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Visiting scholars
All requests for Visiting affiliations must be sent to the Department Chair and require the approval of a vetting committee. It should be initiated at least one semester before the proposed visiting period begins. Please read carefully the following description of our procedures for accepting Visiting Scholars before requesting such an affiliation with the Columbia University Department of French and Romance Philology.
Each year, the Department hosts several Visiting Scholars, who have a “visiting” (courtesy) affiliation with us. Visiting Scholars enhance the life of our community and create new connections for future exchanges.
Setting up an appointment as a Visiting Scholar (especially for international visitors, where there are visa issues involved) is a time-consuming process for the Department's office staff. It is also important to understand that Columbia provides no financial compensation, assistance, or support, and no health insurance, to Visiting Scholars and Students. We cannot provide office space, support services, or other major resources. In short, a visiting appointment is a courtesy status, with very limited privileges beyond the affiliation as such.
We do, however, welcome Visiting Students and Scholars to participate fully in the busy creative and intellectual community of the Department, and hope for such participation from our Visitors. Such engagement and exchange should be your primary motivation for seeking a Visiting status appointment at Columbia.
Here are some specific guidelines and procedures to follow if you are seeking or applying for a Visiting Scholar affiliation.
The Department (governed by University policy) can invite colleagues with significant credentials (typically a faculty or postdoctoral appointment at another university, although there are other possible qualifications) to spend up to one year (which is renewable for one additional year only under very particular circumstances) in residence as Visiting Scholars. Generally, such visitors are supported by their home institution (such as a sabbatical leave) or by a major granting agency (for example, Fulbright). The process for applying for visiting status requires that you: Give us significant advance notice, generally meaning you contact us at least a semester before your visiting period begins, and up to one year in advance. Send an initial email inquiry directly to the Department Chair with copy to the Academic Department Administrator. Include a CV, and a brief but formal statement of your reasons for wanting to be at Columbia specifically, and your research or dissertation proposal if appropriate. If you are funded for the proposed visiting period, provide information (in your initial communication) on the source of support. If you are in the process of seeking funding and require us to attest that we will accept you as a visitor (sometimes the case with Fulbright and other fellowships), we will do so after we have approved your application. There are fees attached to processing your visa paperwork for Visiting status, and if so, you (or your granting agency or home institution) are expected to cover those fees. Visiting Scholars are generally not expected (nor generally encouraged) to attend classes or seminars, but may do so as auditors only, and with the individual instructor permission only. Visiting Scholars do not teach in any formal capacity at Columbia while they have Visiting status. (Do not confuse the status of "Visiting Scholar" with the appointed status of "Visiting Professor." A Visiting Scholar is not considered to be a member of the faculty of Columbia University in any sense, at any time, and should never claim otherwise.) By strict policy of the University, former and current visiting scholars SHOULD NOT claim to have a Columbia University affiliation for such professional purposes as conference presentations, media appearances, or publications. A visiting scholar or student's very limited affiliation with Columbia begins and ends with the period of visiting appointment.
All visitors must have a "sponsoring" faculty member during their residency. We generally show preference for visitors whose work is of direct enough interest to at least one member of our faculty to incline them to undertake such sponsorship(s). If you already have a relationship with (or a referral to) a faculty member, approach that person first to determine their interest in sponsoring your Visiting status. The duties of such a faculty sponsor are minimal, and not a major imposition in terms of time or effort. But the sponsor provides a point of contact for the visitor in case of difficulties, or if communication is required between the Department and the visitor's home institution. Please note that Columbia is on summer break from approximately May 15 to approximately Sept 1, every year. During the summer we do not have faculty meetings and cannot act on Visiting Student or Scholar requests. In general, we discourage such requests during the summer months, although you may make individual inquiries with possible faculty sponsors for your proposal.
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