The Daily Plan-it / Dean of Students Blog, Columbia J-school

SCHOLARSHIPS – Thirteen $2,000 scholarships from the Overseas Press Club Foundation – open to all students – deadline is December 1, 2010

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Graduate and undergraduate students, studying at American colleges and universities or Americans studying at foreign universities, who aspire to become foreign correspondents, are invited to apply for one of thirteen $2,000 scholarships to be awarded by the Overseas Press Club Foundation.

From among the scholarship winners, the Foundation also selects up to six scholars and pays travel and living expenses for them to intern at foreign bureaus at such leading news organization as the Associated Press and Reuters and foreign English-language media like Cambodia Daily and the South China Morning Post. In many cases, winning a prestigious OPC Foundation award has helped launch careers. Winners are also invited to join the Overseas Press Club family. They are encouraged to network and keep the organization informed of their career moves. (more…)

NOTE: Updated with new search functionality in the results pages below.

Dear full-time M.S. students:

Please fill in this form so that you can network with fellow students who are covering the same beat, whether neighborhood or topic beat.

If you have already finalized your beat, please fill in right away. We will circulate this list on Monday, Aug. 30. We will do a second, updated edition in early September.

FILL IN THE FORM HERE.

FALL 2010 RESULTS, AS THEY COME IN: See the results (see info below).

FALL 2009 STUDENTS WHO COVERED YOUR BEAT. See the results (see info below).

For both links above:

* Password sent via e-mail.

* The most useful view is SUMMARY TABLE (the top left tab).

* Once there, you can sort by borough by going to the appropriate column and hitting the up or down arrows. You can hit the little right arrow to expand the column to see it in full. You can get the same effect by mousing over the “…” of any item. There’s also a column for non-neighborhood, ie, TOPIC beats.

* Another, more efficient way to find folks on a particular beat is as follows: Go to the SUMMARY TABLE tab. Then hit SEARCH. Type in the name of the beat you are interested in (it should match the way it is described in the system - eg, Harlem, East or Harlem, Central or Hunts Point). You will get a list of all the relevant folks.

* If you click on the ITEM SUMMARY (the tab on the right, across the top), you can then click on items such as the borough names to see bar charts to get a sense of how many people are covering, say, Jackson Heights in Queens

Questions to Dean Sree. All feedback welcome.

From Dean Huff, Asst. Dean of Students

The Add/Drop period for continuting M.S. students begins August 23 at 7 a.m.

During this period, students may request a change of classes.

Add/Drop is handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note that this is only a REQUEST and we cannot guarantee your request will be accommodated.

On each Add/Drop request form you may request to add one class AND drop one class.

It is possible to simply fill out the “Add” or “Drop” portion if you are a PT, MA or KB student not looking to switch, but merely to add or drop a class.

The Add/Drop request form will be available as of 7 a.m. on Monday, August 23. Additional information on the Add/Drop request process is listed below. Please read it carefully before submitting a request form.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ADD/DROP REQUESTS:

The Add/Drop period Monday, August 23, at 7 a.m. to Friday, September 17, at 7 a.m.

Add/Drop forms are processed on a first come, first served basis.

If your form is submitted correctly you will receive a request confirmation e-mail within 24 hours. Please remember to include the @columbia.edu after your UNI.

You will NOT receive an e-mail from our office saying that your request was granted or not granted.

To learn if your request was granted, you must keep checking your class schedule on the web using STUDENT SERVICES ONLINE. All requests remain on file during the add/drop period.

You do not need to submit multiple forms for the same Add/Drop request. If I am able to grant requests I do it as soon as possible but sometimes it takes days for a space to open in a class. Sometimes the space never opens up. In most cases, if you want to add a class I have to wait to see whether someone else wants to drop it.
Please remember that you are submitting an Add/Drop REQUEST.

There is no guarantee that I will be able to approve your request. Until you see a change reflected on your class schedule on STUDENT SERVICES ONLINE, your request has not been approved.

I will NOT drop you from a required course unless I can get you into the course you have requested. If you have more than one preference, you may for a given course, in the notes section of the Add/Drop form, indicate so. Simply complete the add portion of the form with your first preference and in the notes section give me the same info about your second, third, etc., choices. You must include the call and course numbers if you indicate other preferences in the notes section.

Please be certain that you are not requesting a class that conflicts with any of your other classes.

And finally, remember that if you are requesting to add a course, you are also probably planning to drop a course. DON’T forget to request to drop the course and please do it on the same form you use to request a class.

The only way I will be able to approve most requests is by knowing which courses will be dropped by students.

SAMPLE FORM BELOW (information is fictional)

Program/Contact Information (information below is fictional)

Your Name: SUSIE J-SCHOOLER

PID: C000213126

E-mail: sjs2009@columbia.edu

Phone: 917-123-4560

Program: FT Master of Science

Concentration: Newspaper (M.S. students only)

Stabile: No

Please enter the details of the course you would like to ADD: (information for completing this section is at the Directory of Classes - see instructions at the top of the add/drop form)

Class Number: J6000; Section Number: 20; Call Number: 81350

Title: Covering Fish

Please enter the details of the course you would like to DROP: (information for completing this section is at the Directory of Classes - see instructions at the top of the add/drop form)

Class Number: J6000; Section Number: 16; Call Number: 72241

Title: Reporting on Snails

ADD/DROP FORM - http://fs8.formsite.com/cjdos/AddDrop

TO: M.S. Students completing the Master’s Project this Summer
FROM: Bill Grueskin, Dean of Academic Affairs
RE: Instructions on Submitting Your M.S. Master’s Projects, Summer 2010

The deadline for submitting your finished Master’s Project is Friday, September 3, at 10 a.m.

We will begin accepting completed projects as of Monday, August 23.

All projects must be submitted to Susmita Saha and Evelyn Corchado in 207A.

Instructions specific to digital media, hybrid and radio projects are listed below.

Please submit one hard copy in a 9 ½ by 11-inch envelope. This copy will be given to the library. Label the envelope with your name, your class year, the title of your project and the name of your Master’s Project adviser.

You will be required to sign your name on the Master’s Project submission log when you turn in your final project. Only those students who received a formal extension from your faculty adviser and the Dean of Students Office have permission to miss this deadline.

Please e-mail one final copy of your project to your adviser. Ask your adviser if he or she also wants a hard copy.

This final version of your project will be available in the Columbia Library, so it must conform to the following requirements:

Formatting

* Margins and Numbers: The print version must be double-spaced on one side of white paper, leaving a 1½- inch margin on the left-hand side and a 1-inch margin on all other sides. Pages must be numbered. No binding or staples, please.
* Title Page: Include a separate title page with the following information: Your name, class year, the title of your project, the name of your master’s adviser, and, at the bottom of the page in the center, add:

Copyright

(Name of Student)

(Year)

Source List

* Submit a complete source list for your project at the end of your project. If you are not certain about the best way to cite a source, consult with your adviser. Be aware that source lists and your entire project, including the “P.S.” portion, will be available for reading and copying by all Journalism School library visitors. If you have confidentiality concerns about sources (i.e. names, phone numbers, personal addresses, etc.), you are responsible for removing the source list from the copy submitted to the DOS office for the library.

Post Script

* At the end of your project, include a first-person narrative describing how you discovered, researched and reported your story. This will help future students see what goes into the making of a successful master’s project. This “P.S.” should be included with all copies of your project after the source list, and should run no longer than 1,000 words. Remember that this post script will be available along with your project in the library.

Students submitting a Hybrid Project should include:

Students submitting a Hybrid Project should include:

* One copy of your print piece per the instructions above for print projects. Please e-mail one final copy of your project to your adviser. Ask your adviser if he or she also wants a hard copy. Include a Post Script and Source List as described above.
* One DVD of the video portion of your project. Provide a second DVD directly to your adviser. Label all your DVDs and accompanying materials with complete project information (author(s), title, adviser).

Students submitting a Radio Project should include:

* One copy of your script for DOS, email a second to the adviser, plus a hard copy to the adviser if he/she requests it. Include a Post Script and Source List as described above.
* For Radio, one copy of your project on audio CD for DOS, and a second for your adviser. In addition, provide your adviser a copy of the .wav file (i.e. the final mix “bounce,” on a data CD).
* Label all your CDs, tapes and accompanying materials with complete project information (author(s), title, adviser). Indicate whether CDs are data or audio.

Students submitting a Digital Media project should include:

* A printed cover page with your names, topic and URL, and a copyright statement. One hard copy to DOS, another emailed to your adviser.
* A printed source list and P.S. as described above. In most cases, your “about us” should suffice. Bring one copy to DOS; send a second by email to your adviser.
* All the content and source code must be uploaded to the Columbia server. If you are using software such as Wordpress, you need to have it hosted by Columbia. Also, your videos and other multimedia need to be on the Columbia servers, even if you are already hosting your content on external servers such as YouTube, blip.tv, etc.
* The library cannot store computer disks and does not have the facilities for viewing their contents. A hyperlink will be made from the Master’s Project Index web page to the project itself.
* You will be expected to submit the materials above AND upload your final websites to the servers by 10 a.m. on Monday, March 22.

Your Copy

Keep a copy of your project for yourself. Neither the Journalism School nor the Journalism Library is able to provide on-demand copies of your work.

Congratulations!

The following is the Scavenger Hunt we created for the International M.S. students. Because of time constraints, we will not be doing similar hunts for the other cohorts, but the items on the list below can be used to created your own self-guided tour of the campus.

INTERNATIONAL M.S. STUDENTS ORIENTATION 2010

Scavenger Hunt: Get to know the campus and the neighborhood and your classmates (and win some cool prizes!)

How this works: Divide into teams of seven-ish. Make sure your team has at least one digital camera.

Beginning at 3 pm, your team will be racing against the other teams to visit the most number of places below AS A TEAM, take a group photo and return to the J-school. We assemble in the Lecture Hall at 4:30 pm to announce the winners and look at the photos.

The rules are simple: Figure out each clue, go to the location and take a group photo of everyone on the team (yes, hand the camera, carefully, to a stranger). Make sure the photo shows the appropriate signage/landmark for each location. The winner is the team that does the most photos. In the case of a tie, the judges will decide based on the aesthetics of the photos, the bonus questions and ???? You can go in any order you like.

THE HUNT…

J-SCHOOL:
This is the portrait of Arthur Sulzberger outside Dean Lemann’s office.
This is Melanie Huff’s door.
This is Ernest Sotomayor’s door.
This is Thomas Jefferson.
This is Brad’s Cafe.

CAMPUS:
This is Alma Mater.
This is the Sun Dial.
This is a version of Rodin’s famous “The Thinker.”
This is Dodge Physical Fitness Center.
This is Lerner Hall, where counseling services is located.
This is Butler Library.
This is John Jay Hall, where health services is located.
This is the Kent Hall, where you pay your bills.
This SIPA library is where you’ll find the main Journalism collection.

AMSTERDAM:
This is one of the world’s five largest cathedrals.
This popular cafe has been featured in several movies, including Woody Allen’s “Husbands & Wives.”
This popular pizza place is next to the popular cafe.
This is the Emergency Room for St. Luke’s Hospital.
This is a fun crepe place opposite St. Luke’s.

BROADWAY:
Before it became famous in one of the biggest sitcoms of all time, this diner was the focus of a worldwide acapella (by New Yorker Susan Vega) and dance (by British group DNA) hit
This is the Columbia Bookstore.
This is Ollie’s, a popular lunch and dinner spot.
This is Barnard College.

BONUS:
Find and photograph the owl hidden in Alma Mater.
This is the closest Post Office.

Links from message sent to MS students’ Columbia e-mails earlier today:

MS Student Handbook: http://bit.ly/columbiajms2011
Intl Orientation schedule: http://bit.ly/aDoNTv
Opening Day & Orientation Schedule: http://bit.ly/d7bEM1
Schedule lookup: http://ssol.columbia.edu/

Other quick notes:

* As you know from our Suggested Reading List http://bit.ly/columbiajreading, the one book we ask all of you to read before the start of classes is “The Elements of Style” by Strunk and White. If you haven’t read it already, we have a few dozen copies for sale for $10 in the Student Affairs office (look for the door marked Evelyn Corchado and Susmita Saha, 207a).

* AP Stylebook Online: If you haven’t been familiarizing yourself with it yet, please start soon. You should have already received an e-mail invitation (to your Columbia account) with the following subject line “AP Stylebook Online Registration Confirmation.” If you haven’t, please contact Susmita Saha - all questions about this service to her, please.

Dear MA Students,

As noted in your weclome/curriculum letter, we are offering five-week classes in video, photo, audio and Wordpress, starting in mid-September. All classes will meet on Friday morning or Friday afternoon. The schedule is available here.

On Monday, July 19, at 10 a.m., you will be able to rank your preferences via the MA Skills Ballot.

Please note that balloting ends on Monday, July 26, 10 a.m. Ballots are NOT processed first-come, first served.

Questions to dos@jrn.columbia.edu

Dear Master of Arts Students,

Welcome to Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Below is a link to a Welcome Letter/Fall Curriculum for M.A. students.

Please read it carefully. Questions can be sent to dos@jrn.columbia.edu.

http://snurl.com/ma.fall10

Meet An Alum: Lee Kravitz, J’83, former editor-in-chief of Parade, the Sunday newspaper magazine with 70 million readers and author of the inspirational brand-new book, “Unfinished Business: One Man’s Extraordinary Year of Trying to Do the Right Things.” He will discuss his career and his book, which fellow alum Mitch Albom, J’82, calls “A great lesson for us all.” Read more about Kravitz and his book at http://myunfinishedbusiness.com

A recording of his July 2 webcast, as part of our Virtual Open House series:

Dear Full-Time MS Students,

Columbia automatically enrolls all full-time students in health insurance as of September 1. Since your program begins before that date, you have the option to enroll in the early arrival health insurance plan through Aetna Student Health in order to have health insurance coverage for the month of August. See below for details. Please visit the Health Services website (http://www.health.columbia.edu/docs/csmip/overview/index.html) for information on your general coverage for the academic year.

For students arriving on campus earlier than September 1 and beginning classes in the Fall, Aetna Student Health offers an optional early arrival insurance plan. This plan is recommended for students who will have no other coverage during this period. The plan is offered to students planning on enrolling in the Columbia Student Medical Insurance Plan for the benefit period from July 1 through August 31, 2010: 1-month plan (August 1 - 31 for $224) or 2-month (July 1 - August 31 for $448)

• Enrollment is done online directly with Aetna at http://www.aetnastudenthealth.com/stu_conn/student_connection.aspx?groupid=704502
• This plan provides access to the care provided at Health Services as well as off campus services that may be required.
• The benefits available during this period are comparable to those provided through the Basic level of the Columbia Student Insurance plan insurance plan.
• Dependents are not eligible to enroll; but may elect coverage effective on September 1, 2010.

If you have any questions, please contact Aetna Student Health at 800-859-8471 or Columbia’s Insurance Office at 212 854-3286.

Welcome to the Fall Ballot for Master of Science students:

Please carefully follow the instructions below.

First, M.S. students please read the Fall Curriculum thoroughly. Some information has been added and some changed since the document became available.

You may read students’ evaluations of many of the classes and professors at http://web.jrn.columbia.edu/students/view_evaluations.htm. You will have to log in using your UNI and password. Please note that some courses are being taught for the first time this fall. If you cannot find evaluations for a particular course, look instead for evaluations of other courses that professor has taught.

Please select the appropriate ballot for concentration/program. If you complete a ballot for a concentration/program other than your own, you will have your classes assigned randomly in the correct concentration.

Please note that if you began the program as a part-time student, you must ALWAYS use the part-time ballot even if you plan on accelerating to a full-time course load.

To complete the ballot you will need your Columbia e-mail address and PID (If you have lost your PID, please refer to http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2005/11/14/faq-how-do-i-find-my-pid/)

The ballots are NOT handled on a first-come, first-served basis. As long as you make the deadline (Monday, July 12, 10 a.m.) you have equal standing with all other students.

NOTE: Ranking the same class as your first choice repeatedly DOES NOT increase your likelihood of getting into that class. Rather it means that we will randomly select your class if we are not able to give you your first choice.

If your ballot is received after the deadline, you will be placed in classes on a space available basis. If you made a mistake or changed your mind, please resubmit your ballot. Your most recently-submitted ballot as of the deadline (Monday, July 12, 10 a.m.) will be the one processed.

All full-time students will be automatically enrolled for RWI, Journalism Essentials, and the Master’s Project. The ballot includes questions to assist us in making those assignments. Full-time Digital Media students will also be automatically registered for a section of Digital Media Newsroom and Stabile students will be automatically registered for the required Stabile skills course.

If you experience any problems using the ballot, please send e-mail to dos@jrn.columbia.edu Please note we cannot promise students they will gain a seat in any specific class.

Please note that you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing the ballot information you submitted. You will have to look through it carefully to find what you entered as the response includes both the pages you were required to complete and those you weren’t based on type of ballot.

Please answer all questions carefully.

Fall 2010 Master of Science Ballots

Dear Full-Time Master of Science Students,

Welcome to Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Below are two important links. The first is a welcome and overview letter from Bill Grueskin, Dean of Academic Affairs.

The second is the Fall 2010 M.S. curriculum.

Please read both carefully. Questions can be sent to dos@jrn.columbia.edu.

Welcome letter from Bill Grueskin, Dean of Academic Affairs

Fall 2010 M.S. curriculum

Dear M.A. Students

We are looking forward to your arrival at Columbia, and we’re putting finishing touches on our program to ensure your year here is as productive, intriguing and valuable as possible.

There is one issue we’d like your feedback on now.

Over the past few years, some M.A. students have asked for digital-skills training. This isn’t easy to pull off, because so much of your time is consumed with your M.A. seminar, outside classes and thesis. In addition, you are such a diverse class that it’s impossible to create a single curriculum that will satisfy all of your needs.

But we do want to offer you some skills training this fall. Those classes will be held on Fridays, when you are unlikely to be in another class. Each class runs for about three hours, for five weeks. You will be able (but will not be required) to take one; it’s possible (but not guaranteed) you’ll be able to take a second. It’s also possible we’ll offer additional digital-training classes in the spring.

But we don’t know exactly what you’d like to learn. So, to gauge your interests, we’ve listed five classes that represented the top picks of many of last year’s M.A. students:

Social Media: How to use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media to find story ideas, trends and sources; connect with readers and viewers; and promote your work to new audiences. Using examples from news organizations and individuals, topics covered will include ethics; etiquette; the changing journalist-source relationship and more.

Wordpress: This course will help students understand how to develop, modify and launch a Web site using the widely accepted (and free) Wordpress content management system. Students will also get training in building or improving their own sites to display their work, reach audiences, etc.

Photo: This course will provide the basics of how to use a digital SLR camera, along with some fundamentals of photography, including proper exposure and compositional technique. Students will use the Canon G11 camera, and will be trained in basic photo editing techniques using Photoshop.

Audio Skills: Students will learn some of the fundamentals of audio storytelling, from field recording to audio editing in Final Cut Pro. They will be trained on the Olympus LS-10 audio recorder.

Video Skills: Students will get very basic training in video storytelling, from field production to video editing in Final Cut Pro. Students will use the JVC GY-HM100U camera.

We have created an online survey form, found at http://fs8.formsite.com/cjdos/MA_Skills/, so you can list the course(s) you’d most like to take.

Here’s how the form works: Please list your preferences in order from 1st to 5th, with 1st being the course you’re most interested in and 5th being the course you’re least interested in. If you don’t want any digital training, just check that box and hit submit.

The deadline to file this survey is July 6, 10 a.m. After compiling the results, we will build offerings around those courses that attract the greatest interest. It is possible that we won’t offer at least one of these courses if interest is low.

Please note that this form is simply to gauge your preferences; the official sign-up form will be available later this summer.

Thanks very much; we look forward to hearing back from you. And enjoy the rest of your summer!

Best regards,

Bill Grueskin
Dean of Academic Affairs
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Personal & Professional Style
Judith Crist

This class is a three-point elective open to Master of Science students.

The nature and demands of this course make it necessary to limit the class size.

It is offered to students who have mastered the basic mechanics and techniques of journalistic prose and are interested in developing and refining a personal literary style within a journalistic framework, appropriate to editorials, columns and reviews.

The emphasis is on form, structure and semantics for effective and original approaches to specialized writing in areas too long cliché-ridden. There are basic assignments and free-choice exercises, with concentration on self- and intra-group criticism. Not for the faint of heart.

Prospective students must complete the application (link below).

The forms asks for one sample of your best writing and a short a statement (no more than 350 words) of your interest in the course. The deadline to apply is Monday, July 12, 10 a.m.

PLEASE NOTE: You need to also list this class as your fist choice on the ballot.

http://fs8.formsite.com/cjdos/PPStyle/index.html

AUDITING: The requirements for auditing depend on the professor and the school at which the class is being held.

At the Journalism School, auditors pay nothing, may do no work, and receive no mention on their transcripts of having attended. Students simply contact the professor to make a request to sit in.

A professor in any other department is permitted to offer that same arrangement. You may contact any professor directly to see if he/she is amenable.

Some professors in outside departments may ask that you register for “R” credit. In this case, you will pay for the course, do any work the professor requires, and it will appear on your transcript (full details). In this case, you will need to complete at J-School add/drop form.

2010 Graduation Week
Congratulations to all our Columbia Journalism School graduates!

Please visit our graduation coverage page to read:
* Gail Collins’ commencement speech
* Dean Nicholas Lemann’s graduation address
* Pringle Lecture by Eugene Robinson
* Lemann’s university commencement remarks
* Remarks by Siddharth Philip, class president

Video of J-school graduation ceremony, Tuesday, May 18, 3-4:30 pm:
The sequence: Dean Nicholas Lemann (00:00-11:34)
Rebecca Castillo (11:47-14:04)
Siddharth Philip (14:06-17:00)
Gail Collins (17:29-34:31)
Dean Lemann reads the award winners’ names (34:45-41:44)
Dean Sree Sreenivasan reads the graduates’ names (41:50-1:32:45)

Also see video of main university-wide Commencement

Read Dean Huff’s Year-end Manual (info about use of the building, Columbia e-mail, computers, alumni services, etc).

Download photo of J-School class of 2010: Class photo

See a year’s worth of Student Affairs photos. (e-mail sree[at]sree.net if you’d like to contribute pix)

Not our graduation, but Prof. Sig Gissler, in 2008, recommended this short AP story about Pulitzer Prize-winner David McCollough’s commencement address at Boston College:

“Please, please do what you can to cure the verbal virus that seems increasingly rampant among your generation.”He said he’s particularly troubled by the “relentless, wearisome use of words” such as like, awesome and actually.”

AWARDS: The following awards were presented on May 17 and the winners were acknowledged again at the main graduation ceremony on May 18, 2010.

PULITZER TRAVELING FELLOWSHIPS & EIBEL AWARD for the top six students in the Class of 2010

PULITZER FELLOWSHIP WINNERS:
Lauren Kirchner - class valedictorian
Sasha Chavkin
John Tucker
Rory Weisbrod
Katherine Clarke (specializing in criticism of the arts)

David Marcus Eibel Memorial Scholarship: Mara Zepeda

The M.A. Program Prize:
Arthur Harris Award for Best M.A. Thesis: Rohini Mohan
runner-up: Carrie Peyton Dahlberg
runner-up: David Zax

Henry Taylor award for outstanding international student: Frances McInnis

Award & Winner(s):
Baker for Bronx Ink: Sarah Butrymowicz
Baker prize for Brooklyn Ink: Mary Plummer
Baker prize for Columbia News Service: Megan Gibson
Baker prize for Literary Journalism: Lauren Kirchner
Baker prize for magazine production A: Joel Mears
Baker prize for magazine production B: Frances McInnis
Baker prize for magazine writing A: Lisa Held
Baker prize for magazine writing B: John Tucker
Balakian prize for literary criticism: David Kessel
Blood prize for reporting: Sam Fellman
Crichton award for documentary film: Pracheta Sharma & Jessica Hopper
Digital Media Workshop - Design - prize: Shane Snow
Digital Media Workshop - Interactive - prize: Lisa Waananen
Digital Media Workshop - Multimedia Storytelling - prize: Scott Sell and Andrew Keshner
Digital Media Workshop - Visual Storytelling - prize: Lim Wui Liang
Greer award for business reporting MA: Angus Loten
Greer award for business reporting MS: Lindsay Dunsmuir
Harron award for courtesy (”nice guy/nice gal): Shefali Kulkarni
Hechinger award for education journalism: Melissa Miley & Rob Sgobbo
Horgan award for science journalism #1: Sasha Chavkin
Horgan award for science journalism #2: Delphine Reuter
Horgan award for science journalism #3: Leonard F. Schoenberger
Journalism Editorial award: Joel Mears
Keller prize for editing: Althea Fung
Konner award for broadcast journalism: Sherisse Pham
Lynton Fellowship for book writing: Artis Herderson
Lynton Fellowship for book writing: Nathaniel Adams
Mencher prize for superior reporting: Chasen Marshall
Nelson award for national affairs reporting: Sam Fellman
Nightly News Workshop prize: Tammy Mutasa and Kelly Koopmans
Photography prize: Diana Markosian and Chris Geier
Radio Workshop prize: Katie Simon and Lindsay Dunsmuir
Sackett award for the law class: Maria Del Mar & Cabra Valero & Daniel Benjamin Roberts
Video Storytelling Workshop prize: Edward Chun
Weschler award for international reporting: Artis Herderson
Weschler award for national reporting: Katya Wachtel
Weschler award for local reporting: Sommer Saadi
Winnick award for RW1: Lauren Kirchner

The winners of the two awards presented by the students :
SPJ Teacher of the Year: Michael Shapiro
SPJ Student of the Year: Barry Whyte

List of Students Graduating with Honors
Sarah Butrymowicz
Yilun Chen
Frederick Dreier Frederick
Lindsay Dunsmuir
Sasha Freudenberg-Chavkin
Sara Hamdan
Artis Henderson
Andrew Keshner
Lauren Kirchner
Christopher Livesay
Frances McInnis
Joel Meares
Ada Muellner
Stephen Nessen
Sherisse Pham
Leslie Picker
Mary Plummer
Susanna Poppick
Scott Sell
Emma Silvers
Shreeya Sinha
John Tucker
Kim Velsey
Lisa Waananen
Rory Weisbrod
Mara Zepeda

Here’s an explanation of how the awards are selected.

-30-

Greetings!

As the administrator of the part-time program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, I am delighted to welcome you to the school. We are looking forward to working with you this summer and in the semesters to come.

Please go to https://ssol.columbia.edu/ (you will need your UNI and password) to look up your class schedule for the summer. Your first class in the M.S. program is Reporting and Writing I, which begins May 22 and ends Sept. 4. Prof. Addie Rimmer’s RW1 class meets on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Prof. Sam Freedman’s class meets on Wednesday from 1 to 6 p.m. In addition, we have scheduled seven weeks of digital media training that begin on May 23. You have been placed either in the Sunday digital media training section from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or the Tuesday/Thursday evening section from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

CLASS REGISTRATION: You do not have to register for classes; we will automatically place you in an RW1 class and in the sections of digital media training based on the preferences you indicated in your enrollment form. Though we did our best to accommodate your preferences, we could not guarantee everyone’s top choices in order to insure an equal number of students in each section.

ORIENTATION: Mandatory orientation for the part-time class, which includes an introductory meeting with your RW1 instructor, will be held on Friday, May 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a reception to follow from 4:30 to 6 p.m. You will also be setting up your computer accounts and receiving your ID cards, two essential items, so you do not want to miss this day.

EMAIL: When you paid your deposit, your UNI (which also serves as your Columbia e-mail address) was generated. Go to http://uni.columbia.edu/ to look up and activate your e-mail. If you want these emails to go to another address, you can set up your Columbia account to forward your mail electronically. We’ll also add you to the student listserv so that you will receive all of our updates, including information on the many special events occurring at the school.

Soon you will receive an orientation booklet with many more useful bits of information for navigating your way through the school. Please let me know if you have any questions.

See you at Orientation!

Elena Cabral
Administrator, Part-time program
Adjunct Professor
Columbia University
Graduate School of Journalism
212-854-1124
mec9@columbia.edu

End-of-Year Manual

May 2010
TO: All Students
FROM: Melanie Huff, Assistant Dean of Students

In order to help you plan for Graduation and beyond, we have prepared some documents for you - please make sure you read both carefully.

Journalism Day, the Journalism School graduation ceremony and the University graduation are covered in detail on the graduation page: http://snurl.com/journalismgraduation

Post-graduation use of the building/equipment and alumni benefits/services are covered here.

Please keep in mind that in addition to having summer classes, documentary Master’s Projects, Columbia Publishing Course and News21 in the building this summer, we will be doing extensive work to repair and prepare the building and equipment for the next academic year. Therefore, it is necessary to establish dates after which graduating students will no longer be able to access and use the facilities. Outlined below is the schedule for the coming summer. (more…)

READ CAREFULLY - Graduation Tickets

Graduation tickets are now available.

Each graduate receives three tickets for the Journalism School Graduation Ceremony & four for the University Commencement. If you need more tickets, please arrange to trade with other students. Graduates don’t have to use a ticket for themselves.

To receive your tickets you MUST do TWO things.

1. Complete the graduation survey at https://fs7.formsite.com/cu_jschool_careers/gradsurvey2010/

The survey is used to create a class directory (both your class list serve and the alumni database), employment statistics and a database of employment information indicating the types of position openings in which you are interested. This is very important in determining how we can better help graduates find the best jobs as quickly as possible, and how the school can help make that happen by also collecting feedback on career services. You willingness to allow career services to circulate your resume is also indicated on the survey.

The survey is also used to gather feedback on other aspects of your Journalism School experience that cannot be captured through course evaluations.

2.Submit a NEW copy of your resume electronically with the survey. The resume should indicate that you have graduated and include up-to-date contact information. It will be used by the Career Services Office to assist you in your employment search.

You may pick up your tickets from Susmita Saha in room 2M07A (mezzanine) once you have completed your online graduation survey AND submitted your updated resume. Ms. Saha will verify receipt of the survey and have you sign for your ticket envelope containing both sets of tickets.

The survey can done 24/7, but Ms. Saha is available for ticket pick-up/resume submission from 9 am-5 pm only. If you are a part-time student and it is impossible for you to come in, you may contact her (ss3045@columbia.edu or 212-854-9756) about having tickets mailed. Survey receipt verification is still required.

Questions to dos@jrn.columbia.edu

AAA: The Available Apartments Alert - a service about rent/sublet opportunities for the Columbia J-school community.
Disclaimer: No attempt has been made to verify any of the information in the listings included in the Available Apartments Alert and we do not take responsibility for them or any resulting contact you have with anyone here.

TO SEE THE LISTINGS: Just scroll down to the comments section.
TO POST A LISTING OR TO REQUEST HELP WITH YOUR OWN SEARCH: please follow these instructions carefully:
If you haven’t registered on this site earlier, follow these instructions to post a comment - in this case, your interest in attending. If you have already registered, just go ahead and log in and indicate your interest, using your full name and e-mail address.
1. To register for this blog (you only have to do this once for all future comments), go to http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/wp-register.php (once you are registered - includes a password being sent to you via e-mail), go to step 2.
2. Click on the “Comments” at the bottom of this post and fill in your FULL NAME - first and last - and e-mail address (just fill it in once, typing in just “N/A” in the URL section if you don’t have a site). Explain who you are, without giving out too much personal information.

Include as many details about the apartment as possible (or your request) and include e-mail, cell and other contact information of the right person(s) involved. And, of course, put your full name into the comments field, so people will know who you are.

PLEASE NOTE: It’s safer to use the [at] sign instead of the @ sign in your e-mail listing in the BODY of comment (you should user your proper e-mail in the Name and E-mail fields themselves.

Once you have posted your listing as a comment, the DOS office has to approve it, which might take a few minutes or a couple of hours. We will work to approve these as fast as we can. Please be patient. Once approved, the listing will show up in the comments section.

Questions to dos@jrn.columbia.edu

Dear Journalism Students,

The evaluation system (https://courseworks.columbia.edu/) for students to provide feedback about their classes will be live for the Spring 2010 semester on Friday, April 30, 2010. MA Seminar in Discipline, and MS Workshop and Seminar professors will be scheduling lab time for you to complete these. If you are not enrolled in any of these courses, please complete all your evaluations on your own. The deadline for completion is Friday, May 14, at 9 p.m.

Your role in providing feedback via course evaluations is of vital importance to the Journalism School. The information is used by faculty to evaluate their syllabi and to refine their practices and by the administration to make curriculum decisions and assess professor performance.

Course evaluations are one element in tenure, promotion and contract decisions; they can affect professors’ careers at Columbia.

Future students also use the information to make informed balloting choices.

We ask that you take your time and seriously reflect on your learning experience as you provide an honest answer to each question. You do not have to complete all the forms in one sitting. However, once you begin working on the form for a given class you must complete and submit it before exiting the system. Partially completed forms are not stored.

Please be aware that professors won’t have access to your evaluations of them until after they have submitted their evaluations of your performance.

Please note, we have no control over the system once the deadline has passed. Every semester students contact us after the deadline asking to fill in the form or to make edits to their evaluations, and there is nothing we can about those situations. Please be certain to complete all evaluations by the, Monday, May 25, 9 p.m. deadline.

Between Friday, April 30 and Friday, May 14, you will receive reminders every day for each evaluation that you have yet to complete. These automatic reminders are generated by the CourseWorks system.

Thank you for your assistance.

Questions to dos@jrn.columbia.edu

SPJ & the Dean’s office invite you to join students, faculty, adjuncts, staff and guests as we cruise the Hudson on our very own boat, the Temptress (alas, it’s ours only for a night). No RSVP required. FREE for current students, faculty, adjuncts & staff (bring your ID). $20 for each guest (cash only, bring money to the boat; parents, spouses, significant others, friends, grandparents, aunts, uncles all welcome). Kids under five: no charge; kids under 12: $10. The cruise will include a DJ, cash bar and a $5 “cash food bar” i.e., chicken, pasta, salad, rice, etc.

Before we sail, we will present the award for SPJ Teacher of the Year and SPJ Student of the Year.
Attire should be Holiday Party-ish, or as we like to say, “reporter semi-formal” (dressy, but no tuxedos required).

*Sunday, May 16, 2010*
Hours: 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

• 4:00 p.m. - boarding starts
• 4:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. - party on board docked boat
• 5:45 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - disembarking for those who don’t want to sail 6-8 p.m.
• 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - SAILING

* Cabana *
Pier 81, 12th Ave. and West 41st Street
New York, NY 10036

*Cabana Directions*

• >*By Train*:
  Take the A/C/E/1/2/3/N/R/Q/W to Times Square / 42nd Street Station.
  Walk West along 42nd Street til you hit the West Side Highway. Cross the Highway and turn left. Proceed 1 block to the World Yacht Marina.

• *By Car*: (Parking facilities available on the pier for $30.00 per car)

  *From GW Bridge*: via Henry Hudson Parkway South to W. 43rd St., make right at West 43rd St. and follow service road 2 blocks to World Yacht at Pier 81. From Lincoln Tun, NJ: Upon exiting the tunnel, follow uptown signs on Dyer Avenue to the 3rd light. Turn left onto 42nd Street. Turn right on 11th Avenue and turn left on 43rd Street. Go straight on 43rd Street to Pier 81.

  *From Midtown Tun, Queens & LI*: Take 2nd Avenue downtown to 34th Street. Right on 34th Street to 10th Avenue. Go right on 10th Avenue and left on 43rd Street. Go straight on 43rd Street to Pier 81.

  *From Westchester & Conn*: Via Henry Hudson River Parkway South to 43 St., make right at West 43rd St., & follow across 12th Ave. to the service road. Make left and follow service road 2 blocks South to World Yacht at Pier 81.

TO: Graduating Journalism Students
FROM: Dennis F. Giza, Deputy Publisher

RE: Free One-year Subscription to CJR

DATE: April 23, 2010

Throughout the past year, you have received copies of CJR in your student mailbox. I hope you found each issue interesting, informative, and useful.

On behalf of the entire staff of CJR, I would like to offer you a FREE one-year subscription to our magazine.

To accept, please e-mail me your address (referring to this offer) to dfg2@columbia.edu by May 15, 2010. Based on past experience, I recommend that you provide us a temporary or interim address rather than wait until your plans for the coming year are final. If, in the next year, you change your address, just call our subscription department, toll free, at 1-888-425-7782.

The one-year subscription will begin with the July/August ‘10 issue and end with the May/June ‘11 edition. If you take advantage of this offer later than May 2010 (and miss some issues) your subscription will still expire with the May/June ‘11 issue. Around January next year you will receive a letter saying your subscription is about to expire and asking that you renew as a paid subscriber; we hope that you opt to do so.

CJR is the 2010 winner of Penn State’s Bart Richards Award for Media Criticism, a finalist (five times) in the Mirror Awards, honoring the best in media reporting, and a nominee for an UTNE Independent Press Award in the best writing category. We hope you continue to join us as we all wrestle with journalism’s opportunities and challenges in the years ahead.

Congratulations and good luck.

Attn: Graduating Students
From: Dean Huff
Re: Year-end Awards for M.S. & M.A. Students
April 21, 2010

Each year on Journalism Day the school confers awards on several top-performing students. Each prize winner will receive a certificate and some will receive additional cash prizes (this depends on how the awards were originally set up). Below you will find the descriptions of this year’s awards.

These awards are open to any M.S. students graduating in this cycle (May 2010, Feb. 2010 and Oct. 2009). Some awards are also open to M.A. students - noted in each award description.

There are two broad categories of awards: those for which students can submit entries that are judged by faculty juries; and those decided by the professors teaching the course for which they are awarded - no submissions are accepted for these.

Please note: The Blood award is run by an alumni committee and has already accepted submissions.

Another prize, the Harron Award, is decided by a faculty committee from nominations provided by the J-school community - see separate announcement). All M.S., M.A., Knight Bagehot, and Ph.D. students are eligible.

For juried awards, you may submit applications for no more than two categories (the Blood and Hechinger are not part of the limit), and each application (unless otherwise specified in the award description) can contain only one story, or segment of a Master’s Project/Thesis no longer than 3,500 words (or 10-12 minutes of video or audio; for digital media projects, submit specific URLs in addition to an overall URL, and printouts of the relevant pages).

The decisions of the faculty judges are final, and their deliberations are confidential.

If you are submitting an application for one of the juried awards, you must submit clean, hard copy (or broadcast materials, if applicable, WITH SCRIPTS, or for digital media projects, submit specific URLs in addition to an overall URL, and printouts of the relevant pages) to the boxes in 2M07A (in the Career Services area) between Thursday, April 22, at 10 a.m. and Thursday, April 29 at 10 a.m. IN ADDITION, please e-mail copies of your submissions to ss3045@columbia.edu. If you are coming after business hours, please drop off the entries through the slot of the gray box outside of the DOS offices (Huff/Sreenivasan) PLEASE SUBMIT THREE COPIES OF EACH ITEM.

Make sure everything is clearly labeled with your name, the class and professor for whom you did the story and the exact award category you are entering.

If you are entering more than one category, you must have a separate, labeled envelope for each entry (note: no more than two categories per student, not including Blood, and Hechinger). We will not be returning entries.

You can also read about how students graduate with honors in this previous DOS Blog post about year-end awards and grading.

FAQs about all this at the end of this post.

If you have any questions, please address them to dos@jrn.columbia.edu.

Regards,

Dean Huff

AWARDS TAKING SUBMISSIONS (descriptions below):

• Balakian Award for writing about literature (M.A. eligible)
• Blood Award for reporting (closed)
• Hechinger Education Journalism Award - (M.A. eligible)
• Horgan Prizes (3) for science reporting
• Mencher Award for superior reporting
• Wechsler for local reporting(M.A. eligible)
• Wechsler for national reporting(M.A. eligible)
• Wechsler for international reporting(M.A. eligible)

AWARDS NOT TAKING SUBMISSIONS:

• M.A. Thesis Prize
• Baker Award for City Newsroom
• Baker Award for CNS
• Baker Award for Magazine Workshops
• The Judy F. Crichton Award
• Paul Rykoff Coleman Memorial Scholarship Award
• Greer Award for financial writing (one M.S. & one M.A.)
• Peter Keller Award for Editing
• Joan Konner Broadcast Journalism Award
• Lynton Fellowship in Book Writing (All Book seminar students eligible)
• Nelson Award for national affairs reporting
• Digital Media Workshop Award
• Nightly News Workshop Award
• Photography Award
• Radio Workshop Award
• Sackett Award for Law Class
• Taylor Award for best international student (M.A. eligible)
• Video Storytelling Workshop Award
• Louis Winnick Prize for RWI Writing

AWARD WITH NOMINATIONS FROM J-SCHOOL COMMUNITY

• Harron Award for excellence in reporting as well as exemplary kindness and courtesy to fellow students (see separate announcement) [Whole school eligible]

- - -

2010 STUDENT PRIZES IN DETAIL

AWARDS TAKING SUBMISSIONS

THE NONA BALAKIAN AWARD (M.A. eligible)
The Nona Balakian Award was established in 1992 to honor the student who shows the most promise for achievement in writing about literature. Ms. Balakian, a 1943 graduate of the Journalism School, was an editor at the New York Times Book Review and had much influence on American arts and letters for more than four decades. Book reviews, profiles and articles about the literary world are acceptable.

THE RICHARD BLOOD AWARD
The Richard Blood Award is given to the student–judged by a panel of the former professor’s students–to have written the best investigative, hard-news or news feature story.

THE FRED M. HECHINGER EDUCATION JOURNALISM AWARD (M.A. eligible)
This award is given to a student who produces outstanding work in education reporting. This award was established by the Hechinger Institute on Media and Education at Teachers College, in honor of New York Times education editor, Fred M. Hechinger. See separate entry information, deadline and process here: http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2010/04/21/graduation-fred-m-hechinger-journalism-education-award/

HORGAN PRIZES
There are three Horgan awards given to the students who have produced the best stories focused on science, health or the environment. All media welcome.

MELVIN MENCHER REPORTING AWARD
The Melvin Mencher Award was established by the students, friends and associates of Professor Melvin Mencher, the man who wrote that text book, who retired in 1990. The award recognizes superior reporting on local government activity (including education, social services, politics, health, etc.). Only print entries of no more than 2,000 words will be considered. Print Master’s Projects are welcome but must be excerpted or condensed so that they fit the word limit.

THE JAMES A. WECHSLER MEMORIAL AWARDS (M.A. eligible)
The first James A. Wechsler Memorial Award is presented to the student who, in the judgment of the Faculty, submits the best story (no more than 750 words) on a significant local issue. The awards were established by the Pisces Foundation in memory of the former editor and columnist at the New York Post. The second James A. Wechsler Memorial Award is presented to the student who submits the best story (no more than 750 words) on a significant national issue. The final James A. Wechlser memorial Award is presented to the student who submits the best story (no more than 750 words) on a significant international issue. Word counts are non-negotiable and submissions with a higher count will not be considered.

AWARDS NOT TAKING SUBMISSIONS:

M.A. THESIS AWARD
This award honors the best M.A. thesis as determined by the deans.

THE RICHARD T. BAKER AWARDS
The Richard T. Baker Award for outstanding performance in the Newspaper workshops – Brooklyn Ink, Bronx Ink, and Columbia News Service - was established in honor of the late Dick Baker, a J-School graduate and long-time professor who also served as acting dean, associate dean, historian and administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes. The second Richard T. Baker Award is for outstanding performance in the Magazine workshops.

PAUL RYKOFF COLEMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
The Paul Rykoff Coleman Memorial Scholarship Award is awarded to a student dedicated to reporting about health and sciences, especially infectious diseases

THE JUDY F. CRICHTON AWARD
The Judy F. Crichton Award is named in commemoration of the former duPont-Columbia Awards juror, who during her career served as one of the first female documentary producers at CBS Reports; and who became the founding Executive Producer of PBS’ show, the American Experience. It honors the student documentary work that most encapsulizes Judy’s ideals of hard-hitting journalism, long-form narrative storytelling, and historical perspective on issues of concern to American culture and history.

PHILIP GREER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND AWARD (one M.S. & one M.A.)
The Philip Greer Memorial Scholarship Fund Award, presented for the first time in 1988, was established in honor of the late Mr. Greer, a financial correspondent and columnist for the New York Herald-Tribune and The Washington Post, to recognize the outstanding student in financial writing.

THE ROBERT HARRON AWARD
The Robert Harron Award is presented to the student who has demonstrated excellence in writing and reporting as well as exemplary kindness and courtesy to fellow students. The award was established in memory of Robert Harron, the former sportswriter and long-time assistant to the presidents of this university, through gifts from his many friends. (Call for nominations)

THE PETER KELLER PRIZE FOR EDITING
The Peter Keller Prize is presented to a student who shows great promise in editing. This award is made possible by a gift from Lisa Keller Yakas and Saky Yakas.

THE JOAN KONNER AWARD
This prize is presented to the student who has produced the most thought-provoking and original television and radio reporting.

THE LYNTON FELLOWSHIP IN BOOK WRITING (All students in the Book Writing Seminar are eligible)
Lynton Fellowship in Book Writing is given for outstanding work in the Book Writing seminar.

THE LARS-ERIK NELSON PRIZE
The Lars-Erik Nelson Prize was established by the New York Daily News, in honor of Lars-Erik Nelson, its distinguished Washington columnist, who died in 2000. It is presented to a student for best reporting or opinion piece in one of the National Affairs Reporting seminars.

THE DIGITAL MEDIA WORKSHOP AWARDS
This award is for outstanding performance in the Digita Media Workshops.

THE NIGHTLY NEWS AWARD
This award is given for outstanding performance in Nightly News Workshop.

THE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD
The Photography Award is given for outstanding performance in the photography courses.

THE RADIO WORKSHOP AWARD
This award is for outstanding performance in the Radio Workshop.

THE HENRY SACKETT AWARD
The Sackett Award is given to two outstanding journalists who, in the judgment of the Faculty, did the best work in the course on the law of journalism. The award is part of the fund established in the will of Colonel Henry Woodward Sackett.

THE HENRY N. TAYLOR AWARD
The Henry N. Taylor Award was established in 1962 by friends of Henry Taylor, a journalist who was killed on assignment in the Congo at the age of 31. The award is given at the end of each school year to that member of the International Division who has demonstrated the qualities of a superior journalist. The award includes a grant providing for travel in the United States before returning to his or her homeland.

THE VIDEO STORYTELLING WORKSHOP
This award is for outstanding performance in Video Storytelling Workshop.

THE LOUIS WINNICK PRIZE FOR RWI
This award in memory of Louis Winnick, is given to the best story done in RWI in the previous calendar year. The story must demonstrate outstanding reporting and writing, along with great precision and accuracy in grammar. This year’s winner has already been selected.

- - -

FAQs ABOUT AWARD SUBMISSIONS

Over the years, students have asked questions along these lines:

* Can I submit more than one entry per award?
THE ANSWER: No, you cannot. We want you to pick the best story and submit it, rather than send in more than one for any one award.

* Can I really only submit entries in two awards?
THE ANSWER: We want you to pick up to two awards and submit stories for those only. The Blood and Hechinger awards aren’t part of that quota.

* Can I submit same piece for two different awards?
THE ANSWER: Yes, you may submit the same story for two different awards.

* Can I submit a double-bylined story or a team production in broadcast or digital media?
THE ANSWER: Yes, you may. Each year, multi-person entries do win awards.

* Does the limit of 3,500 words apply to ANY story or only to Master’s Projects/Theses (my story is currently around 4,600 words, so I need to know whether to cut it down in size or not.)
THE ANSWER: The reason we say only 3,500 words is to make the judging process more streamlined. If you can trim your piece, please do. If, however, every word is uncuttable, attach a note explaining your reasons for turning it in a little longer. Please note that the Wechsler submissions cannot exceed 750 words.

All questions to dos@jrn.columbia.edu

-30-

Attn: Students, Faculty and Staff
From: Harron Award Faculty jury

The Faculty is currently accepting nominations for the ROBERT HARRON AWARD.

The ROBERT HARRON AWARD is presented each year to the student (M.S. [FT or PT]; M.A.; Knight Bagehot; Ph.D.) who has demonstrated excellence in writing and reporting as well as exemplary kindness and courtesy to fellow students. It is popularly known as the “nice guy/gal” award.

The award was established in memory of Robert Harron, a former sportswriter and long-time assistant to the presidents of this university, through gifts from his many friends.

While all members of the School (faculty - full-time and adjucts, staff and students) may submit nominations, only students in the Class of 2010 (part-time and full-time, M.S., M.A., Knight Bagehot, Ph.D.) are eligible for the prize, which will be announced with other awards on Journalism Day (this is a separate prize from SPJ’s “Student of the year” and the other awards determined by the Faculty.
(more…)

Dear Graduating Students:

The Fred M. Hechinger Education Journalism Award will be given to the student who produces the most outstanding journalistic work on the subject of education.

This award was established by the Hechinger Institute on Media Education at Teachers College, in honor of the New York Times’ education editor, Fred Hechinger.

Stories are accepted in television, digital media, radio and print. There is no length restriction. Judges will be looking for insight and excellence in reporting and writing.
(more…)

RADIO MASTER’S PROJECT SCREENINGS

Come listen to some of the 19 radio master’s projects of 2010, telling us all about modern love, subway buskers, recycling, online medicine – and much more. All screenings will be in Room 511A on April 21, 26, and 27. Light refreshments served.

Screenings scheduled for Wednesday April 21

Screenings scheduled for Monday April 26

Screenings scheduled for Tuesday April 27

You may have heard about this before, however it appears that It’s not going away. In New York, the NYPD reports an increase in ATM Skimming incidents in several ATMs locations in the NYC Area which is currently under investigation. Although banks are working with Law enforcement agencies to combat ATM Skimming, keep the below information in mind.

Here are few steps you can take to protect your ATM and credit cards:

Safeguard your credit cards and ATM cards at all times.

Well armed with this knowledge about ATM skimming and POS skimming we hope that you will be more careful the next time you are at an ATM or while making transactions with your card. For more information on ATM Skimming please visit:

http://www.onlineguards.com/topics_atmskimmer.htm

Thank You for your continued help.

Ricardo Morales
Columbia University
Department of Public Safety
Manager Crime Prevention Programs
Crime Prevention Specialist
212-854-8513
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/publicsafety

From Public Safety-

Working Out at the Gym? Keep Crime Prevention in Mind:

Whether it’s our state of the art Gym facilities here at Columbia or any other gymnasium, THEFT OF UNATTENDED PROPERTY is the number one reported incident at many gymnasiums. The Dodge Fitness Center offers coin operated wallet lockers small enough for your wallet, jewelry, electronics, etc. at various locations in the facility. Larger coin operated lockers are also available in both the men’s & women’s locker rooms. The Bard Hall Athletic Center at the Medical Center offers similar options to secure your property.

Leaving your property on the track or in a corner unattended while working out or taking a shower gives thieves an opportunity to steal your property. You can make a thief’s job significantly more difficult simply by securing your property in a locker. Leaving your property inside a locker without a lock is ineffective, as thieves are aware of this “trick.”

Report Suspicious activity or persons to Public Safety right-away! Call 212-854-5555 or on a campus phone dial 4-5555 on the Morningside Campus or 212-305-7979 or 5-7979 at the Medical Center. Help us “Take a Bite Out of Crime.”

For more information on services, memberships & lockers please call:

Dodge Physical Fitness Center at the Morningside Campus 212-854-2546

Bard Hall Athletic Center at the Medical Center Campus 212-304-7000

Call for Conference Volunteers

Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and the Center for Study of Democracy, Toleration, and Religion (CDTR) are proud to host the interactive Forum on Iran: New Generation, New Perspectives, New Media Conference on April 17, 2010.

The Organising Committee of the Forum on Iran: New Generation, New Perspectives, New Media (April 17, 2010, Low Memorial Library, Columbia University) is now recruiting student volunteers to assist with various tasks pretaining to the forum.

This interactive forum on media and policy forum will bring together young Iranians who have demonstrated leadership in academia, the public sector, the arts and media and will discuss current trends and stimulate debate. For more information please visit the conference’s website at http://www.newgenerationforum.org.

The smooth operation and success of this conference will depend heavily on the professionalism and dedication of our team of volunteers. They will engage in note-taking for the final report, meeting and greeting attendees, assisting speakers, updating the website among other tasks. Our selected volunteers will have their registration fees waived and will have the opportunity to work directly under the organising committee.

The various types of volunteers needed during conference and the responsibilities for each volunteer assignment are explained below.

Registration and Information Desk: Volunteers needed to check-in attendees and distribute conference materials (name badges, water bottles, etc.). Volunteers are encouraged to attend one half-hour training session describing registration duties.

Room Monitor: Volunteers are needed for each panel session. Room monitors check with the Volunteer Desk before a workshop/session begins to confirm the status of the speaker. They also welcome the speaker(s) when they arrive, ensure room arrangements and speaker’s AV requirements are met and inform the audience how to obtain handouts (if any).

Assistant Rapporteur: Volunteers are needed to assist in each of the plenary sessions and take notes in a clear and concise manner so as to contribute to the final report of each panel and the conference. For this position please forward a sample writing of 2-3 pages in addition to your CV and cover letter.

To apply, please forward your CV and a cover letter to sipforum@gmail.com with CC to ayehnaraghi@gmail.com.