President of Columbia University
The president of Columbia University is the chief officer of Columbia University in New York City. The current president is Lee Bollinger, whose tenure began in 2002. Powers and duties. As established by Columbia University's governing statutes, it is the duty of the president to exercise jurisdiction over all affairs of the university; to call special meetings of the University Senate, faculties, and administration; to report to the Trustees of Columbia on the state and needs of the university annually; and to administer discipline. The consent of the president is necessary for act of made  by a faculty or administrative board, unless their veto is overridden by two-thirds vote. Additionally, the president is able to grant leaves of absences, give faculty permission to use university laboratories for experiments, and confer academic and honorary degrees on behalf of the board of trustees. The president is "ex officio" a permanent member of the Pulitzer Prize Board, and has annually presented the awards to its recipients since 1984.