The policies pursued in recent years all involve clusters of excellence initiatives for investment in the future through the poles of research and higher education and The Campus Plan.

UNESCO: Education

The development corporation was set up five years ago, as city and state officials negotiated with Columbia for zoning changes and government land seizures of commercial property the university needed for its 25-year plan to stretch its campus into a 17-acre swath of land west of Broadway between 129th and 133rd streets.

WSJ: Pact's Benefits in Limbo

The key is to have a credit-card battle plan in place long before arriving on campus.

WSJ: Cards Return to Campus