Welcome to the Office of Residential Programs

Welcome to the Division of Student Affairs, Office of Residential Programs, serving the undergraduates of Columbia College (CC) and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). The Office of Residential Programs is committed to providing learning opportunities that support the academic mission of the Undergraduate Schools. The experiences afforded to students in residence promote their intellectual, social, emotional, and interpersonal growth and development. We foster environments that allow for the expression of individuality balanced with a shared sense of responsibility for the Columbia community.

At the heart of our mission is our dedicated team striving to enhance the residential experience for Columbia students. Within Residential Programs, Resident Advisers (RAs) and Community Programming Assistants (CPAs) are the front line of a layered on-call resource system. RAs are never alone in providing assistance if a student is in need. They work in partnership with the Graduate Assistants (GAs), the Associate Directors and Assistant Director (ADs), and the Dean-on-Duty to provide a comprehensive network of support. The 12 Graduate and 8 Professional staff members in the Office of Residential Programs serve the undergraduate residential community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. All staff members are trained as generalists, focusing on active and empathic listening skills and the ability to connect to the emotion someone is experiencing.

Our staff partners with Housing Services and Public Safety to ensure the undergraduate residence halls offer an unforgettable living experience within New York City. We also work closely with the Center for Student Advising, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Health Services to provide a continual web of support for our students.

The residential experience is an integral component of a Columbia education, as living and learning in a diverse community stimulates mutual understanding and collective responsibility. During the New Student Orientation Program (NSOP), Under1Roof stimulates discussion across social identities and encourages dialogue between and amongst groups. Within the context of the Community Principles Initiative (CPI), at the start of each academic year, RAs encourage each suite and hall community to develop community standards, a set of agreements concerning the physical and social environment. Engaging in dialogue about expectations in a community offers the opportunity to empower students to deal with a problem before it mushrooms. The process of establishing community standards is a valuable learning experience in the residence halls. RAs are trained to facilitate these conversations and to mediate issues that arise as residents navigate shared space.

RAs and CPAs offer opportunities to come together as a floor, suite, and building community. Special Interest Communities, Faculty-in-Residence, Dean-in-Residence, and our Fraternities and Sororities also offer a range of activities to foster connection. We hope incoming students enter the Columbia community with a willingness to get to know others and an interest in exploring the similarities and differences of those who live with and around them. First-year students may choose to live in the LLC or Southfield.

Room selection, for upper-class students affords options with many physical differences- corridor style, suite style, one or two bedroom studios or brownstones. The selections may keep students in the LLC or will move them into Fraternity and Sorority Life, the Block, East Campus, or West Campus. Real estate in New York City offers vast differences in physical layout and amenities, which may have some impact on the residential experience; however, ultimately, it?s the people who make the experience unforgettable! Our community thrives when upper-class students continue to attend floor and community events, get to know their neighbors, and take ownership in cultivating the residential experience.

However students choose to pursue their passions while they are at Columbia, we hope they will make it a priority to actively involve themselves in each residential community of which they are a member.

Sincerely,
Cristen Scully Kromm
Assistant Dean for Community Development and Residential Programs