Announcements from the Office

If a guest, a chair, or a speaker without a CUID plans to attend a seminar meeting held on campus, they must be registered by the specific seminar rapporteur in the guest registration portal at least one week before the seminar meeting takes place:

Once the registration is processed and approved by the rapporteur’s Dean or head of department, the registered guests will receive a QR code pass to access campus.

If a chair or rapporteur needs assistance with guest registration, they should contact Gary Mayta: gm2965@columbia.edu no later than 48 hours before the seminar meeting takes place.

*NEW* Seminar Meeting Announcement Template Policy

Brent Hayes Edwards
Peng Family Professor of English and Comparative Literature

November 10, 17, 24, 2025

Title to be announced

As a courtesy to staff working long event hours and to accommodate members who wish to attend the lectures, please do not schedule seminar meetings on the following dates: November 10, 11: November 17, 18; and November 24, 25, 2025.

End-of-Year Reminders for Chairs

Planning forms for academic year 2025-2026 are due by June 30, 2025. 

Planning for the next academic year is underway!

NEW ACADEMIC YEAR PLANNING
In April, chairs will receive an email from our office with links to the New Academic Year Planning Form and Travel Fund Request Form. Both forms are due by June 30, 2025. Travel funding is very limited. Please submit your forms by the deadline in order for your seminar to be updated on our website and included in budget considerations.

All seminars must submit a New Academic Year Planning Form — including seminars that do not meet in Faculty House and those without traveling guests.This form communicates essential information about your seminar. If you need a rapporteur, email the office: univ.seminars@columbia.edu. The information contained in the form will be published on the individual seminar web page and in The University Seminars Annual Report: Directory of Seminars, Speakers, & Topics.

TRAVEL FUNDING
Travel funding is not guaranteed. Please wait for funding approval before inviting guests. 

If a seminar wishes to invite a guest speaker who will require travel funding, the chair must first submit a Travel Fund Request Form. Seminars are strongly encouraged to seek funding from other sources and co-sponsorship is recommended. In the 2025-2026 year, seminars may not request funding for more than four (4) guest speakers who require travel funds to present at a regular seminar meeting. If funds remain after the deadline, we will consider additional travel funding requests. 

CHAIR ELECTIONS
Each year, elections should be held to select new seminar chairs or reelect current and continuing seminar chairs. Elections can be conducted over email by the rapporteur. Chairs for 2025-2026 must be indicated in the New Academic Year Planning Form. Deadline is June 30, 2025.

NEW CHAIRS
All incoming chairs must meet with the director and attend an orientation. Schedule a meeting with Susan Boynton directly through: Calendly. For an orientation, contact: Pamela Guardia for available dates.

ANNUAL REPORT: DIRECTORY OF SEMINARS, SPEAKERS, & TOPICS
Seminar chairs from academic year 2024-2025 are responsible for reviewing their seminars’ page in the Annual Report and submitting either corrections or confirmations to Summer Hart, even if they are no longer seminar chairs. Expect an email from: seminars.directory@gmail.com at the end of June.

DEADLINES FOR CONFERENCE AND PUBLICATION FUNDING
Please plan ahead. Applications for conference funding and publication subventions are reviewed twice a year. The deadlines are September 15, 2025, and March 1, 2025. Applications are only accepted through Submittable.

GENERAL MEETING
This is the only organized opportunity for all chairs to meet and hear updates on The University Seminars policies and news.

• The General Meeting may require voting on issues or nominations.
• All Seminar Chairs are expected to attend or send another seminar member as proxy.
• Only Chairs are invited; rapporteurs are not allowed to attend.
• In advance of the meeting, Chairs are encouraged to email agenda items to The University Seminars Director, Susan Boynton.

The 2025 General Meeting will be held over Zoom on Tuesday, October 21st from 4:00-5:00 pm.

Please do not schedule seminar meetings to take place during The General Meeting.

Invitation and link to follow.

End-of-Year Reminders for Rapporteurs

MINUTES
The preferred deadline for academic year 2024-2025 meeting documentation is May 31, 2025. Please check Submittable for correction requests and submit and/or correct all minutes. Minutes are only accepted through Submittable.

The final deadline for corrections is June 30, 2025. The form will close at 11:59 EST. We do not accept minutes over email or those submitted beyond the deadline without specific approval. Please address any questions to Summer Hart.

TIMESHEETS
June 15, 2025 is the final deadline for submitting academic year 2024-2025 timesheets.