F
Columbia Was a Miserable Experience.
Where to begin? I cam to Columbia as a music major in the joint program with The Juilliard School. The music department at Columbia is sub par, and did not meet my academic or professional needs. Moreover, the joint program was cancelled without my knowledge. I was told that a similar program would materialize at Manhattan School of Music, but it never did. After three years of wasting time and money, I had to start over again in a new major.
It gets worse. While studying as a music major, I encountered a narcissistic student who had a reputation for drinking and doing drugs on campus, cheating on exams, and raising hell about a teacher who gave him a less than stellar grade which he indeed deserved. Moreover, this Columbia College student had a penchant for harassing other students. His behavior forced a female freshman out of her dorm room in Carmen Hall. He directed is unsocial and unwanted behavior toward me, by falsifying a police report during summer recess.
I attempted to file a complaint about the student, was told by my dean, Mary McGee, that I could not. Moreover, the Dean Schollenberger of Columbia College refused to investigate or address the issue. He coddled this criminal, because the student's father was a prominent alumni of CC and worked for NASA. I used every available channel or redress listed in FACETS, the Columbia handbook to no avail. The Provost Office threw me out, the Ombuds Office took my harassers side (truly disgusting Marsha Wagner), and another dean at my school Dominic Stellini threatened with expulsion should I attempt to file a complaint. Please note, I was a near 4.0 student, a named scholar at the time that the CC student (a gentlemen's C student) harassed me. Moreover, the office of the Provost including Roxy Smith, a truly incompetent individual, refused to discuss the matter with me. Moreover, Columbia College hired an attorney to protect this criminal. Morgan Levy was given the title of "Dean," but was there for one reason only, to coddle my harasser. Unknowing to me at the time, met with her to discuss what had happened, but she twisted and distorted our conversation against me. I should have known that Columbia would resort to low life tactics. Regardless, I kept trying to kept administrators higher up to follow their own policies pertaining to harassment. Finally, I was told by Susan Glancy, Columbia's Provost, hat the situation would be resolved, and asked me to see her again to create a plan of action. She lied. She refused to see me again, and even had me ejected from her office when I went back for resolution. SHAME ON COLUMBIA'S UNETHICAL ADMINISTRATION!!!! I therefore went to the police. The N.Y.P.D. recognized that the student engaged in harassment by filing a false report, and allowed me to file a report against the student. The even encouraged me to file a restraining order, which in retrospect I should have done. This way, when we had classes together, my harasser would have been removed from class. Moreover, the police were astounded that this criminal was not expelled and placed in police custody for all of his criminal acts. I could not agree more. I hope you are now seeing how completely unethical Columbia really is.
Finally, I hired an attorney and threatened to sue the school. This was the only act that got the university's attention. Ostensibly, all of the delineated channels of recourse available to students are merely roadblocks, an obstacle course designed to thwart you off the path of resolution in accordance with school policy, which means absolutely nothing. Make no mistake, administrators at Columbia are there for one purpose only, to protect themselves. Columbia's administration cares less about students or their concerns
The matter was finally resolved after spending $8,000 on my attorney. The school recognized their error, and I was re-admitted with full scholarship. However, the process was exhausting, de-moralizing, and I was forced out of the school for two years to get this thing resolved in accordance with school policy. By this time, my harasser, who should have been expelled and arrested according to the school's own policies, had graduated. SHAMEFUL!
I attempted to complete my degree in a new major, but realized my foreign language was no longer being offered at the school. It is mandatory that students take four semesters concentrated in one specific language to satisfy core requirements. I could not afford to start in another language, because I would exceed the amount of credits needed for graduation by 12 points. At nearly $1,300 per credit, the total bill would be over $15,000 on top of everything else. The only way to avoid this unnecessary overcharge was to obtain a foreign language disability ruling, in which case substitution courses could be taken in leu of the foreign language classes that were no longer being offered. It took another year and a half of not attending school to work this situation out, because Columbia insisted on a battery of tests performed at a private facility. The cost was nearly $2,000 out of my pocket, for their error! Test after test was not good enough for the Office of Disability Services, which oversaw the situation. In fact, the person assigned to me was so incompetent, so clueless about the procedures, required exams, and how to read test results, she was eventually let go by the university. By this time 18 months had passed, and I still was unable to attend classes. After exhausting my channels again, I simply called an attorney specializing in education law. I was assessed a hefty bill, but a letter was written on my behalf. Within two weeks, I was registered and back at school.
By now nearly four years had flown by where I was unable to attend school because of Columbia's unethical administration, and inability to accommodate me when my foreign language (Telugu) was no longer offered. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!!
There were many other incidents that occurred during my "wasted" time at Columbia. GS students, who do not have the same access to financial resources, classes, or even physical buildings on campus, were told they could no longer take courses at Teacher's College, Columbia's graduate school, yet every other undergraduate division could. This was especially detrimental to me, because as a music major, my Juilliard instructor also taught at Teachers college. I was effectively cut out of the program merely because of the school I attended at Columbia. It is evident that this school could not satisfy my academic needs.
I also received some very nasty emails, all of which I have kept, from administrators including one from Peter Awn, dean of The School of General Studies. His comments were so vile, misguided, and inappropriate that I refuse to attend graduation where I would have to shake this man's hand. Similarly, I have other letters from deans of Columbia College, but fortunately I do not have to deal with them. Worse of all was Mr. Finnigan at campus security who did not take my claim seriously. His cronies actually laughed behind my back when I went to file my report. This lack or respect paralleled a lack of investigation on the behalf of campus security. Additionally, a request to see my records was denied, and repeated requests for the school to file a "dean's discipline" against my harasser, a type of action that is required in such situations according to the school's procedure, never occurred even though I was lied to and told it had.
Between my program being cancelled, getting harassed by a criminal who was coddled and protected by the university, having my foreign language dropped, being forced out of school for nearly four years, being harassed by administrators, campus security, the Office of the Provost, and the Ombuds Office, I'm still here. I sadly graduate in May, and I AM ASHAMED OF MY DEGREE FROM COLUMBIA.
Columbia was the absolute worst experience of my life. The only thing I learned is that schools are businesses, and they are just as dirty and corrupt. Columbia is run by disingenuous unethical individuals whose sole purpose is to perpetuate their own goals and interest at the expense of paying students. When Columbia fails to produce what is promised, administrators turn their backs and set up obstacle courses to ensure students have no recourse. Accordingly, administrators are impervious to their failed academic policies, student harassment, and core curriculum when it does not meet the needs of students. It's all about getting your money, so they can get theirs, period.
I am disgusted by Columbia, and WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE. The school is a dirty, ugly, tiny campus bordering on one of the worst neighborhoods in New York City. The school is over rated, over priced, and over crowded. The administration has over blown egos, and as far as learning, you can do better with simply a library card. I'm outraged about what happened to me, and others like me who the university skillfully silences. Negative reviews are deleted and people are threatened should they dare say the truth about Columbia. TO HELL WITH YOU COLUMBIA. I will not be silent about these matters, and will continue to educate anyone who cares to learn the truth about this despicable place called a school. Columbia is nothing more than poisoned ivy.