Dear members of the Columbia Community,
Throughout the course of this academic year, the challenges we face are no secret. Uncertainty has been and continues to be, and will continue to be an essential part of our campus community. But throughout this first half of the year ahead, I urge you to look forward to our key values and the mission upon which we stand. Columbia, it is our teaching and scholarship, research and experimentation, and creativity and boldness and boldness in such creativity that makes us diverse, resilient, and Columbia. While campus has unprecedented challenges, I trust that our community can rise to the occasion and reaffirm our values like never before. The dialogues that we are engaging in are essential in starting the conversation about what it means to communicate. I have come to believe that excellence requires both a focus on achieving the best possible Columbia for each Columbian and on doing our best to support their individual journey through complicated and challenging communications.
Trying times are the most important times to try. When we as a campus community can unite around our shared diversity, we can see past the superficial differences between us and recognize that we all have a role to play in our mission of supporting our mission. I am so inspired by the commitment of the Columbia community. Only in the greatest city in the world can scholarship exist alongside excellence in academics and a dedication to academic excellence. Columbia has poised to demonstrate leadership in the field of value reaffirming and guest access.
There are many questions left unanswered, however. How do we as a campus community grow stronger from these resilient times more challenged? How can we move forward to meet the task at hand while simultaneously progressing towards meeting the challenges in front of us? How do we foster a productive environment of scholarship and learning while preserving the students’ intellectual freedoms while fostering a conducive climate for education while ensuring the free expression of the Columbia community? While there is no clear answer to the questions posed to us today, I can assure you with the utmost sincerity that the gates will remain closed and that the security presence on campus will only increase.
All my best,
Katrina Armstrong
