
Orientation Committee
Apply to become a NSOP committee member by Sunday, January 26 at 11:59 EST!
The New Student Orientation Program (NSOP) Committee plays an integral role in the transition process for incoming students beginning in the spring and continuing throughout their first week on campus.
Committee members are required to attend a weekly meeting in the spring semester and work on campus over the summer. Please review all the expectations and important dates below prior to applying. Committee members receive a $5000 stipend in the summer along with summer housing.
Questions about the NSOP Committee? Please email orientation@columbia.edu.
Important Dates and Expectations
Please review the important dates and information for the 2025 NSOP Committee. Students must be available for all dates listed below to be considered for the positions.
- Optional: Attend the in-person NSOP Leadership Information Session on Friday, January 24 at 1:00 p.m. EST
- Attend an individual interview that will be scheduled between February 5-7
- Attend committee meetings during the spring semester typically on Fridays
- Participate in crew captain and orientation leader individual interviews, as schedules permit
- Attend the NSOP Committee & Crew Captain Meet-and-Greet on Friday, March 28
- Attend the Orientation Programs Study Break on Saturday, April 26
- Attend and participate fully in the NSOP retreat, which takes place Wednesday, May 28- Friday, May 30
- Work a total of 24 hours per week in June and July
- Schedule is flexible but members must be available for Committee meetings on Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m.–noon EDT, during June, July and August.
- In June and July, committee will work 24 hours in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesday, and Thursdays, with optional virtual hours on Mondays or Fridays if needed.
- Work Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. EDT, (40 hours per week) in August and throughout orientation week (August 27-September 4)
- Additional hours will be required during the week of orientation
- Week of vacation scheduled for week of June 30
- Work under the supervision and expectations of Undergraduate Student Life and Student Engagement to coordinate school-specific and joint programs and events
Compensation
- Free housing during interim periods and summer terms
- $5,000 stipend to be paid throughout the summer
- One week off during the summer
Crew Captain
Apply to become a crew captain by Sunday, January 26 at 11:59 EST.
Crew captains (CCs) are an essential part of NSOP. They are the liaison between the NSOP Committee and the orientation leaders (OLs), and they directly impact how OLs will work as a team to welcome new students. Each CC is assigned a cohort of OLs who they are responsible for managing throughout the duration of NSOP, tied to their Immersion Experience. They begin by training their OLs on how to successfully interact with new students. Throughout NSOP, they manage the tasks assigned to their crew by the NSOP Committee. Crew captains accomplish these tasks by communicating with and delegating jobs to their OLs and then holding them accountable, usually through a detailed nightly email explaining the next day’s events. CCs must project a positive and enthusiastic attitude toward Columbia University and NSOP to new students and OLs at all times.
Questions about crew captain positions? Please email orientation@columbia.edu.
Important Dates and Expectations
- Support the NSOP staff and Committee with student leader selection
- Serve as a resource to orientation leaders throughout the summer as they prepare for NSOP
- Always maintain a positive attitude towards Columbia University and NSOP
- Respect and follow the directions of the NSOP Committee and the NSOP staff
- Oversee and advise a group of orientation leaders throughout the NSOP program, including training, and assist with questions or concerns as they arise
- Assist in the implementation of programs throughout NSOP, including staffing events and helping with processes as assigned throughout the program
- Optional: Attend the in-person NSOP Leadership Information Session on Friday, January 24 at 1:00 p.m. EST
- Participate in orientation leader group interviews, as schedules permit
- Attend the NSOP Committee & Crew Captain Meet-and-Greet on Friday, March 28
- Attend the Orientation Programs Study Break on Saturday, April 26
- Execute other responsibilities as assigned by NSOP staff
- Be available at all times for training and assignments throughout the duration of NSOP orientation week (August 24 – September 1)
- Note: Schedules and assignments will not be available until the end of August; although there will be free time, crew captains should expect to work every day of NSOP