The School of General Studies’ Dean of Students (DOS) Office continues to evolve to provide unparalleled, individualized and responsive advising to all GS students. Recently, the DOS Office updated its advising program by welcoming three new advisors. Dean of Students Tom Harford says these changes help ensure that “students successfully transition into the undergraduate community by fostering a supportive and engaged environment, to foster academic growth inside and outside of the classroom, and to promote GS students’ evolution as globally-engaged citizens.”
GS has been extremely pleased with the increasing popularity and success of its dual degree programs with Sciences Po in France and the City University of Hong Kong, in which students spend two years at a partner university and complete their studies at Columbia, earning two degrees in four years.
The programs’ success has contributed to GS’ international student population, the largest among the undergraduate schools. To expand support for international students, GS welcomed Anthony Ferreria, Assistant Dean of Students. Prior to Columbia, Ferreria served as the director of the Academic Achievement Program at NYU, and most recently, as the associate director of the Career Development Center at NYU Abu Dhabi. Ferreria will work with Dean Ivonne Rojas, who was recently promoted to Associate Dean of Students for International and Special Programs Initiatives. In her new role, Dean Rojas says her team will work on “connecting the international student experience at Columbia to the university’s priority of ensuring all undergraduates receive a truly global education.”
Following the international students survey conducted in the spring to assess students’ needs, Dean Rojas is working closely with the Center for Career Education as well as Alumni Relations to provide career development and networking opportunities that respond to international students’ unique situations.
Veteran students are another growing and vital component of the GS community. The number of student veterans at GS is higher than that of all the other Ivy League schools combined, and the School is committed to ensuring this community’s integration at Columbia.
“Above all, the ultimate goal is to provide centralized resources to strengthen the transition from military to civilian life to college” said David Keefe, Marine Corps veteran and new Senior Assistant Dean for Student Veteran Initiatives at the School. Dean Keefe will serve as a liaison between students and essential services, in addition to creating veteran-specific programs.
“One major focus is to bring more veteran arts and humanities-themed events on campus, and to connect veterans to arts opportunities off campus” says Keefe, in order to diversify the student life offerings to veterans. Dean Keefe also plans to bring career programming by partnering with veteran-friendly employers for recruitment events on campus.
In addition to enhancing support for international and student veterans, the DOS added Tiffany Decker, Assistant Dean of Students. Dean Decker was previously the Manager of Operations and Evaluation at MIT, where she implemented a new student support initiative, increased underrepresented student enrollment in STEM programs and gained national recognition for her pioneering research initiatives. Decker’s addition to the team allows for increased capacity and individualized attention for all students at GS.
These changes, as Dean Harford says, “specifically address both our advances in robust academic support programming and the University’s evolving global mission.” Now more than ever, the School of General Studies is equipped to support its growing international and veteran student populations, along with the increasingly diverse GS student body.
