Dear Columbia GS Students,
As I reflect on the trajectory of the Columbia School of General Studies since our founding in 1947, I am reminded of the essential role that student feedback has played over the past 78 years in helping our work towards enhancing the student experience and taking our treasured School to new heights. With this in mind, I ask you to participate in the 2025 GS Student Survey to help us better understand the student experience, improve student services, and frame the way we think about future priorities.
2025 GS Student Survey
The GS student survey will remain open to the end of this month. It will take approximately 30 - 35 minutes, and can be completed all at once or in stages. Every student who completes the survey by February 28 will have $25 dollars added to their Flex account.
The most recent survey was conducted in 2023 and we achieved a 67 percent completion rate, which, as a social scientist, I can tell you is a very impressive and essential level of engagement.
As a result of that unprecedented input from GS students, the team at GS was able to focus our attention, time, and resources on critical improvements that have significantly aided GS students in the succeeding years, including:
- Securing an unprecedented University investment in the GS endowment
- Plans to open the first dedicated GS residence hall
- Implementation of a Latin diploma for GS graduates
- Specific measures to address food insecurity
- Improvements to advising availability and scheduling
- Expanded support for and opportunities for undergraduate research
- More programming for first-generation, low-income students
- The expansion of the well-being team in the Dean of Students Office
- Increased opportunities for GS students to connect with GS alumni
- A more nuanced understanding of GS students and their financial needs that helped shape financial aid policies
Our goal in 2025 is to exceed the previous, historic response rate and to receive input from every current GS student. As we know well, no two GS stories are exactly the same, which makes your unique experiences and opinions essential to gathering a complete picture of the needs of the GS student body. The 2025 GS Student Survey is comprehensive and includes questions across the full spectrum of the GS student experience—from admissions to academics to housing and financial aid. This is an opportunity for all Columbia GS students to be heard and to have a direct and lasting impact on the future of the School.
While I sincerely hope that every GS student will take the time to complete this confidential survey and share their opinions and experience, please note that the survey is voluntary and completing it will not affect a student’s standing within the School.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to hear directly from you and hope you will all take this opportunity to contribute your thoughts and experiences to our ongoing efforts to ensure GS is supporting our extraordinary students in the best way possible.
Sincerely,
Lisa Rosen-Metsch
Dean, Columbia University School of General Studies
Professor of Sociomedical Sciences
