Seminar News
Announcements from the Office
Open Seminar Day to Commemorate the 80th Year of The University Seminars
We are pleased to announce an Open Seminar Day to commemorate the 80th year since the founding of The University Seminars. The format will be interdisciplinary dialogue and conversation among representatives of different seminars. At this event, we will also make available printed materials about all the seminars, as well as selected publications supported by the Schoff and Warner Funds, and we will present A Community of Scholars: 75 Years of The University Seminars at Columbia — the volume published for The Seminars’ 75th anniversary year.
2025 Leonard Hastings Schoff Memorial Lectures
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.
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.
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. 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, 2026. 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.
- All Seminar Chairs are required to attend or send another seminar member as proxy.
- The General Meeting may require voting on issues or nominations.
- 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 21, 2025 from 4:00-5:00 pm.
Seminar meetings cannot be scheduled to take place during this meeting.
Invitation and link to follow.
End-of-Year Reminders for Rapporteurs
MINUTES
The 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 1, 2025 is the final deadline for submitting academic year 2024-2025 timesheets.
INCOMING RAPPORTEURS
New rapporteurs should contact the office in August. If you have any questions, contact Gesenia Alvarez-Lazauskas.
Morningside Campus Access
Morningside Campus is open to active affiliate CUID holders and approved guests only. Access policy is subject to change at any time.
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.
