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

International Orientation 2005 – 8/3; 8/4; 8/5

Wednesday, 8/3 (601B)

9:00-10:00 a.m.: Welcome/coffee & pastries
1. Josh Friedman
2. David Klatell
3. Sreenath Sreenivasan
4. Melanie Huff
5. Elizabeth Fishman
6. Robert Mac Donald

10:00 a.m.: Students travel via bus to
Josh Friedman’s home:
435 Rt. 9W
Palisades, NY 10964

10:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.: Students have picnic lunch, introductory discussion at Prof. Friedman’s home and a peek at a typical American suburb.

4:30 p.m. - Students leave Palisades for return trip home

Thursday, 8/4 (601B)
9:30 a.m.: *ISSO Presentation and paperwork

11:00 a.m. Journalism Computers/E-mail/Meningitis/Biz Cards
Abraham – Lee: Room 601A
Lo – Vieira: Room 607C

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Box Lunches provided

1:00-4:00: Grammar & Writing Diagnostic

Friday, 8/5 (601B)

9:30 a.m.: Josh Friedman will present an overview of local and national politics, education and religion

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Box Lunches provided

1:00 p.m. Walking tour of the city

7 p.m.: Group dinner at a downtown restaurant

*If you have not had the opportunity to report to the ISSO before Thursday’s meeting , you are required to bring your passport, I-20 or DS-2019 and I-94 card (white card usually stapled into the passport) along with a photocopy of the I-20 or DS-2019 that was used to enter the United States. Be sure that it is legible, because it will be scanned into your computer file. The ISSO will be collecting information regarding your documents, as well as your local address.

The starting point for all health services at Columbia is, well, Health Services, at http://www.health.columbia.edu

“Health Services at Columbia is about your well-being: helping you cope with colds and immunizations or managing stress and eating well - and also providing you with information and services so that you can take charge of your own health care needs, make healthy choices, learn some new skills, and focus on your academic, extracurricular, and personal goals while you are a student.”

Some useful contact information from that site is below. Familiarize yourself with the site so you will know where to turn if you ever have an emergency or even a routine healthcare need. Incidentally, the person in charge of Health Services, assistant vice president Margot Amgott, was the J-school’s admin dean for many years, so she knows our school well and still keeps in touch.

Map showing where the two main locations are:
http://www.health.columbia.edu/hrs/maps/.

General Information: 212.854-2284
E-mail for general questions about Health Services: health@columbia.edu

Emergency Support Resources:
If this is a medical emergency, call 911 or proceed to the nearest emergency center.

For urgent medical issues when Health Services is closed: 212.854.9797

Columbia Security 212.854.5555
or x99 from a campus phone

Columbia University Emergency Medical Services (CU EMS) 212.854.5555
or x99 from a campus phone

Rape Crisis/Anti-Violence Support Center
Peer Counselors: Tuesday - Sunday 7pm-11pm
Peer Advocates: 24 hours/7 days
212.854.HELP
212.854.WALK

St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center Emergency Room
(113th Street /Amsterdam Avenue) 212.523.3335

St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center Psychiatric Emergency Room
(113th Street/Amsterdam Avenue) 212.523.3347

http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/admissions/programs/courses/calendar/

Prof. Bruce Porter, J’62, gives a terrific annual lecture on how to write the Master’s Project. You can listen to his fall 2004 lecture in Quicktime format here.

Dear Students,
Welcome to the Graduate School of Journalism, where the world’s finest journalism faculty and curriculum await you. Each of us is looking forward to working with and getting to know you, so please feel that you are a valued member of our community. I know that your year here will be challenging, full of new and deeper responsibilities and a truly impressive work load. We expect to treat you as adults and young professionals, following the dictates of university life as well as the behaviors of working journalists.

One of the cardinal rules of the school and the professional journalist is that you show up on time, where and when assigned, and that you take seriously all work, whether or not you may have chosen it for yourself. So, at the risk of beginning our relationship on an authoritarian note (I really am a friendly fellow), I must remind you that the August program is not some sort of orientation, nor is any part of it optional. It is the beginning of the school year, with carefully-selected mixture of lectures, seminars, writing drills, reporting assignments and guest speakers. Every part – and every day – of it is required of you, regardless of your personal preferences. So, for example, you should expect to have assignments every weekday and some weekends throughout the month. You should also expect classes or presentations on Friday afternoons, including, I stress, Friday, September 2 – the day before Labor Day weekend. Some of you (you’ll ask your individual instructors) will have reporting and writing assignments over Labor Day weekend itself.

So, do not plan to travel out of town in conflict with our schedule, even if it’s an old family tradition, or attend other, non-school events that in any way interfere with your obligations here. You will need permission – in advance – from your instructors and Dean of Students Sreenath Sreenivasan or Assistant Dean Melanie Huff to get a waiver from any of these requirements or deadlines. Please do not attempt to sway us with the plea that you have to miss a class, seminar, lecture or assignment because of a long-planned vacation, excursion, friend’s wedding, etc. The only exceptions are legitimate health crises or family emergencies, but these, too, need to be cleared by the deans’ offices prior to any waiver or postponement of elements of our schedule.

This school operates on assumptions quite different than those you may have experienced at other educational institutions. We have not developed our rules and modes of operation simply to be draconian, but to assist all students to understand and participate fully in the culture of the school and its educational processes. You are only here for 10 months; there is much to do in that short period of time, so you cannot afford to miss any of it.

If you have any questions, reply to Dean Sreenivasan (ss221@columbia.edu) or Dean Huff (mgh2@columbia.edu)

Regards,
DK