Journalism Events Policies as of July 1, 2022

Columbia Journalism School is committed to the Safety and well-being of all events and attendees.  In accordance with University policies the following protocol has been instated and will be in effect for the fall semester of 2022, assuming the university issues no alternate/stricter protocols/guidance.

When Planning An Event

• The following language must be in the invitation/RSVP link:
  • Statement:  Columbia University is committed to protecting the health and safety of its community.   To that end, all visiting alumni and guests must meet the University requirement of full vaccination status in order to attend in-person events.  Vaccination cards will be checked upon entry to all outdoor and indoor venues.  
    • I attest that I meet the University’s vaccination requirement for event attendance and that I will be required and prepared to provide proof day of
• Events must be RSVP only and all RSVPs must be received before event. If you want to allow some walk-Ins they must show proof of vaccination at the door and you need to record their name and contact information. 
• Please note: we do not collect proof of vaccination- staff should do a visual inspection of vaccine cards
• All events must have staffing checking for vaccination status, plan accordingly
• If the event is expecting a large turnout- I suggest having designated staff checking vaccinations to move attendees along to check in. If it’s a small group, then it can be done at check in.
• Masks are strongly recommended (particularly in crowded indoor settings when not eating or drinking) but not mandatory
• Food is allowed and individual boxed meals are encouraged but not required
• For Fall 2022 and until further notice, we can no longer greenlight the front door to the building unless we have a guard (as per the University). The other floors can be green lit. For your events please plan to have a guard or have someone assigned to open the front door.

For Events Lasting More Than One Day

• Vaccination must be checked on the first day. 
• If name tags are not being used, a wristband can provide confirmation vaccinations have been checked. 
• Guests should be instructed to make sure they keep their wristbands/name tags for the next day in order to you avoid having to go through vaccination check process on the subsequent day.  
• If guests misplace their wristband, the guest can speak to someone at registration/check in to look up their name and confirm they indeed checked in the day before
• If guests have name tags, no need for wristbands as having your name tag on the days of the programming will suffice for proof

Please be advised that these regulations are subject to change at any given point due to University policies and Journalism policies based on the evolving public health climate.