News

inFO is a monthly email with news from across Columbia University Facilities & Operations. Check out the January 2019 edition here.

Columbia Health is proud to be one of the University partners working in collaboration with the Jed Foundation (JED) to enhance student health and well-being on campus. Progress updates on the Columbia-JED Campus Strategic Plan made during Fall Term 2018 are detailed on the Live Well | Learn Well website on the JED Partnership page. Notable highlights from Columbia Health-led workgroups include:

• Ensure incoming students with health histories are supported in their transition to college (Objective 4)
  Within Medical Services, two new case manager positions are created, in order to oversee the Health History program moving forward. Both will begin during the Spring 2019 semester.
   
• Provide robust screening opportunities at diverse touchpoints in the student experience (Objective 5)
  Fall 2018 utilization of the screening tools ULifeLine and BASICS increased as a result of broader advertisement/promotions by Alice! Health Promotion and additional campus partners.
   

• Train campus community members to identify, reach out to and refer students who may be struggling (Objective 6)
  Work started on refinement of the Gatekeeper Training content and materials, training to all Core Curriculum faculty, and evaluation of expansion of Gatekeeper Training further among faculty.

• Promote help-seeking behavior through de-stigmatization efforts and increased access to resource information. (Objective 7, 9, 10)
  In December 2018, work began on a Student Ambassador program in which appointed student leaders from all three undergraduate schools will serve as liaisons to Columbia Health, providing information about available services, helping connect students with resources and providing feedback that may be useful to Columbia Health in improving programs and in resolving problems students may encounter. 

• Ensure substance use policies and protocols best support students (Objective 11)
  Ninety percent of Medical Services staff in Columbia Health completed training in use of Naloxone. Pilot program to expand Naloxone training to the Columbia community in development.

Read more about the work being done within Columbia Health to further these objectives, as well as progress made by other work teams collaborating on this critical initiative: wellbeing.columbia.edu/JED. 

As the fall semester comes to an end, winter break provides students and faculty a chance to pause, relax, and enjoy a well-deserved rest. For Facilities and Operations, winter break is an opportunity to perform a significant amount of work by taking advantage of a relatively empty campus. This winter break, a wide range of projects large and small took place across the Morningside campus, including ongoing initiatives such as restroom renovations, residence hall upgrades, and public space refreshes.

The Forum, the third new building to open at Columbia University’s Manhattanville campus, was recognized with a 2019 Merit Award in the Architecture category from AIA New York, the oldest and largest chapter of the American Institute of Architects.   

Mobile App for Facilities and Operations Staff Who Service Work Orders

In partnership with the Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center, Columbia Dining hosted the Harlem Buyer Fair on January 15 in John Jay Dining Hall. This annual event helps connect local food, body care and gift vendors with interested buyers from Whole Foods, FreshDirect, Columbia Dining and other corporations nationwide.

Columbia University recently donated new HP all-in-one printers purchased with rewards points from HP’s loyalty program to 32 organizations in Harlem and the surrounding community.

If you are leaving campus for a portion of winter break, we would like to remind you that you can help save energy and prevent loss or damage of your property while you are out and throughout the winter.  Here are a few simple things you can do to help before leaving your home or office for any extended amount of time.

The black trash and recycling receptacles manufactured by Victor Stanley – ubiquitous across the Morningside campus grounds – suffered from wear and tear after more than 20 years of exposure to the elements. Instead of incurring the cost of purchasing new cans, Campus Operations identified a unique and cost effective solution to restore the original manufacturers specifications while partnering with Environmental Stewardship and the Columbia EcoReps to redesign the lids to increase recycling participation.

CU Grow: Vendor Development Program, a Facilities and Operations initiative designed to help minority-, women- and locally owned (MWL) vendors of the University grow their businesses, graduated its second cohort at an event this evening at Faculty House.  The 11 graduating businesses, which ranged from architecture firms, plumbers, environmental remediation experts, and more, were matched with an executive coach from a group of University administrators and partner organizations based on the specific needs of the business and the coach’s areas of expertise. 

Year Ends with Winter Protection Changes as South Lawns to Remain Open through Winter

In partnership with the Harlem Local Vendor Program, local retailer, NiLu has been invited to participate in the Columbia University bookstore’s first ever holiday market event.

On November 16, Columbia Community Service and Campus Services were honored by the Special Needs Activity Center for Kids and Adults (SNACK), a New York City-based not-for-profit organization that supports children, teens, and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other similar developmental and behavioral disabilities by providing after-school and weekend recreational programs designed and staffed to address their needs.

Watch the video from the award ceremony on SNACK's YouTube channel.

Columbia Facilities and Operations staff were among the volunteers that set up, staffed and sorted and packed toy donations at the West Harlem Development Corporation's 6th Annual Community Holiday Celebration & Toy Giveaway, held on Saturday, December 1, 2018 at the Riverside Church. The event was free to attend and some Harlem's finest performers were on hand along with Congressman Adriano Espaillat to join in on the festivities.