Curriculum and Instruction
Curriculum and Instruction at SIPA
The Office of Academic Affairs supports the development, administration, and assessment of the School's curriculum and instructional activities. Working closely with faculty members, Faculty Program Directors, academic programs, and University partners, the Office coordinates curriculum governance processes, administers academic policies and procedures, supports teaching and course delivery, and oversees course evaluation and instructional assessment activities.
Academic Policies and Procedures
The Office of Academic Affairs administers the School's academic policies and procedures and is responsible for the publication and maintenance of the SIPA Bulletin, the official record of the School's academic programs, courses, degree requirements, and academic regulations.
Faculty members, students, and academic administrators should consult the SIPA Bulletin for information regarding the policies and procedures governing academic programs and instruction at SIPA.
Guides and Handbooks
- The SIPA Bulletin - The official record of the School's academic programs, courses, degree requirements, academic policies, and regulations.
- SIPA Teaching Guide for Faculty - Guidance regarding the administration and delivery of courses at SIPA, including syllabus requirements, course administration, examinations, grading, classroom procedures, and end-of-term responsibilities.
- SIPA Handbook for Teaching Assistants and Readers - Procedures, responsibilities, and resources for student Teaching Assistants and Readers supporting instruction at SIPA.
Course Administration
The Office of Academic Affairs supports the administration of courses throughout the academic year and works closely with faculty members and academic programs regarding course scheduling, enrollment management, classroom assignments, instructional staffing, and related academic operations.
Course Evaluations
The Office of Academic Affairs administers course evaluations for courses offered by the School and supports the collection and analysis of anonymous student feedback regarding teaching and learning.
SIPA conducts both end-of-semester course evaluations and course implementation surveys during the third week of full-semester courses to provide instructors with early feedback on the student learning experience. Evaluation results support instructional improvement, faculty development, curriculum assessment, and the administration of School teaching awards.
To preserve the integrity of the evaluation process, course evaluations are anonymous, students complete evaluations before final grades are released, and evaluation results are not shared with instructors until final grades have been submitted.
Aggregate course evaluation results also inform academic planning, curriculum assessment, and institutional reporting activities.
Instructional Development
- Columbia's Center for Teaching and Learning - Professional development programs, consultations, instructional resources, and educational technologies that support teaching and learning across the University.
- SIPA Time Out Funding - Supports faculty-student engagement outside the classroom through informal discussions and educational activities.
Teaching Awards
The School recognizes excellence in teaching through annual awards based on student course evaluations and feedback.
Each year, SIPA recognizes faculty members through two teaching award programs:
Outstanding Teaching Awards
Columbia SIPA students vote annually to recognize exceptional teaching by faculty members. Two Outstanding Teaching Awards are presented each year: one for a seminar course and one for a lecture course. Each recipient receives a $1,000 prize.
Nominees are selected from among eligible faculty members who received the highest instructor evaluation scores during the academic year.
Top Five Teaching Awards
The Top Five Teaching Awards recognize the faculty members who achieved the strongest teaching evaluation results during the academic year. Recipients are identified through an evaluation process that considers student course evaluations across comparable instructional categories.