Dear fellow members of the Columbia community:
The University continues to monitor the Ebola virus outbreak closely and remains deeply concerned for those directly affected in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and, most recently, Mali. We are grateful to those from the Columbia community and others around the world who are working in these countries to save lives and stem the tide of the epidemic.
The University’s evolving policy for travel to Ebola-affected countries, first announced on October 13, remains in effect. As you plan for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and winter break between semesters, we remind you that all Columbia students, faculty, and staff must avoid travel to these countries, to the extent practicable. Students will not receive academic credit or funding for activities involving travel in these countries, and student groups are not permitted to visit any of them. Those who travel to the affected countries are expected to check-in with University Health Services and may be asked to remain at home and not return to campus for 21 days after leaving the affected region. Finally, we encourage you to visit preparedness.columbia.edu for the latest information.
Sincerely,
John H. Coatsworth, Provost
Lee Goldman, MD, Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine
Robert Kasdin, Senior Executive Vice President