Following fluctuating transmission levels and on-and-off masking during the spring semester, the University has loosed COVID-19 restrictions for fall 2022 but will mandate masking in classrooms until Sept. 30.

Weeks after a Columbia University Resident Advisor Collective letter demanding increased resident adviser compensation and support garnered over 1,200 signatures, Columbia altered its terms of employment to allow RAs to choose between waived housing costs and an increased stipend.

Richard “Dick” Wald, CC ’52, has passed away at 92. The acclaimed journalist, television executive, and former chair of the Spectator board of trustees died on May 13 at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital, due to complications from a stroke, his son Matthew Wald confirmed.

The University celebrated its first in-person Commencement ceremony in three years on Wednesday, as thousands of graduates and their families gathered on campus and thousands of others joined on a livestream.

Seven formerly incarcerated students from across the University’s graduate and undergraduate schools are graduating from Columbia this spring, the largest self-reported number in the history of Columbia’s Center for Justice. This milestone reflects the Center’s impact and marks initial progress in what many feel should be a much larger project concerning access to education and reparations for Columbia’s past.

Columbia College Dean James Valentini was awarded the Alexander Hamilton Medal on Wednesday, the highest honor one can receive from Columbia College Alumni Association. The honor comes just weeks before Valentini will step down from the position in June.

One hundred and two Columbia College seniors have been selected for Phi Beta Kappa, in addition to the 24 students initiated last semester, the college announced on Thursday.

After two decades of leadership, University President Lee Bollinger, Law ’71, announced this week that he will step down at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. In an interview with Spectator, Bollinger situated his exit amid Columbia’s trajectory as it transitions out of a global pandemic, undergoes shifts in administrative power and leadership, and explores fundamental questions about academics and student life.

Masking will once again be required in Columbia classrooms, University COVID-19 Director Donna Lynne and Senior Executive Vice President Gerald Rosberg announced in an email to affiliates this morning. The mandate will go into effect April 11 and is expected to last for the remainder of the spring semester.

Columbia College and Columbia College Student Council hosted an event on Monday in Low Library to celebrate James Valentini’s decade-long tenure as Columbia College dean and vice president of undergraduate education. The event—which was open to all Columbia College students—was a chance for students to connect with the outgoing dean, who has been affectionately called “Deantini,” before he leaves his position at the end of the academic year.