Columbia University School of General Studies

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Columbia University School of General Studies

General Studies Shield
Motto Lux in Tenebris Lucet (The Light that Shines in the Darkness)
Established 1947
Type Private
Dean Peter J. Awn
Post-Bacc 433
Undergraduates 1,249
Location New York, New York, USA
Campus Urban, 36 acres (0.15 km²) Morningside Heights Campus, 26 acres (0.1 km²) Baker Field athletic complex, 20 acres (0.09 km²) Medical Center, 157 acres (0.64 km²) Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory
Degrees B.A., B.S. and Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Med.
Colors Columbia blue (education) and white (arts and letters)
Nickname GS
Mascot Owl
Affiliations Albert A. List College (Jewish Theological Seminary), Hostos Community College and the Juilliard School
Website www.gs.columbia.edu

The School of General Studies, commonly known as General Studies or simply GS, is an undergraduate school at Columbia University for non-traditional students. Unlike Columbia College, whose students are required to attend full-time, students in GS have the option of attending part-time or full-time, and the student body is divided evenly along those lines.

GS awards both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Located at Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus, GS is also home to Columbia's Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program, which is the largest and oldest in the United States.

The school is unique in that it is the only such college in the Ivy League. While both Brown University and Yale University have similar programs, they are much smaller and less fully integrated. GS students take the same courses, with the same faculty, as students in Columbia's other undergraduate colleges.

While Columbia University’s mascot is a lion, the School of General Studies has its own mascot: the owl. It is believed that the owl was selected for either or both of two reasons. First, it represents a connection to night classes. Second, a symbol of knowledge which can be found hiding in the robes of the university's central Alma Mater statue. The school also has a separate motto - "Lux In Tenebris Lucet," Latin for: The light that shines in the darkness.

Contents

[edit] History

The GS Shield, as first sketched in 1950
The GS Shield, as first sketched in 1950

Nontraditional education began at Columbia in the 1830s. A formal program, Extension Teaching (later renamed University Extension), was created by Columbia President Nicholas Murray Butler. In 1947 University Extension was reorganized as an undergraduate college and designated the School of General Studies, with an influx of students attending the university on the GI Bill.

Formerly housed in the Alumni House, now known as Buell Hall, the School of General Studies moved to its current location, Lewisohn Hall, in 1964.

[edit] Non-Traditional Students

Columbia defines non-traditional students as those who have interrupted their education for a year or more. Additionally, it includes students who are otherwise traditional but have a strong reason to attend part time (e.g., they must split time with a career in New York's performing arts industry) and students enrolled in the List College Joint Program with Jewish Theological Seminary, which awards two Bachelors of Arts degrees (one from GS, one from JTS) to each graduate.

While there is no typical student, many students share similar histories. Many have enjoyed successful careers in fields such as investment banking and information technology. Several are published authors, and quite a few are non-traditional due to previous conscription or community service requirements in their home countries. Others are able to attend only part time due to work or family commitments. A substantial portion of the population enters as transfer students; the previous schools of these students range from community colleges to Columbia's peer institutions. Many GS students are veterans of the US Military, and have their own group, the US Military Veterans of Columbia University (or "MilVets"; see link below). In addition, there is a significant population of former Israeli soldiers who have completed their pre-university military duty.

[edit] Deans

  • Nicholas Murray Butler, (1900-1902) Dean of University Extension.
  • James C. Egbert, (1902-1942) Director of University Extension.
  • Harry Morgan Ayers, (1942-1948) Director of University Extension (re-established as School of General Studies in 1947).
  • Louis M. Hacker, (1949-1958), former student of University Extension. First Dean of the School of General Studies.
  • Cliford L. Lord, (1958-1964)
  • Clarence C. Walton, (1964-1969)
  • Aaron Warner, (1969-1976)
  • Ward H. Dennis, (1977-1992)
  • Caroline W. Bynum, (1993-1994)
  • Gillian Lindt, (1994-1997)
  • Peter J. Awn, (1997-Present)

[edit] Notable Alumni and Attendees

The following list contains some of the notable alumni and attendees of the School of General Studies and its extension school predecessors only. For a full list of people associated with Columbia University as a whole, please see the list of Columbia University people.

An asterisk (*) indicates an attendee who did not graduate.

[edit] Alumni of the School of General Studies and its precursors

[edit] Student Groups

[edit] External links


Schools of Columbia University
Columbia College • School of General Studies • Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science • Barnard College (Affiliate) • Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation • School of the Arts • Graduate School of Arts and Sciences • Graduate School of Business • School of Continuing Education • College of Dental Medicine • School of International and Public Affairs • Graduate School of Journalism • Columbia Law School • School of Nursing • College of Physicians and Surgeons • Mailman School of Public Health • School of Social Work • Jewish Theological Seminary (Affiliate) • Teachers College (Affiliate) • Union Theological Seminary (Affiliate)
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