structures. This contributes to student-administrator
disconnectedness. While some information is spread across different sections of
Columbias websites, it would be helpful for students to have a condensed graphic
explaining administrators roles and responsibilities within the University and
Columbia College. Centralizing and summarizing this information will empower
students to feel more comfortable engaging with administrators and advocating

for student concerns.

Columbia Daily Spectator
o The Spectator is the most widely read media publication on campus and presents
an additional opportunity for students to learn more about Columbia College
administrators. Specifically, we believe that by writing columns Columbia
College administrators would improve overall communication with students and
particularly create a more personal relationship with students. Additionally,
writing columns would allow administrators the opportunity to more efficiently
inform students of Columbia College developments and decision-making.