Chronicle Recap

A look at the campus and South Loop stories making news. Catch up with the headlines you might have missed and get exclusive insight about what’s ahead.

Sept. 21, 2026: Student Government Association fall elections kick off with first-years taking most seats, Columbia student organizations face shorter practice times at East-West gym, Breaking: Columbia alum Christian Sprenger wins two Emmys

Sept. 14, 2026: Columbia eliminates two career advisor positions in recent staff layoffs, Big Mouth gives new performers a time to shine, ‘Made It There!’ gives artists a chance to share their personal growth through their work, ‘If Emmett Till Lived’ focuses on joy rather than tragedy

Sept. 8, 2026: ‘Let them know’: New students are urged to find their voice, build community and take risks, Nerves, excitement, new beginnings on move-in day

August 31, 2026: Columbia housing waitlist expected to clear days before fall move-in starts next week, Rhythm World brings tap history to Columbia College Chicago’s Dance Center

August 24, 2026: Exclusive: After a difficult first year, Bolton looks to what’s next for Columbia, Breaking: Columbia lays off staff amid continued cost-cutting

August 17, 2026: Columbia alerted late to potentially harmful weather, New student loan borrowing limits could leave gaps for some Columbia families, Grant Park’s damage assessment begins after Lollapalooza

August 10, 2026: Review: Ariana Grande’s ‘petal’ blooms in the shadow of ‘Eternal Sunshine’, Review: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ gives Peter Parker the story he deserves

August 3, 2026: Chicago prepares for Lollapalooza, Festivalgoers make the most of Lollapalooza despite delays, mud, cut performances, After 35 years, Lollapalooza fans still ask: who is the festival for?

July 27, 2026: Chicago’s 23rd Disability Pride Parade celebrates visibility and inclusion, Columbia caps most Big Chicago classes to 45 students, Classic protest musical ‘Hair’ gets a timely revival from Columbia alumni

July 20, 2026: Orientation draws capacity crowds as college looks to rebound from enrollment dip, ‘Guardians of the Earth and Sky’ blends Asian American history with Chinese culture through dance, Behind the scenes of ‘Deserted’: Columbia artists help shape Redtwist’s world-premiere production

July 13, 2026: 46th annual Taste of Chicago festival connects culture through food, This summer’s soccer spotlight is helping grow the women’s game in Chicago, Columbia replaces Handshake with ColumWorks

July 8, 2026: Inside the Obama Presidential Center, visitors reflect on democracy ahead of nation’s 250th birthday, Work hard. Get ahead? A generation rethinks the American Dream, Chicago museum exhibit explores freedom through activism

July 6, 2026: In pictures: Hyde Park’s 34th annual ‘4th on 53rd’ parade celebrates the United States’ 250th year, Inside the Obama Presidential Center, visitors reflect on democracy ahead of nation’s 250th birthday, Work hard. Get ahead? A generation rethinks the American Dream

July 1, 2026: Breaking: Chief of Staff Adriel Hilton leaves Columbia after less than a year, ‘Free to Be Proud’: Chicago Pride Parade celebrates joy, resilience, transgender visibility, Columbia drag performer Pixxie debuts persona at Circus Critters

June 22, 2026: Chicago welcomes the Obama Presidential Center after years of planning, Visitors celebrate freedom, unity at Obama Center opening,Crowds fill Northalsted for opening day of PrideFest

June 15, 2026: World Cup kicks off as Chicago Futsal Academy hosts watch party in Edgewater, In pictures: Morocco fans gather in West Loop for World Cup watch party, Newberry’s new exhibition asks Chicagoans what America’s founding ideals mean today

June 8, 2026: Remembering Richard Laurent, Columbia’s School of Theatre and Dance announces Fall 2026 productions, As the FIFA World Cup approaches, Chicago’s soccer community is ready

June 1, 2026: Breaking: College lays off 6 tenured faculty in fourth round of cuts, Breaking: Columbia suspends faculty sabbatical leave for a second year, Beginning of our ‘77 Community Areas’ Project

May 18, 2026: Manifest 2026: Live updates from Columbia’s 25th annual arts festival, Columbia celebrates first commencement under Bolton with dancing and a message about facing fear, ‘Boom-chicka-boom’: Columbia graduates close commencement with joy, reflection and uncertainty

May 11, 2026: Exclusive: Columbia caps most on-campus work to 15 hours per week amid federal work-study cuts, Bolton presents strategic priorities to trustees in push to stabilize Columbia, Breaking: Canvas access restored after cyberattack

May 4, 2026: Breaking: Columbia finalizes deal with Dwight to clear housing waitlist for Fall 2026, Breaking: Columbia shifts oversight to five deans in administrative restructuring, Junior Amelia Lutz to lead SGA after uncontested race

April 27, 2026: Mayor Brandon Johnson outlines arts, housing priorities in Columbia visit, Exclusive: College eliminates top communications position, Columbia relocates tutoring center, unveils redesigned Honors Lounge in Ida B. Wells building

April 20, 2026: Columbia sees early enrollment momentum for Admitted Student Days, Columbia hosts third Wellness Fair highlighting student wellbeing, Black Student Union hosts ‘Spelling Bee’

April 13, 2026: Columbia sees early enrollment momentum for Admitted Student Days, Core curriculum overhaul reshapes fall course catalog, Breaking: Columbia runs out of on-campus housing for returning students

April 6, 2026: Columbia will not disclose RISE Fund donation totals from Bolton’s investiture, Exclusive: Columbia cuts former interim president, two other senior leaders amid $40 million deficit, Breaking: Columbia fails to find new provost after national search

March 23, 2026: Columbia considers new bachelor’s in creative professional studies, Early surge signals interest in historic Illinois primary races, Students mark end of Ramadan with campus event hosted by SDI

March 16, 2026: Columbia’s spring enrollment falls to lowest level in more than two decades, Illinois voters head to the polls in unusually competitive primary, Construction underway on Columbia’s new Center for Student Success

March 9, 2026: Chronicle wins four national journalism awards at college media convention, Investiture student activations highlight creativity across Columbia’s 8 schools, ‘This Is Our Renaissance’: Shantay Bolton installed as president of Columbia College Chicago

March. 2, 2026: Columbia pauses annual persistence gala ahead of president’s investiture, Columbia students bring decades of rock to life in annual performance, Asian Alliance partners with The Rack for Lunar New Year cleanup

Feb. 23, 2026: Exclusive: Columbia to end Dwight Lofts lease, leaving two residence halls for Fall 2026, College names creative director of Manifest 2026, introduces registration changes, Breaking: Columbia weighs 4:3 teaching load for tenured faculty, ‘He was a man of light’: Columbia community reflects on Jesse Jackson’s legacy

Feb. 16, 2026: Columbia students march in national walkout against immigration enforcement, INK Fest marks fifth year with record turnout for student and alumni art market, ‘Black Souls Welcome’ marks five years of Black joy, art and resistance

Feb. 9, 2026: Finding their pitch: Horizon prepares for collegiate spotlight, Only one seat filled in SGA spring election, Capstone Production Salon offers students opportunities in film production, Asian Alliance uses cultural games to bring students together

Dec. 22, 2025: Exclusive: Columbia considers counting C-minus grades toward major, Breaking: Columbia considers significant reductions in severance for laid off tenured faculty, Hermosa residents rebuild community support after neighborhood association closes. Columbia junior builds fashion brand from Instagram to a styling enterprise

Dec. 8, 2025: Mexican food becomes a Chicago Staple, Columbia lays off five full-time faculty in third round

Nov. 24, 2025: Breaking: Columbia freezes tuition but raises fees, College celebrates Weisman Award recipients, Student Government Association senator hosts first town hall for students with disabilities

Nov. 17, 2025: Columbia’s rendition of ‘Grease’ to bring diverse, representative cast to the main stage, ‘It’s a spit in my face’: Transgender students respond to passport restrictions, Columbia’s first ‘Snoozefest’ engages students in sleep health

Nov. 9, 2025: Students prepare for registration amid enrollment dip, College celebrates its first-generation student body — and looks to close support gap, More than a dozen arrested at Broadview ICE protest as court curbs use of force

Nov. 3, 2025: Breaking: Manifest to take place on Saturday for the first time, Students discuss their planned Halloween costumes and their favorite costumes from past years, Student performers take the stage for Columbia’s annual drag show, Columbia hosts Estonia-led discussion on AI’s impact on art, education

Oct. 27, 2025: Breaking: Columbia president considers tuition increase, floats idea of alumni access to campus, AWS outage disrupts access to Canvas, ‘BSU’s Got Talent’ brings Columbia’s Black creatives center stage

Oct. 2o, 2o25: ‘Hands off Chicago’ unites over 100,000 protestors to rally against the Trump administration, Thousands pack State Street for Arts in the Dark parade celebrating Chicago’s creative spirit, Keith Smith reflects on balancing the start of a new school year with finishing in ‘America’s Got Talent’ top five

Oct. 13, 2025: For Latino students in uniform, a painful question: Who are we protecting?, Chance the Rapper speaks to Columbia students on artistry, activism, 47th Chicago Marathon brings out thousands of participants, spectators

Oct. 6, 2025: Breaking: Columbia sees sharp enrollment decline, Columbia students face fifth week without loan refunds after delays, Columbia grad blends photography, contemporary dance in Andersonville exhibition

Sept. 29, 2025: Survey shows students prefer, perform better in person, Columbia watches, waits as first-year competes in ‘AGT’, Columbia’s ASL Jam brings community together despite loss of major

Sept. 22, 2025: Columbia reclassified as nation’s only Hispanic-Serving, arts-focused college, Services for Students with Disabilities office temporarily switches to in-person accommodation letters, South Loop Night Market winds down for season

Sept. 15, 2025: Trump administration ends funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions like Columbia, Columbia’s TRIO program plan to expand support for first-generation students, Review: Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Man’s Best Friend’ figuratively raises both middle fingers

Sept. 8, 2025: Breaking: Weekend Wi-Fi outage at University Center leaves students scrambling to connect, Latino Alliance welcomes students amid ICE activity, Thousand protest near Columbia after Trump threats

Sept. 1, 2025: Back to campus: Live updates from 2025 New Student Convocation, Columbia’s Cult Cinema Club hosts screening of animated ‘Fixed’

Aug. 25, 2025: Columbia’s new president draws standing ovation after outlining her vision, Columbia alum launches Chicago-made TV pilot to boost opportunities for local filmmakers

Aug. 18, 2025: New Illinois law set to shake college admissions

Aug. 9, 2025: Columbia set to launch mobile app, Chicago Botanic Garden’s ‘Patterned by Nature’ exhibits fashion students’ commitment to sustainability

Aug. 4, 2025: Lollapalooza’s 20th anniversary, Lollapalooza expands cultural reach with diverse genres, Columbia’s anniversary gallery ‘Unity’ exhibit

July 28, 2025: Columbia’s recent credit rating explained, Francis Ford Coppola talks ‘Megalopolis’ at Columbia hosted event

July 20, 2025: Columbia alumni stun in new play ‘Queen for A Day,’ chatting with new students at student orientation

July 13, 2025: Columbia’s ASL program continues summer workshops, free venue run by Columbia alumni

July 6, 2025: Columbia NASCAR viewing party, Professor Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin leaves Columbia for Solutions Journalism Network

June 30, 2025: Columbia sells presidential residence, new EL Tracker app helps Chicago riders track their commute

June 23, 2025: Columbia student faces loss amid U.S. immigration crackdown, film instructor Martin Bernstein explores new stories

June 16, 2025: Chicago’s hardcore music community unites to help people impacted by ICE raids, Co-founder of Columbia’s film and video program, Michael Rabiger, dies at 86

June 9, 2025: Suzanne McBride named interim provost, Campus commuters at risk after transit funding reform fails

June 2, 2025: Columbia holds farewell party for departing faculty members

May 12, 2025: Professor Emerita RoseAnna Mueller talks new book release, Students attempt to lower screen time in last two weeks of semester

May 5, 2025: College changes names of DEI initiatives following President Trump’s attacks on higher education, Two Columbia students selected for Fashion Italia Graduate 2025

April 28, 2025: ‘It feels like we’re being silenced’: International students face anxiety over summer travel, Review: ‘Until Dawn’ is stuck in a death loop of its own making

April 21, 2025: More than half of courses offered this summer will be online asynchronous

April 7, 2025: Gandhi leads conversation on democracy, says ‘we have opinions but not knowledge about other groups’, April marks start of Autism Awareness Month

March 31, 2025: New Columbia president visits campus during Spring Break

March 17, 2025: Columbia enrollment declines 11% from fall, but more transfer students stay after their first semester, Uplift Women’s Week celebrates the power of women’s voices, contributions through art, performance, community

March 10, 2025: Student leaders express concerns to Faculty Senate over new federal DEI policy, lack of communication about college’s program changes, Columbia students celebrate art, joy, empowerment at International Women’s Day luncheon, Madison Yager keeps art history alive despite program’s elimination

March 3, 2025: Chronicle sweeps at ICPA, Student rep to college’s Board of Trustees creates ‘Empower Hour’, Museum of Contemporary Photography raises $325,000 at annual benefit auction, ‘Freshman Fifteen’ debuts first-year-made comedy sketch at Comedy Night

Feb. 24, 2025: Latest Trump policy threatens Columbia’s DEI efforts, New exhibit at Hokin Gallery brings art representing different periods of life, Student-led Musical Theatre Dance Cabaret brings bold, loud, diverse numbers to center stage

Feb. 17, 2025: Columbia celebrates 135 years with guest speakers, new mural reveal called ‘A Path Forward’, Record numbers attend INK Fest on first day, Block Party returns for a third year of student engagement

Feb. 10, 2025: Provost tells Faculty Senate that more faculty layoffs are expected, Students turn back time with rock and roll at spring showcase

Feb. 3, 2025: Director of Services for Students with Disabilities Jeanne Doyle Kelly retires after 13 years, White House call to freeze federal funds creates confusion about student aid, International Students and Scholar Services hosts Lunar New Year celebration

Jan. 27, 2025: Semester in L.A. program starts amid wildfire concerns, Chicago residents, students anxious after Trump’s first days back in office, Inauguration Ceremony Day: Crowds gather at Capital One Arena for Trump’s inauguration, Protestors in Chicago march against Trump’s first presidential actions

Dec. 16, 2024: Student organizations cope with a $400 decrease in their budgets this year, Staff, students seek alternatives to ease financial strain of textbook prices, Student workers stress over rent, bills with fewer hours during winter break

Dec. 9, 2024: Breaking: College moves up timeline to present program overhaul to Board of Trustees, Annual gala celebrates student work, raises funds for Persistence Scholarship, Exclusive: Campus vending machines carry expired items, few allergen-friendly options

Dec. 2, 2024: Columbia partners with Patagonia for sustainable design competition, Columbia sports teams return to East-West gym

Nov. 25, 2024: Fact Check: Can he do that?, Exclusive: College negotiating deal to return student access to East-West University gym, Women in Audio student group hosts panel on equity, opportunity

Nov. 18, 2024:Exclusive: Creative writing major would stay but other programs could be merged or cut under preliminary program changes, Budget cuts force reduction of garbage removal in offices, changes in cleaning policies, Columbia will accept DEI course transfers from other institutions

Nov. 11, 2024: Breaking: Columbia puts presidential residence up for sale, Columbia students react to Trump win with anxiety, disappointment, Columbia holds open house for prospective students amid program changes

Nov. 4, 2024: Columbia students join Chicago Women’s March for reproductive rights, Students work to improve voter literacy before upcoming election, College marks one-year anniversary of historic part-time faculty union strike

Oct. 28, 2024: Columbia faculty create free online resources for math courses, Recent hurricanes leave ‘months to years’ of recovery for North Carolina residents, Columbia alum, RegFest event prepares students for upcoming spring semester registration amidst budget cuts and lay-offs

Oct. 21, 2024: Exclusive: Columbia’s Renegades sports teams, clubs lose access to East-West gym facilities used for a decade, SGA holds ‘Conversation with the President’ to address student concerns, Columbia alumni, faculty recognized for theater work at Joseph Jefferson Awards this fall

Oct. 14, 2024: New report reveals Chicago universities’ role in greenhouse gas emissions, calls for energy efficiency improvements, Faculty Senate Academic Affairs Committee wants college to accept DEI courses from other institutions, Students learn about sexual health at ‘Are you coming?’ safe sex event

Oct. 7, 2024: Columbia College hosts ‘Undebates’ third event focused on immigration topics in 2024 election, Disappointed students cope with canceled course sections this fall, Mk.gee brings musical mystique to Chicago and performs sold-out show at The Vic Theatre

Sept. 30, 2024: NBCU Academy’s AI Student Innovation Summit connects students to industry insights and career opportunities, Columbia theatre students will be performing two plays and two musicals this academic year, Hip-Hop Club guides students through storytelling at Love & Lyrics writing session

Sept. 23, 2024: Recycling program still active on campus amidst budget cuts, For the first time, the Services for Students with Disabilities introduce Glean, “The Real Convocation,” a public community event at the Epiphany Center for the Arts, filled the courtyard with music and art for Columbia students, alumni and artists alike

Sept. 16, 2024: Columbia has launched a new branding campaign with the slogan, “creative careers starts here”, The Student Government Association held its first round of senator elections, Faculty have started moving out of the 624 S. Michigan Ave. building, Students react to the Trump-Harris presidential debate

Sept. 9, 2024: The college is giving full-time faculty and non-union and union staff a 3% raise, Explainer: Understanding the college’s new structure, other changes made over summer, The college closed the student Health Center in August, In light of the upcoming presidential election, Columbia is turning Election Day, Nov. 5, into a non-instructional day on campus, Columbia alum Fernando Diaz is the new bilingual faculty advisor to the Columbia Chronicle, “Freakuency” horror film moves forward in production, set to premiere in December

Sept. 3, 2024: Columbia kicks off school year with annual Convocation for new students, Housing makes changes to dorm move-in this semester to help ease lines and congestion around elevators, Retiring writing faculty offer books to students in impromptu giveaway before school starts