Recognizing and accommodating the diverse religious and cultural holidays celebrated by our students, faculty, and staff contributes to a welcoming and supportive environment for all. The Columbia Mailman School accommodates students who need to be absent from classes or miss scheduled exams in order to observe religious holidays. Students are allowed to make up the outstanding work with no academic penalty. Students are required to inform their instructors of their plans to observe a religious holiday at the beginning of the semester, so that instructor and students have plenty of time to plan for any necessary alternative arrangements.
For a list of the religious holidays and observances that are most likely to impact students, faculty, and staff at Columbia during this academic year, please refer to the Religious Holidays 2024-2025 Calendar.
Columbia University offers a number of prayer and meditation spaces on the Morningside, Manhattanville, and Medical Center campuses available for use by students, faculty, and staff.
Visit Columbia Religious Life Prayer and Meditation Spaces.
The Office of the University Chaplain designs and sponsors a variety of programs on matters of justice, faith, and spirituality for small and large campus groups. The Office of the University Chaplain fosters learning and personal growth through spiritual, ethical, religious, political and cultural exchange. The Office of the University Chaplain helps address issues of campus life in a diverse community of various religious backgrounds, beliefs, cultures, identities, and values.
The Earl Hall Center for Religious Life is committed to the mission engraved in stone above the doors to Earl Hall:
"Erected for the students that religion and learning may go hand in hand and character grow with knowledge"
Columbia/Barnard Hillel(link is external and opens in a new window) is the catalyst for students to explore and consciously define their Jewish identity. We help students, regardless of their origin or destination, find their own interpretation of Jewish values, culture, community and religion by empowering them to explore, learn, and grow intellectually, spiritually and socially.
The Columbia Task Force on Antisemitism was created to address the harmful impact of rising antisemitism on Columbia’s Jewish community and to ensure that protection, respect, and belonging extends to everyone.
Columbia University Life has created resources for Supporting Muslim Communities, including educational resources, mental health support or wish to report a bias incident.
