Important Offices

Listed are key offices that students engage with or may need to seek support from during their time in graduate studies in VIBRE PhD Programs.

Dissertation Office 

gsas-dissertations@columbia.edu 

The Dissertation Office provides advanced doctoral candidates with dissertation guidelines and forms including the application to defend the dissertation and the final deposit and award of the PhD degree. 

107 Low Library, MC 4304 
535 West 116th Street 
(212) 854-6723 

Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action 

The University’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) has overall responsibility for the management of the University’s Employee Policies and Procedures on Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking; coordinates compliance activities under these policies and the applicable federal, state and local laws; and is designated as the University’s Compliance Office for Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other equal opportunity, nondiscrimination and affirmative action laws. 

CUIMC ID Office 

Your CUIMC ID provides access to the secure campus locations, purchase services at campus cafes and the University bookstore, and access to various discount programs offered by local businesses.  

VP&S 1-405C 
630 West 168th Street 
(212) 305-0238 

International Students and Scholars Office 

CUIMC Students: cumc-intl-students@columbia.edu 

The International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) is the international community’s resource for immigration-related needs, providing advisory and documentation services and information on a host of issues, including - but not limited to - visas, employment, travel, and tax-filing obligations. ISSO monitors the regulations of government agencies that have jurisdiction over the stay of international students and scholars, and is responsible for institutional compliance. 

Black Building 
650 W 168th Street 
1st Floor, Room 130 

Ombuds Office 

The Ombuds Office offers a confidential place to discuss workplace issues, academic concerns, issues relating to administrative paperwork and process, explanation and interpretation of policies and procedures, and many other issues or concerns. You can speak freely to them because, as they are not part of any formal University process, discussions are confidential. They don’t take sides in disputes and operate independently of the Columbia administration, reporting only to the president. 

154 Haven Avenue, Room 412 
(212) 304-7026 

Training Environment and Bias Reporting 

The VIBRE PhD Pathways Program is committed to fostering the best possible training environment. To support VIBRE's commitment to fostering the best possible training environment, individuals may submit feedback on concerning aspects of the training environment and any potential bias-related incident involving our community members through this centralized portal.  

The VIBRE PhD Pathways Program tracks reports of mistreatment and hostile training environments, maintaining the anonymity of the student. All reports will be regularly reviewed and addressed by a committee including the Deans of Graduate Affairs and the Directors of Graduate Studies. The team will meet at least once per semester.  Any report deemed urgent will be addressed immediately. To preserve anonymity to the fullest extent possible, reports are "quarantined" if it is necessary to wait before responding to the report.    


If an allegation of sexual discrimination, harassment, gender-based or sexual misconduct is reported to a faculty member or administrator, they must report it to the Columbia University Title IX Office for investigation. Staff in the Title IX and the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) offices are trained to investigate these allegations and determine responsibility. Staff in offices other than the Title IX and EOAA offices who are able to maintain confidentiality are Student Health and Student Mental Health professionals, Center for Student Wellness staff, the University Ombuds Officer, University Clergy, and staff in the Columbia Sexual Violence Response Office. 


Academic misconduct, university policy, and rules of university conduct violations, and general concerns may be reported through Columbia University Student Conduct and Community Standards

Office of University Life 

universitylife@columbia.edu 

The Office of University Life is your hub for student life across Columbia’s 17 schools and colleges. Explore the site to find out about efforts to connect and engage the campus community through programs, events, and resources that support your growth both on campus and in the city. University Life is a go-to source for enriching your Columbia experience. 


208 Philosophy Hall
1150 Amsterdam Avenue 
(212) 853-1628