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

READ CAREFULLY - Graduation Tickets

Graduation tickets are now available.

Each graduate receives four 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 http://fs7.formsite.com/cu_jschool_careers/gradsurvey2009/

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.

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 Claudia Castillo in room 2M07A (mezzanine) once you have completed your online graduation survey AND submitted your updated resume. Ms. Castillo 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. Castillo 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 (cc2964 or 212-851-0246) about having tickets mailed. Survey receipt verification is still required.

End-of-Year Manual

May 2009
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.

Part of the reason for the tight deadlines is that the three new summer Part-time RWI classes begin on Friday, May 22.

Use of Journalism Building Facilities After May 20

Use of Building:

Members of the Class of 2009 will have access to the building and its facilities through June 30, 2009.

Exceptions include: any area under construction, and any classrooms and computer rooms being used for summer classes or special programs. If you are in one of these rooms when a class is scheduled to begin, please leave immediately. Refusal to cooperate may result in the termination of your access to the building.

Equipment
All current fines must be paid by Friday, May 8th or a hold will be placed on your student account. All equipment must be returned to the Equipment Room (507) by Friday, May 15th. Action will be taken to repossess equipment from outstanding checkouts after May 15.

After graduation, students will be allowed to check out equipment, as available, until Friday, June 12th. Please remember that scheduled summer school classes and master’s project students, as well as necessary equipment maintenance upgrades, have priority for equipment and editing rooms.

Please be aware that individual computer rooms will be closed at different times for maintenance and upgrading. Though it is likely, it is not guaranteed that there will always be a computer room or terminal available. Due to maintenance schedules, summer class schedules and the master’s projects, it is possible that you will be unable to use a computer at a specific time.

Student Lockers:
All May graduates must empty their lockers by noon, Friday, 22.

Continuing part-time students, documentary students and News 21 fellows may keep their lockers. Graduates who will be working on a demo tape or other approved projects during the month of June may also keep their lockers. To request such a locker extension, please send e-mail to Derek Gano at dg2382@columbia.edu with your name and the reason for your request.

Graduates’ lockers that have not been vacated by noon on Friday, May 22, will be have their locks removed and contents moved to a storage bin and eventually discarded. All locker questions should be directed to Derek Gano at dg2382@columbia.edu.

Student Mailboxes:
The mailboxes of graduating students may be used until noon, Friday, May 22 as well. All items remaining in boxes after that date will be discarded.

Computers:
Graduating students will retain access to computer resources through June 30, 2009. Afterwards you will be unable to use the computer labs, print, or access your network storage. Please be sure to backup all of your files to external media (CDs, DVDs, flash media, iPods, etc.) before your account is deactivated.

E-mail:
Please see the alumni services/benefits section below for full details.

University Services After May 20

Health Services
Access to Health Services at the University expires on August 31 for all graduating students. For those with major medical health insurance through Columbia (Chickering), coverage ends on July 31 for M.S. students. Coverage for all other students ends on August 31. You do have the option of purchasing an extension on this policy. Please see http://www.health.columbia.edu/index.html for details.

University Libraries
Recent alumni will retain full library privileges, including borrowing privileges and access to licensed electronic databases, for a period of three months beyond the degree conferral date. Access information can be found at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/services/lio/access/. Library Services for alumni can be found at http://www.alumni.libraries.columbia.edu/

Dodge Physical Fitness Center (aka the Gym)
You may use the gym over the summer with your current CUID. However, you will have to pay the $91 gym use fee. Beginning in September, you will be eligible for alumni gym use. Please see http://alumni.columbia.edu/visit/s5_1.html

Alumni Benefits and Services

A variety of benefits and services are available to Journalism School graduates. This page answers most of your most questions and concerns, from auditing a class at Columbia to updating your address information, from obtaining a transcript of your time here to using Columbia’s recreational facilities - http://snurl.com/jschoolalumni

Please note that you will automatically be subscribed to your class list serve using the real world e-mail address supplied in your graduation survey (more details en route from Career Services). Your Columbia e-mail will remain an actual e-mail account through the summer, but then you will have to convert it to an alias to which your e-mail is sent and then forwarded to your real world account. Instructions are available at http://alumni.columbia.edu/access/s2_2.html.

Dear Journalism Students,

The evaluation system (https://courseworks.columbia.edu/) for students to provide feedback about their classes will be live for the Spring 2009 semester on Friday, May 1, 2009. PT January RWI, 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 Monday, May 25 , 2009, 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, May 1 and Monday, May 25, 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

Members of Journalism School Community:

In 2008, following inquiries from the NYC Health Commissioner and changes to New York State law, Columbia University convened a tobacco workgroup to consider changes to the University tobacco policies. The group, made up of student and staff representative from 12 different schools and departments, has investigated best practices for tobacco policy on college campuses around the country. The workgroup has forwarded a set of recommendations, including a proposal to prohibit smoking in within the gated areas considered the core of campus. As a part of this policy consideration, we are soliciting feedback from students, faculty, and staff. We invite you to visit the following website to review the proposal (including maps and proposed designated smoking areas) and provide confidential feedback: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/studentservices/docs/smoking/index.html

In addition to providing comments via this website, you may also elect to attend one of the following four open forum feedback sessions:

· Tuesday, April 21, 2009 from 12:00 – 1:00pm in Lerner 477

· Friday, April 24, 2009 from 12:00 – 1:00pm in Lerner 568

· Wednesday, April 29, 2009 from 5:00 – 6:00pm in Lerner 569

· Thursday, April 30, 2009 from 5:00 – 6:00pm in Lerner 569

Following this feedback period, the proposal and community comments will be forwarded to University administration for consideration. A decision on the proposal is expected to be made during the summer of 2009. If you have additional questions or comments, please email Michael McNeil at mm3117@columbia.edu. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

FROM: Dean Cornog
RE: Master’s Thesis

Your completed Master’s Thesis is due in the Dean of Students office by 10 a.m. on Monday, April 20. You will be required to sign your name in the thesis submission log.
Your submitted thesis must conform to the following requirements, so follow these instructions carefully:

1. Print your manuscript, or broadcast (verbatim) script, double-spaced on one side of white paper, leaving an inch-and-a-half margin on the left-hand side and at least an inch on the other three margins. Photographic paper does not meet preservation guidelines for library materials, and theses on photo paper will be returned to the author in exchange for a plain-paper copy.

2. You should be aware that source lists (and your entire thesis, including the P.S. portion, described below in point number 6) will be available for all library users. If there are confidentiality issues with sources (i.e. phone numbers, personal addresses, etc.), students are responsible for removing the source list BEFORE submitting the library copy. If you are not certain about the best way to cite a source, consult with your adviser.

3. Do not put any sort of binding on the thesis, and do not staple the pages. The pages must be numbered.

4. Include a separate title page with the following information: Your name, class year, the title of your thesis, the name of the faculty member(s) who supervised it and, at the bottom of the page, add:

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree of Master of Arts in Journalism

Copyright

(Name of Student)

(Year)

5. Hand in two copies–the original and one copy. The original will be reserved for the library, and the second copy will be used in judging the M.A. thesis prize. Please e-mail or give a hard copy to each of your advisers (whatever your advisers prefer). See #s 8 and 9 below for special digital/new media and broadcast thesis instructions.

6. You will need to submit a short, first-person account of how you discovered, researched and reported your story. This “P.S.” should run no longer than 1,000 words. The narrative will help students in the future see what goes into the making of a successful Master’s Thesis. (Include a copy of the narrative with all copies.)

7. Put each copy in a new 9 x 12 envelope. Label the front of each envelope with your name, your class year, the title of your thesis and the name(s) of your adviser(s) for the Master’s Thesis. Please be certain to clearly label the library copy.

8. Digital/new media theses: The paper copy of the thesis should include a printed cover page with name, topic, and URL, and a copyright statement. You should include a printed source list and the postscript described above in # 6. Include two hard copies (again, one for the library, one for the thesis judging). All 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 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 for the Master’s Thesis web page to the thesis itself.

9. For broadcast theses on audio tape, CD or DVD: please make two copies, label the tapes/discs, the covers and the cover spines with complete thesis information (author(s), title, adviser). Also include two printed copies of your script (these should include the title page mentioned in point # 4, above), and e-mail a copy to each of your advisers. Include the postscript and source list as described above.

10. If you are submitting your Master’s Thesis earlier than the deadline, you still have to submit the copies to the Dean’s Office. You must also inform your adviser and the office of the Dean of Students of the date you submitted the thesis.

11. Keep a copy of your thesis for yourself. Neither the Journalism School nor the Journalism Library is able to provide on-demand copies of your work. You are expected to keep usable copies of your Master’s Thesis for future reference. For print theses and transcripts, a hard copy is the best option.

Dear Students,

I’ve been contacted by several professors reporting that they are getting requests from students to miss their classes in order to do reporting for the Master’s Project/Thesis or other classes.

Students are not allowed to miss classes to do reporting for other classes or their projects/theses. Please do not make these requests of your professors.

MH

Interested in pursuing a career in business and financial journalism?
Then you may want to apply to the NYFWA Scholarships for Business Journalists

The New York Financial Writers’ Association is offering $30,000 in scholarships this spring to undergraduate or graduate journalism students in the Metropolitan New York area who are seriously interested in pursuing a career in business and financial journalism.

The number of winners varies from year to year. Last year, ten scholarships were awarded of $3,000 each.

Applicants should follow these directions:

(1) Complete application providing your present address and telephone number and, if different, your permanent home address and telephone number. Applications should be available at your department or the NYFWA website: www.nyfwa.org. If you do not have access to an application, simply send a cover letter with the information.

(2) Send an essay explaining why you are pursuing a career in business and financial journalism.

(3) Include a current resume, relevant personal information, and list any other scholarships you have received.

(4) Send samples of your financial writing and clippings.

Awards will be presented at the Association’s Annual Awards Dinner before an audience of leaders from the business, financial and journalism communities.

Applications may be emailed to nyfwa@aol.com. If mailed, they must be postmarked no later than April 15, 2009. We encourage applicants to apply early as possible. Only applications sent to the PO Box will be accepted.

Send material to:

Scholarship Committee

New York Financial Writers’ Association, Inc.

PO Box 338

Ridgewood NJ 07451-0338

Direct questions to:

Jane Reilly
Executive Manager
New York Financial Writers’ Association
PO Box 338
Ridgewood NJ 07451
www.nyfwa.org
201.612.0100 (voice)
201.612.9915 (fax)

Dear Journalism Students,

The evaluation system (https://courseworks.columbia.edu/) for students to provide feedback about their classes will be live for the Fall 2008 semester on Monday, December 1, 2008. RWI and MA Seminar in Discipline professors will be scheduling lab time for you to complete these. If you are not enrolled in either of these courses, please complete all your evaluations on your own. The deadline for completion is Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

Your role in providing feedback via course evaluations is of vital importance to the Journalism School. The information is used not only by future students to make informed balloting choices but also 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.

We ask that you take your time and seriously reflect on your learning experience as you provide an honest answer to each question.

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, Tuesday, January 20 deadline.

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 grades and evaluations of your performance.

Between Monday, December 1 and Tuesday, January 20, 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

Dear M.A. Students,

As you know, you have the option to attempt to take one of your two spring electives at the Journalism School (list below; see full course descriptions

To attempt to register for these classes, you must complete an Add/Drop form beginning on January 9, at 7 am. Admission to these classes is based soley on space availability and is handled on a first come, first served basis.

You are also eligible for the MA/Knight Knight Bagehot new media elective and spring skills courses. For the skills courses, you must complete the spring course ballot that goes live tomorrow at 7 am. Link en route.

Spring Electives open to MA students via Add/Drop

Advanced Photojournalism – Sara Barrett
Business and Economics Reporting - Cheryl Strauss Einhorn
Covering Conflict – Judith Matloff
Covering Race & Ethnicity – Arlene Morgan
Decision Making in the Newsroom – Michael Shapiro, Bill Grueskin & Peter Kann
Feature Writing A – Christopher Lehmann-Haupt
Feature Writing B – Paula Span
Foreign Reporting – Kati Marton
Graphics in the Newsroom – Hannah Fairfield Wallander
History of Journalism – Andie Tucher
Journalism of Ideas – Alissa Quart
Managing Broadcast Newsrooms in the Digital Age - David McCormick and
Lloyd Siegel
Narrative Writing – Kevin Coyne
News Editing – Nancy Sharkey
Opinion Writing – Seth Lipsky
Politics & the Press in America – Evan Cornog
Radio Documentary – Alex Blumberg
Reporting Advances of the Modern Newsroom – Tom Torok
Sports Journalism – Sandy Padwe

For spring skills courses open to MA students via the spring ballot, please see http://web.jrn.columbia.edu/students/Skills_SP09.html

Spring 2009 Course Ballot

Degrees are awarded in October, February and May. Every candidate, regardless of graduation date, is invited to participate in the May Commencement ceremony.

In order to be considered for a degree or certificate, you must file an application with the Journalism School.

IMPORTANT: This form CANNOT be submitted electronically. Please type in the required information, print, sign and bring it to the box outside of Dean Huff’s office [207C] marked “Diploma Applications.”

Alternately, you can mail it to:

Dean Huff
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
2950 Broadway
New York, NY 10027

Application Deadlines
Graduating in - Apply by
October - August 1
February - November 1
May - December 1

Please Note The Following:

Dear Students,

I realize it may feel as though you’ve just gotten here, but some of you
have already expressed preliminary interest in our dual-degree program
with the School of Journalism at Sciences Po in Paris.

This note is to inform you that Stephanie Durand and Agnes Cheveau, who
administer that school, will be here next Tuesday, September 16 and are
prepared to meet with interested students at 4:00 in the Stabile Center.
This will be a general-information session; we do not expect you or
Sciences Po to make any commitments at this early date.

Please let me know if you plan to attend.

Regards,

DK

David A. Klatell
Chairman, International Studies
Professor of Professional Practice
Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University
New York, NY. 10027
ph: 212-854-3319
fax: 212-854-3939

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

Winning an OPC Foundation scholarship is more than a cash award. Winners are invited to join the Overseas Press Club family. They are encouraged to network and keep the organization informed of their career moves. 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.

The judges require that applicants submit a Cover Letter, Resume and Essay. The applicant’s name and school should appear at the top of each page. The Essay of approximately 500 words should concentrate on an area of the world or an international issue that is in keeping with the applicant’s interest. It can be in the form of a story, news analysis or essay. Recent winners have written on such diverse topics as playing black jack on the Trans-Siberian Railroad, political activism in Morocco, and social upheaval in China. Applicants are also encouraged to submit essays showing a strong understanding of, or interest in, global economic issues such as trade, finance, emerging markets, immigration or environmental impacts.

The Cover Letter should be autobiographical in nature addressing such questions as how the applicant developed an interest in this particular part of the world, or how he or she would use the scholarship to further journalistic ambitions. The judges respond well to applications showing strong reporting skills, color, and understanding or passion.

Winners will be contacted in December so that arrangements can be made for them to attend the Foundation Scholarship Luncheon in February 2009 in New York City at the Foundation’s expense. Recipients are expected to attend.

Applicants do not have to be US citizens.
Applications may be sent by mail, fax or email. Please choose one. Email is preferred (Word or PDF).

DEADLINE: Monday, December 1, 2008
Email: foundation[at]opcofamerica.org
Fax: 201-612-9915
Mail: William J. Holstein, President, Overseas Press Club Foundation, 40 West 45 Street, New York NY 10036
Website: www.overseaspressclubfoundation.org

For more information, contact Jane Reilly, Executive Director, at foundation[at]opcofamerica.org or call 201-493-9087.

The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize launches today, endowed by Benjamin Franklin House Chairman John Studzinski, leading banker and philanthropist. According to Studzinski, “Benjamin Franklin is one of history’s great figures. While he made lasting contributions in many fields, his first passion was writing. He believed in the power of the written word to inform and stimulate debate as the bedrock of a democratic society.”

Each year a question exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time will be open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words by two groups: young people and professional writers. The winner of the Young Writers Prize will receive £500 while the winner of the Professional Writers Prize will receive £1000 plus publication in a leading British newspaper. Entries for 2008 must be received before 15 October. Judges of the young people’s award will include professional writers; judges of the professional writers’ award will include young people. Winning submissions will be posted at www.BenjaminFranklinHouse.org.

For nearly sixteen years between 1757 and 1775, Franklin lived at 36 Craven Street in the heart of London, England. He is one of history’s great polymaths - a diplomat, patriot, scientist, inventor, philosopher and more. He was one of the first American journalists, writing prolifically not only on politics and foreign affairs, but on science, the arts and humanity. In 2006 his Georgian home opened to the public for the first time as a dynamic museum and educational facility. See www.BenjaminFranklinHouse.org.

2008 Theme

What is ethical journalism? Benjamin Franklin said the effects of the written word (delivered by press in his day - in ours by a variety of media) “are more extensive, more lasting.” What are journalists’ responsibilities and why?

Submissions

* Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize - Young Writers Award: Entrants must be 25 or under.

* Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize - Professional Writers Award: Entrants must be professional writers

Entries of 1000-1500 words must be sent by 15 October to info[at]benjaminfranklinhouse.org. Each entrant is asked to provide their name, address, and telephone number. In addition, entrants for the Young Writers Award should provide their age and place of study, if applicable, while entrants for the Professional Writers Award should provide a CV. Entries can be articles or essays published over the preceding year. For more information contact Alice Kershaw at Benjamin Franklin House, 020 7839 2006 or email info[at]BenjaminFranklinHouseorg.

Dear Students:

A reminder about the Fall Academic Schedule.

Please be sure to check your schedules at least once a day on SSOL [ https://ssol.columbia.edu/ ] for a couple of weeks - days, rooms, times, etc., may have changed.

Highlights - when certain classes begin:

September 2 (week of):

• M.S. RWI staggered schedule: Those students whose classes meet on Mondays, will meet on Tuesday. Tuesday classes will meet on Wednesday and so forth.
• Section 1 of Critical Issues [Klatell and Tucher] begins on Wednesday night, September 3, at 6 p.m., in the Lecture Hall. The second class will meet on Friday, September 12, at 12:30 p.m., in the Lecture Hall (the regular class time).
• Skills: Sections 15 (Photo Skills with Smock) & 20 (Radio Skills with Welby/Karr) – see http://web.jrn.columbia.edu/students/Skills_web3.html
• Regular Schedule [as it appears in SSOL] for PT Intro to TV; M.A. classes (see alternate room list in the orientation folder you receive tomorrow); Broadcast for SIPA students; Knight Bagehot & PhD classes

September 8 (week of):

• RWII Electives (except in cases with direct communication from the professor about alternate date); The Literature of Non-Fiction; Friday Critical Issues [first regular day/time class]; Friday Law; Wednesday Law; Thursday Critical Issues; NY as a Foreign Country; Social Impact of Mass Media

September 12:

• Add/Drop Period ends: 7:00 a.m. [ http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2008/08/21/memo-adddrop-instructions/ ]

For Fall M.S. Master’s Projects: your advisers will be in touch about when classes meet. Many meet on Friday afternoons, but some don’t; the advisers will let you know.

For class times and locations for everything else, you need to go to http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb/ and click on “J” and then on “Fall 2008.”

Questions to dos@jrn.columbia.edu

The Journal of International Affairs is currently accepting submissions of articles that deal with contemporary international issues related to Global Finance for the Fall 2008 Cordier Essay Contest. The winning article earns its author $300 along with publication in the Journal of International Affairs.

Submission Guidelines:
1. The Cordier Essay Contest is open to all currently enrolled students of Columbia University and affiliated schools.
2. Essays cannot have been previously published, but NEED NOT be written specifically for the contest: Papers submitted for academic credit or written under other circumstances are welcome and encouraged, provided they are relevant to the upcoming issue’s theme of Global Finance and have not been published elsewhere.
3. Papers should not exceed 4,000 words.
4. DEADLINE: Essays are due by September 15th at 11:59 P.M.

To submit an essay for consideration or if you have any questions, please contact Josh Amata, Cordier Editor, at jra2121[at]columbia.edu.

About the Journal of International Affairs
As the second-oldest publication in the field of International Affairs, the Journal has published articles by preeminent scholars and practitioners that have included Jimmy Carter, Paul Volcker and Margaret Mead. The Cordier Essay Contest provides Columbia University students the opportunity to contribute their academic research the topic of that semester’s issue.

Join the Journalism School Mentor Program!

Start early seeking help with navigating the industry and make the most of your time in NYC. Join the Alumni Mentor Program now! For more information, go to: http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/student/mentor

In 1987, the alumni of the Journalism School started a mentor program for students. Open to both full-time and part-time students, the program is designed to give you access to a journalist working in the field you hope to pursue. We hope your mentor will serve as a resource for making the most of your time in New York City and will ease your transition from school to the workplace. The mentor program is voluntary and it’s up to you to make the most of it. You must be willing to commit the time to reach out to your mentor on a regular basis.

Alumni are generally enthusiastic and want to help, but not everyone works at a big newspaper or television station. Many mentors are recent graduates who are employed at Web sites or trade publications. Some are reporters covering business or local news. But all know about the school and the profession and are ready to share their experience with you.

A few words of caution: The goal of the program is not to get you a job after commencement. Many mentors are uncomfortable about being placed in the position of recruiter. So, please don’t sign up if your primary motivation is meeting alumni who could employ you, we have an excellent Career Service staff trained to work with you.

Memo to the MA Class
From: Evan Cornog, Director of the MA Program

Dear M.A. Class of 2009:

As director of the M.A. program, I look forward to welcoming you here on August28th, and on working with you in the coming academic year.

If you have questions about what’s ahead, please go first to the school Website, in particular:

http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/cs/ContentServer/jrn/1212608980076/page/1212608978934/JRNSimplePage2.htm

If you have questions not answered there, please be in touch with me.

We promised you a short list of readings you might want to take on before coming here. They are:

For the Evidence and Inference course, W. G. Sebald, “Air War and Literature”in On the Natural History of Destruction (Modern Library)

For the history course, Prof. Michael Schudson’s Discovering the News (BasicBooks) and Walter Lippmann’s Liberty and the News, in a new edition from Princeton University Press (you need only read the Lippmann, not the foreword or lengthy afterword).

I hope the rest of the summer goes well for you, and I look forward to seeing you in late August.

Best,

Evan

Dear Students:

We invite you to start filling out your Journalism School online student directory. This directory, which is accessible only by current students, faculty and staff, is a great networking tool - and is separate from the class Facebook group (which we hope you will continue to use).

The information you enter in this web directory will then be transferred to the print student/staff/faculty directory, which you will receive in the fall.

We ask that you complete filling out your profile by Aug. 1 - the entire process should take no more than five minutes.

The link to the directory is: http://cujs.photobooks.com

Once you have logged in successfully *both* times, you will be directed to the home page of the directory. On this page you will find the *edit my profile* link. Please click on that link to start filling out your profile.

You will have to upload a current, high-resolution, JPEG picture of yourself. We ask that you submit a basic headshot photo, similar to a passport photo.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Fall Ballots go live at 10 a.m., Monday, July 7.

Please carefully follow the instructions below.

First, M.S. students please read the Fall Curriculum thoroughly.

You may read students’ evaluations of many of the classes and professors at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/journalism/evaluations/. You will have to log in using your UNI and password.

Please select from the two options below the appropriate ballot for you.

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 14, 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 (or adviser) if we are not able to give you your first choice.

Those who miss the ballot deadline 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 14, 10 a.m.) will be the one processed.

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.

The ballot for FT M.S. students is at http://fs8.formsite.com/cjdos/FT_MS_Ballots

The ballot for PT M.S. students and M.A. students is at http://fs8.formsite.com/cjdos/MA-PTBallot/

Please answer all questions carefully.

Message from LynNell Hancock, Interim Dean of Academic Affairs

Dear Students and Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce three major additions to our new media
efforts at the Journalism School.

The first is the appointment of one our most popular adjuncts, Duy
Linh Tu, to the full-time faculty. Duy (pronounced “Do” - see bio
below) joins us as new media coordinator and an assistant professor of
professional practice. As you know, he has been teaching here for
several years in the new media classrooms. He will intensify his
efforts to “webbify” our fall classes, and to integrate new and
compelling ideas in multimedia storytelling throughout the curriculum
in the years to come. Duy will continue to work with Dean Sree
Sreenivasan, who, as you know, has increased administrative
responsibilities at the school.

In addition, we have created two new post-graduate New Media
Fellowships starting this year. These July-June fellowships will
employ two students who will work closely with the technology staff to
help students and professors alike navigate the world of new media
journalism.

Our inaugural fellows are Kenan Davis and Dave Mayers (see bios
below). Part-teaching assistants, part-technologists, this year’s
fellows are both smart journalists with terrific reporting, writing,
editing and production skills. They will report to Duy.

Please join me in congratulating them. Kenan and Dave officially begin
their duties on July 1, but I am sure you will have other
opportunities to greet them before then.

(more…)

From: Larry Fried, Asst. Dean for Technology

Dear Students,

Please make note of the following technology items as we approach the end of the academic year:

Equipment and Fines:

All checked out equipment should be returned no later than May 15th.

Equipment fines must by paid by May 16th or you may have a hold placed
on your diploma. If you wish to dispute a fine, please email Craig at
ch2314[at]columbia.edu.
(more…)

Dear Students:

A reminder about the Fall Academic Schedule.

Please be sure to check your schedules at least once a day on SSOL for a couple of weeks - days, rooms, times, etc., may have changed.

Highlights - when certain classes begin:
(more…)

Photo from day two of the new MA Class:

Transcript of M.A. Program Chat
with Dean Evan Cornog
Wednesday, July 25, 2007

[ See full list of transcripts and chats ]

DeanCornog(P) Go ahead–fire away.

lmf2125(Q) Hi! Is there such a thing as an MA for broadcast?
DeanCornog(A) The curriculum is platform-neutral, and you are welcome, indeed encouraged, to do a broadcast thesis. But the actual instruction in the courses is not geared to any particular medium.
(more…)

M.A. Students: All students without registration HOLDS (account balances, immunization compliance, library fines) on their student accounts have been pre-registered for their required Journalism courses (please see SSOL for status). Please follow the outside course instructions to register for your outside classes.

M.S. Students: All students without registration HOLDS (account balances, immunization compliance, library fines) on their student accounts are able to view their spring course schedule in SSOL.

Spring Schedule:

• January 5-January 26: Add/Drop period http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2006/12/18/sked-adddrop-period-from-dean-huff/
• Tuesday, January 16, 10 a.m.: First Draft of the Master’s Project due to your adviser.
• Tuesday, January 16, 6:30 to 8:30, Lecture Hall: An information session for MS students (and others) interested in the MA program. See http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2006/12/20/memo-two-sets-of-all-class-events/ for details
• Tuesday, January 16: M.A., and other University classes begin
• Wednesday, Jan. 17, 9:30-4 p.m.: ALL-CLASS EVENT: Mandatory for FULL-TIME M.S. students; others welcome. Presented by DOS, Academic Affairs and Career Services.*Light refreshments served. See http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2006/12/20/memo-two-sets-of-all-class-events/ for details
• Thursday & Friday, Jan. 18 & 19: M.S. Workshops begin
• Monday & Tuesday, Jan. 22 & 23: M.S. Seminars begin
• Wednesday, Jan. 24: M.S. Electives begin

Dear Students,

We are offering two exciting sessions on long form writing with Prof. Paula Span (http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/faculty/span.asp)

These sessions are designed to cover long form writing and the master’s project/master’s thesis in particular.

Student feedback from last year’s session: “Professor Span’s workshop last night was excellent. She’s a great lecturer, laid out a number of clear, helpful ideas for organizing research and then weaving it into a long-form piece, and also gave great advice in responding to student questions.”

Seating is limited. To RSVP for either session (or both), please go to the links listed below.

Sign-ups will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at midnight on November 3.

If you must cancel after signing up, please send an e-mail to Amanda McIntosh at ajm2137@columbia.edu so that she can take someone off of the waitlist.

Part I: Reporting - Friday November 10, 5 to 6:30 pm, room 601B
http://fs8.formsite.com/cjdos/SpanRSVP/index.html

Part II: Writing - Tuesday, December 12, 3 to 5 pm room 607B
http://fs8.formsite.com/cjdos/Span2/index.html

FROM: Michael Hoyt, Executive Editor, Columbia Journalism Review

Dear students,

In 2004 Farnaz Fassihi of The Wall Street Journal sent an e-mail to friends and relatives about what it was like to be a journalist in Iraq. Somebody in the chain posted the letter on the Internet and it quickly went around the world. Among journalists the reaction was varied: some worried that an objective reporter had revealed too much; others thought the e-mail was dead on.

Meanwhile, something about the personal nature of the note communicated the reality of what Iraqis call “the situation” more forcefully than yards of standard prose. Here at CJR we wanted more, and for our forty-fifth anniversary issue we interviewed some fifty journalists who have covered the war. Out of their anecdotes and insights we have constructed an oral history of the war, the first of its kind, and we invite you read the issue when it comes out next week.

We also invite you to attend a panel discussion with five journalists who have covered Iraq on Thursday, November 2, from 7 to 9 in the lecture hall. These people have studied “the situation” closely, some of them for four years or more. They are:

Deborah Amos: Foreign correspondent for NPR and ABC News. Author of Lines in the Sand: Desert Storm and the Remaking of the Arab World.

Rajiv Chandrasekaran: Washington Post assistant managing editor, former Baghdad bureau chef, and author of Imperial Life in the Emerald City.

Ali Fadhil: A physician and translator. He has collaborated with journalists from The Financial Times, Time, The Guardian, People, The Observer, The New Yorker and NPR.

Patrick Graham: Canadian freelance journalist who spent a year with the Iraqi resistance in Fallujah. His work has appeared in The London Observer, Harpers and other publications

Chris Hondros: A prizewinning photojournalist whose work has appeared on the covers of magazines such as Newsweek and The Economist, and on the front pages of most major American newspapers.

We hope you can join us.

Mike

Mark you calendars! We have scheduled two breakfasts and two lunches to share information and receive feedback from students. More events are en route.

Please see http://deanstudents.blogsome.com/2006/10/25/memo-spring-prep/ for events specifically designed for spring registration preparation, you

Critical Issues Feedback Breakfast with Prof. Sam Freedman
Tuesday
October 31
8:15-9:15 a.m.
Room 601B
Bring your comments/compliments/critiques and chat over a cup of coffee and a pastry.
The menu, as described by Columbia Catering:
* Assorted Chilled Juices Consisting of: Orange Juice, Apple Juice and Cranberry Juice
* Assorted Breakfast Bakeries Consisting of: Mini Croissants, Danish, Assorted Muffins, and Bagels, Butter, Preserves, and Cream Cheese
* Brewed Regular and Decaffeinated Coffee and Assorted Teas

Breakfast M.A. Info Session with the Deans (M.S. students learn about the M.A. program)
Thursday
November 2
8:15-9:15 a.m.
Room 601B
The menu, as described by Columbia Catering:
* Assorted Chilled Juices Consisting of: Orange Juice, Apple Juice and Cranberry Juice
* Assorted Breakfast Bakeries Consisting of: Mini Croissants, Danish, Assorted Muffins, and Bagels, Butter, Preserves, and Cream Cheese
* Brewed Regular and Decaffeinated Coffee and Assorted Teas

M.A. Tea with the Deans (M.A. students only)
Wednesday
November 8
4-5 p.m.
Room 601B
Coffee, Tea, Water
Assorted Baked Goods

Brown Bag Lunch M.A. Info Session (M.S. students learn about the M.A. program)
Monday
December 4
12-1:30 p.m.
Room 601B
Bring your lunch and questions to this overview session on the M.A. program.
We will provide:
Individual bags of Potato Chips, Pretzel & Popcorn
Assorted Home Baked Cookies
Assorted Sodas and Bottled Water

Dear Students:

The Fall semester officially ends on December 22.

Journalism M.A. classes meet for the last time the week of December 11.

For those students (M.A., Ph.D, some M.S.) students taking classes elsewhere in the University, your classes end the week of December 11 and final exams (when applicable) are held between December 15 and December 22.

For full-time, M.S. students, all classes except for the Master’s Project, end by December 8 (unless your professors set an alternate last class date). You are expected to remain at school working on your Master’s Project until December 22, at your adviser’s discretion.

Part-time classes (except for Law and Critical Issues) run through the week of December 11 (last class meets on 12/16).

“Lucille’s Ball,” the annual holiday event at which students roast faculty and have a big party is scheduled for Thursday, December 14.

Tuesday, January 16: The first draft of the M.S. Master’s Project (for full-time M.S. students and other M.S. students doing academic year

projects) is due. Journalism M.A. classes (and all classes taken elsewhere in the University) begin.

Thursday, January 18: M.S. Workshops begin.

The following week, M.S. Seminars and M.S Electives begin.

Dear students and faculty:

Every year, the University awards Maria Moors Cabot Prizes to the best and brightest Latin American journalists and North American journalists covering Latin America. President Bollinger will be conferring these prizes, the oldest international prizes in journalism, in a formal ceremony at Low Library next Wednesday.

But next Tuesday night (the 10th), this year’s four Cabot medalists will appear at the J. school in a special panel designed for you to ask them questions. Attached are thumbnail sketches of the four winners–Mario Vargas Llosa, Ginger Thompson, Matt Moffet, and José Hamilton Ribeiro.

Especially for those of you considering international reporting, this is a great opportunity to meet two distinguished Latin American journalists and two Americans who have made careers covering Latin America. Politics, government, culture and business are hopping in Latin America and, in my view, the region offers opportunities for young journalists.

The theme of this year’s panel, which I will moderate, is self-censorship– a terrible problem both in Latin America and, increasingly, in the United States. An article on self-censorship is attached.

THIS IS THE ONLY PUBLIC APPEARANCE BY THE CABOT WINNERS.

This event takes place on Tuesday, October 10 on the 3rd Floor of the Journalism School at 7 PM. No RSVP is necessary; make sure to be in the Lecture Hall PROMPTLY at 7 PM.

I hope to see you Tuesday night,

Josh Friedman, Director of Cabot Prize Program