Posted at 1:55 p.m. on Thursday, November 21.
On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, a group of students erected a sukkah without following policies for student event review. The University Outdoor Space Policy requires that space be reserved in advance and that all structures be ordered through Facilities. These policies are content neutral and apply equally to both religious and non-religious events. The Office of Religious Life had previously engaged the students involved and let them know that erecting the structure would be a policy violation, and later asked them to take down the structure to avoid possible policy violations. The students, having been advised of possible violations, chose to erect and maintain the sukkah as a campus demonstration. On Wednesday evening, October 23rd, 2024, the students dismantled and removed the Sukkah.
The Office of Religious Life, which is committed to providing the resources needed for our entire community, shared information on its website and through student dean channels about the many sukkahs that were available across our campuses. The Office of Religious Life sukkah, made available to all students for the duration of the Sukkot holiday, was located in front of Fairchild and open from 8:00AM to 8:00PM daily. This sukkah was erected to ensure that everyone in the Columbia community had access to a sukkah where they would feel welcome, irrespective of religious or political beliefs.
All actions by participants in connection with this demonstration will be evaluated fairly and consistently under applicable University policies and processes, including the Rules of University Conduct, to determine whether violations may have occurred. If violations are identified, charges will be pursued through the appropriate process – the Rules of University Conduct and/or Deans Discipline.
