Notice on Student Employee Support Fund Extension and Increase

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

As we have explained in prior communications, no meaningful progress has been made toward a new successor contract between the University and the Student Workers of Columbia union (SWC) during the two bargaining sessions held this fall—the first such meetings since last March. Despite the status of negotiations, the University remains fully committed to supporting our graduate student community and student employees.

We recognize that student employees have relied on the Support Funds negotiated in the prior contract for additional funds from the University to cover eligible out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision expenses for themselves and their dependents. With that contract, including the Support Funds provision, now expired for more than five months—nearly half of the academic year—we are concerned that need is not being met. The University has always expected the Support Funds to be part of a successor agreement, having proposed on May 9, 2025, to renew and increase the Support Funds established in the initial contract and offered in the two most recent bargaining sessions to continue the funds outside the agreement. SWC has not agreed to either framework. Still, it is important to the University to ensure that student employees and their dependents have access to these resources while bargaining continues.

Accordingly, Columbia will provide the following with respect to Support Funds for the current 2025- 2026 academic year:

• $425,000 to be used for reimbursements for eligible out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision expenses incurred by eligible student employees (a $25,000 increase over what was available during the last academic year); and
• $225,000 to be used for reimbursements for eligible out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision expenses incurred by dependents of eligible student employees.

The University expects the application process established in prior years to continue. The University will review applications for disbursements submitted by SWC to ensure requests meet the eligibility criteria and are consistent with the intended purposes of the funds and with procedural best practices.

The parties can continue to address the structure and funding level of these funds for future years in the course of ongoing negotiations as part of a comprehensive successor contract, and the University looks forward to that discussion. It is still our goal to reach a fair, competitive, and sustainable agreement that benefits our student employees and the entire Columbia community. We remain hopeful that we and SWC can work together in good faith to achieve that.

Additional information regarding negotiations is available under the Current Negotiations tab of the Student Benefits website. Thank you for everything you do to support our community and advance Columbia’s teaching and research mission.

Sincerely,

Amy Hungerford
Dean and Executive Vice President, Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Cas Holloway
Special Advisor to Acting President Claire Shipman