Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! As you join the ranks of Columbia Business School alumni around the world, we want to provide you with answers to some frequently asked questions we receive from students as they transition to alumni. As always, we are happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Please feel free to contact us directly at [email protected] or 212-854-8815.
Transitioning to Alumni
Alumni Career Management
Within the Career Management section of the alumni website you will have access to a number of career resources. This includes career assessments and management tools, lists of recommended external career counselors, several online résumé databases, company research, individual career advising in person and by telephone, a subscription based career e-newsletter, and workshops and events throughout the year.
For more information on career resources for alumni, please contact Nancy Farina Johnston in Experienced Professionals Career Management directly at [email protected].
Alumni ID Card
An alumni ID card is required to use the Career Management Library or the Watson Library. If you would like to receive your Alumni ID card, please visit the Library Information Office in Butler 201, on the first floor just before the security booth. Bring one form of identification (driver’s license or passport) in order to receive your ID card right away. The fee is $5 and the card is good for six years. The Library Information Office’s hours are: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Alumni Website
Columbia Business School’s online alumni community is your primary resource to stay connected with each other and the School. Once you are logged into the alumni website, you can update your personal information, find information about events, contact other alumni, and have access to career resources, news, and library databases.
If you have questions or forgot your login and password, please contact Alumni Relations at [email protected] or 212-854-8815.
Canvas
You will have access to all of your Canvas course materials for two years after graduation, however, professors can remove content from Canvas at any time, so we recommend downloading desired content as soon as possible.
Career Management Library
You will continue to have access to the Career Management Library as an alumnus/a (simply bring in your alumni ID).
Club E-mail Lists
By the end of the summer, you will no longer be subscribed to student club e-mail lists. To subscribe to a variety of alumni industry/affinity discussion groups, please log in to the Network section of the website, select “Discussion Subscriptions” from the left hand–side menu, and then click “Subscriptions” from the left hand–side menu.
COIN
Your student access to COIN will continue for 90 days following graduation; after that point, you will enter through the Alumni portal. The jobs posted on the alumni website are specifically for Columbia Business School alumni seeking jobs available immediately. There are opportunities for new MBAs as well as experienced-level opportunities. You may search for these listings by clicking on Career Management on the alumni website and then selecting Job Opportunities. This will take you to your unique homepage within the Experienced-Level Hire Talent Portal where you can search for specific postings, save job listings, manage your profile, and update your résumé.
LionMail
Unless noted otherwise, your Columbia University (LionMail) e-mail address (i.e., [email protected]) will automatically forward to the destination of your lifetime e-mail account. (DO NOT set your lifetime e-mail to forward back to your LionMail or this will create a loop and e-mails to you will be bounced back. Instead, set your account to forward messages to your work or personal e-mail address.)
If you would like to disable your LionMail account, please contact Columbia University Information Technology (CUIT) at www.columbia.edu/cuit.
Degree Verification
If your employer (or potential employer) requires formal degree verification, they can obtain it from the National Student Clearinghouse. Columbia’s code with the Clearinghouse is #002707. Some employers will also accept transcripts as verification of your degree. You can request a transcript through the Registrar, here.
Diplomas
The University Registrar will mail your diploma to the address listed on your graduation application. Diplomas will be ordered and mailed by the printer after the conferral date. It will take a few weeks to complete the process so it’s important that we have an address on file for you which will be current for at least a couple of months after graduation. If you need to update your address, you may do so through Student Services Online (SSOL) anytime until 5 p.m. on the Monday before graduation – please be sure to select the DP (Diploma) address option. Your diploma will be sent to the DP address which is on file for you that Monday. If you would like to pick up your diploma in person in 210 Kent Hall, you may enter “HOLD FOR PICKUP” in line 1 of the DP address field. Your diploma should be available for pickup about three weeks after graduation and we will email you when it arrives. Delivery will take several weeks.
If you have any additional questions, please call the University Registrar’s Diploma Office directly at 212-854-8319.
**Note: Information on important documents from the University Registrar may be accessed online.
Discussion Groups
As an alumnus/a, you will be automatically added to your new alumni class and cluster discussion groups on the alumni website, accessible via your alumni online network account. Additional discussion groups based on geography, industry, and interest are also available to alumni. To subscribe to a variety of alumni industry/affinity discussion groups, please log in to the Network section of the website, select “Discussion Subscriptions” from the left hand–side menu, and then click “Subscriptions” from the left hand–side menu.
Email Forwarding
During your final semester you will receive a link to set up your lifetime e-mail address; by clicking this link, you will be prompted step-by-step to deactivate your GSB Exchange e-mail account, which will automatically activate your lifetime e-mail forwarding and allow you to retain access to the e-mails, contacts, and calendar appointments currently in Outlook. Your lifetime e-mail forwarding address (i.e., [email protected]) remains the same. You will now use the alumni website to adjust where it forwards.
To edit your lifetime e-mail forwarding, please log in to the Network section of the website, select "Edit My Profile" from the left hand-side menu, and click "Lifetime E-mail" under edit my information.
Please keep in mind that address and name changes registered on the student services website with your single sign-on ID do not automatically transfer into the Alumni website.
Health Insurance
Students who are currently enrolled in the Columbia student medical insurance plan during the spring semester will be covered through the beginning of the summer following graduation. Graduating students can pursue health insurance options via employers, state-based health care exchanges, through individual plans directly offered by some insurance companies. Columbia University does not endorse and has not verified the coverage offered by employers, state-based health care exchanges, and individual plans directly offered by insurance companies. Individuals are encouraged to carefully review all details of any insurance plan before making a selection. Please visit Columbia Health Services at www.health.columbia.edu or contact Student Insurance for additional information.
Be sure to access the Columbia Health Services site to confirm all dates, including deadlines for continuation and coverage as it is the responsibility of each student to contact Health Services regarding their coverage.
Library Access
With an alumni ID card, Columbia University alumni have lifelong access to use any library on campus, including Watson Library in Uris Hall. Alumni who wish to check books out may obtain a borrowing privileges card for $30/month at the Library Information Office in Butler 201. Remote access to library resources is restricted to current students, however, as an alumnus/a you can access many full-text databases online through the Libraries Alumni Gateway. (Please note: Graduating students have remote access to online databases for approximately three months after they graduate.)
Lifetime Auditing Privilege
All MBA and EMBA alumni are eligible to audit New York–based elective courses offered during the academic year, provided there are seats available in the class and permission is obtained from Alumni Relations.
For more information about the courses available for auditing, please visit the School’s Course Selection page, and contact Katherine Tucker at [email protected] to learn more about the auditing process.
Lifetime E-mail Forwarding
Your lifetime e-mail is a permanent forwarding account that redirects e-mail to your personal or business mailbox and enables you to keep in touch with other alumni as you move and change jobs. A non-Columbia e-mail address is necessary in order to receive and respond to your forwarded e-mail.
To update your Lifetime E-mail forwarding click on Lifetime E-mail within the "Edit My Profile" portion of the Network section of the site. Your student e-mail address will expire within 90 days of graduating, so please update this information as soon as possible.
Special Events
As an alumnus/a, you will be invited to a number of alumni events throughout the year and throughout the world. To learn more about upcoming events, including listings of alumni club events, please log on to the alumni website and click on the event title listed on the Events Calendar.
Remember to also be on the lookout for information on your one-year reunion!
Transcripts
Extra copies of your transcript are available from the University Registrar. To receive copies of your transcript please fill out the transcript request form. There is no fee for this service; however, if the transcript is needed immediately, alumni must call and pay to have the transcript sent via FedEx.
For more information, you may contact the Office of the Registrar directly at 212-854-4400 (Press "2" to order a transcript or verify degrees).
If you have any additional questions, please contact Alumni Relations at [email protected] or 212-854-8815.
We look forward to celebrating your graduation from Columbia Business School and welcoming you to the greater Columbia alumni network.