Group Meals

We prefer payment via credit card. For those with outside institutional support, we will accept an institutional check as payment. We may accept personal check or cash but strongly discourage this practice. 

• Credit Card payments: guests may either pay in advance or on the date of the event by using this electronic form: Credit Card Payment Form 
   
• Institutional (U.S. Bank) checks: should be made payable to "Columbia University," and the following should be written on the memo line: [Seminar Name or Number] “FH Meal” 
   
• The Rapporteur is responsible for collecting any meal payments non credit card payments from guests. The University Seminars office provides a dinner envelope for collecting checks and cash on the day of the meeting event. Click here for Dining at Faculty House Notes.

The University Seminars can pay a select group of local restaurants directly via a promissory letter. Rapporteurs need to fill out a Credit Note Request Form in order to receive this letter via email.

• Requesting a Credit Note: There are a few local restaurants that will accept a promissory letter from a Columbia University department in lieu of payment for eligible meals only. Please note, the University Seminars can only issue credit notes for the following restaurants:
   
  • Chama Mama 
    373 Amsterdam Ave (Bet. W. 77th and 78th St.)
    New York, NY 10024
    Phone: (917) 261-7430 
    chamamama.com
     
  • Fumo
    2791 Broadway (Bet. W. 107th and 108th St.)
    New York, NY 10025
    (646) 822-2921
    fumorestaurant.com
     
  • Le Monde 
    2885 Broadway (Bet. W. 112th and 113th St.)
    New York, NY 10025
    Phone: (212) 531-3939
    lemondenyc.com
     
  • Marlow Bistro 
    1018 Amsterdam Ave (Bet. W. 109th and 110th St.)
    New York, NY 10025
    Phone: (212) 662-9020
    marlowbistro.com
     
  • Massawa 
    1239 Amsterdam Ave (Bet. W. 120th and 121st St.)
    New York, NY 10027
    Phone: (212) 663-0505
    massawanyc.com
     
  • Pisticci 
    125 La Salle St (near W. 125th St Subway Station - 1 Train)
    New York, NY 10027
    Phone: (212) 932-3500
    pisticcinyc.com
     
  • Tartina
    1034 Amsterdam Ave (Between W 110th and 111th St.)
    New York, NY 10025
    Phone: (646) 590-0577
    tartina-restaurant.com
     
  • Symposium 
    544 W 113th St, New York, NY 10025
    (212) 865-1011 
    symposiumnyc.com
     
• The Credit Note will cover the following eligible meals: rapporteur(s), chair(s), guest speaker(s), and respondent(s) (if any). All other guests are required to pay the restaurant directly for their meals. If a seminar wishes to use their gift account to pay for any other, the guest name should be included in the list of attendees in Credit Note Request Form.
   
• Chair(s) and/or Rapporteur(s) will need to submit a Credit Note Request Form three to five days before the date of their reservation. Otherwise, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to issue a last-minute promissory note in time for your meal.
   
• Rapporteurs are responsible for booking the reservations directly with the restaurant of choice.

Seminar/Workshop Chairs and rapporteurs who decide to buy platters, groceries, wine, or other group food delivery services for seminar and workshop events (not conferences) can request a reimbursement. The University Seminars office will reimburse up to $50/pp (beverages, tax, and tip included) for the following eligible individuals: Seminar/workshop chair(s), rapporteur(s), guest speaker(s), and respondent(s) (if any). 

Chairs or rapporteurs will need to pay for the delivery service, and submit the receipt and meeting announcement via our Chair/Rapporteur Reimbursement Form.

Some chairs may have another CU department pay for the delivery. Contact Gesenia Alvarez-Lazauskas to arrange an inter-department transfer of funds.

A chair or rapporteur may request a reimbursement for group meals (for eligible individuals).

• Chairs and/or Rapporteurs must submit a Chair/Rapporteur Reimbursement Form. Chairs and/or rapporteurs will be asked to upload an itemized restaurant receipt and a receipt of tendered payment as proof of payment in the form. A list of eligible attendees names and their relationship to the University Seminars must be clearly documented in the reimbursement form.
   
• Proof of payment may take many forms but must demonstrate that payment was tendered and must include notation of:
  • “Cash Tendered”
  • “Paid”
  • A zero-balance due
  • Debit/Credit card payment (card type, last four digits of card and/or signature)
     
• If no proof of payment is available, a debit or credit card statement may be provided. Please black out any private or unrelated information.
   
• The University Seminars office will reimburse up to $50/pp (tax and tip included) for the following eligible individuals: seminar/workshop chair(s), rapporteur(s), guest speaker(s), and respondent(s) (if any). A list of eligible attendees names and their relationship to the University Seminars must be clearly documented in the reimbursement form.
   
• All other guests are required to pay the restaurant directly for their meals.
   
• A chair or rapporteur should request reimbursement within 10 business days of the expense and must request reimbursement no later than 120 days after the date of the expenditure. Late submissions may only be reimbursed with the approval of the department. Supporting documentation must be provided in order to describe the circumstances leading to the late submission in order to evaluate whether it is a taxable event. Expense reimbursements requested more than one year from the date of expenditure will not be reimbursed.

Seminars and workshops who have established gift accounts may request to charge extra expenses against their gift balance. Contact Gesenia Alvarez-Lazauskas ([email protected]) and request a gift account balance.

See Gift Accounts and Donations page for more information.