Fellow Columbians,

I am pleased to welcome you to the Columbia College Alumni Association Board of Directors’ new website. I hope you will spend some time familiarizing yourself with the website in order to learn more about the CCAA, to discover opportunities to connect with students and alumni and to work with us on issues important to the Columbia community.

While we were at Columbia for only four years, we are part of the Columbia community for life. We all benefited tremendously from our time at the College, and an important part of the CCAA mission is to ensure that the students at Columbia today receive the same education and opportunities that we did, if not a better education and more opportunities. This is a powerful responsibility that our board members take seriously as we establish our agenda and work throughout the year.

Board members keep themselves up-to-date on and educated about what is happening on campus. Most recently, CCAA leadership worked closely with the administration on the transition in the Dean’s Office and will continue to support Interim Dean James J. Valentini in his leadership of the College.

The board’s ongoing efforts also include leadership and support for the Columbia College Fund and board committees that strive to improve the student and alumni experience. We support the College Fund by leading the Class Agents Program and the Fund Development Council as well as advising the development staff.

The CCAA currently has five working committees. Through robust discussion on these committees and close counsel with College and University administrators, faculty and students, CCAA board members are able to help advise the dean and his staff on priorities. Recent initiatives include the new workout facilities in dormitories and the establishment of a pilot program of alumni-sponsored summer internships.

Throughout the coming year, we will focus on improving alumni communication, advising on alumni programming for alumni 10–25 from graduation, deepening our understanding of alumni achievement in their professional careers and ensuring support of international students, as well as supporting a smooth transition for College leadership .

We hope to hear from you and see you at Columbia soon.

If you have any questions, or would like more information about the Columbia College Alumni Association, please contact us at ccalumni@columbia.edu.