Columbia is moving the start of the spring 2012 semester up two weeks to Tuesday, January 17th to avoid potential conflicts with the G8 and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summits that will held in Chicago in late May. These international events present significant complications to Columbia’s ability to complete the spring semester successfully. Specifically, the events present challenges to being able to access campus facilities during finals week and to finding places to host both the Manifest Urban Arts Festival and the Commencement ceremonies.