On Friday, Spectator sat down with the one and only Peter Awn, dean of the School of General Studies. Some highlights from the interview:
- In August, GS hosted its first recruiting session in Tel Aviv, Israel. But even though GS is interested in showing international students how they can receive a Columbia education, limited housing options remain an obstacle for prospective students. "In the same way that we’ve increased financial aid each year, housing has increased every year," Awn said. "But what is really the dilemma for everyone, Columbia is incapable of buying more real estate in the neighborhood.”
- Awn said that “the last major piece of housing” created for GS students was in Riverdale, in the Bronx. But no matter how nice the apartments are, students are still hesitant to rent them because of the long commute to Columbia, Awn said:
“It’s a pain to get to, but it’s lovely. It’s really quite beautiful—but that’s the best they can do, at a significant distance. And they’ve done that with faculty housing. The one thing that isn’t going to happen is housing around the University, which is really what people want.”
