Letter to the editor

To the Editor:

Regarding the editorial "A little advice" (Sept. 15, 2011), we appreciate that the Editorial Board recognizes the crucial role that academic advising plays in the lives and academic careers of Columbia undergraduates. As noted in the editorial, the Center for Student Advising (CSA) aspires to be “a trusted and indispensable source of knowledge and support for all students.” While there is always room for growth and improvement, we are proud of the work we do and of the advising support we provide.

To this end we are constantly engaged in a process of self-assessment to make sure that we are providing the best possible support and service to our advisees. Last fall, in a survey sent to all Columbia College and Columbia Engineering undergraduates, 73 percent of respondents reported that the CSA was meeting their academic advising needs. Students also gave their advisers high marks, finding them to be approachable (91 percent), responsive (89 percent), supportive (88 percent), and knowledgeable about the curriculum (86 percent).

We strive to be accessible and responsive to our advisees. This August, CSA advisers met with 97 percent of the incoming first-year class during the New Student Orientation Program. During orientation and the first two weeks of the semester, advisers held almost 3,600 advising appointments. The Center hosts walk-in hours four days a week from 2:30-4:00 p.m. And this fall, we rolled out a new online appointment scheduling system. We welcome the new academic year as an opportunity to continue building advising partnerships with our students, and to continue developing and strengthening the CSA as an advising resource for the Columbia community.

Brianna Avery, Michael Dunn, and Justin Snider
Advising Deans
Center for Student Advising

Cynthia Cogdill
Advising Dean
Preprofessional Advising
Center for Student Advising