Since school started last month, I’ve asked a lot of students, “How did you spend your summer?” You were all very busy during this “vacation.” We had 25 students participating in the new Columbia College Alumni Sponsored Student Internship Program, 40 working abroad through Columbia Experience Overseas, 41 supported through the Columbia College Alumni & Parent Internship Fund, 88 supported through the Work Exemption Program and 95 who studied abroad on programs administered by the Office of Global Programs.

My goal as Dean, as I have already told you, is to make Columbia College the best undergraduate experience in the world. The College is already the best place, but we’re going to make it even better. I have been thinking a lot about how to achieve this, but I don’t have all the answers. I need your help. Please send me your thoughts on how we can make this place better. And I will continue to us this blog as a forum to disseminate what we are doing to bring the best students, attract the best faculty, and improve the substance of your undergraduate education.

During the “Chats with Deantini” last fall, a number of students mentioned that they are concerned about the mental and emotional health of students on campus. The Daily Beast website cites Columbia as one of the country’s most stressful schools. And many students agree. I write today so that I can tell all of you what I told those few students in the fall: I don’t want this to be a stressful place. I want to identify the source of that stress and help eliminate it.

During my first few months in Hamilton Hall, I spent much of my time meeting with and talking to students, alumni (whom I prefer to call “former students”) and faculty. I held “office hours” and “chats” with groups of students, met with members of student government and the student media, and spoke with many of you and your peers at sports games, social events, and while handing out candy canes in Butler Library during finals. In these conversations, similar questions and concerns came up that I realize many of you share. I thought a blog would be a good means to get my answers out to everyone — to make this information transparent — so I will answer some of those questions here, and some in future blog entries.