Are they referring to Columbia College which ithe very small four year liberal arts college of Columbia University, or the Columbia U. School of General Studies which is enormous, open to almost everyone with a HS diploma?
This precisely the sort of confusion the posted article is intended to sow. General Studies? You paid your money and you were in. I know this because ....gasp .... I took courses there myself! You want a Columbia COLLEGE degree? Ask the office what courses you need to take. They tell you what courses they will accept from your previous schools, if any ... and nowadays, what "life experience"... and many thousands upon thousands of student loans later, you have your degree. I just used the School of General Studies to fill in a few blanks for my degree from another institution.
General Studies Students pal around with the swank ivy leaguers from the actual college, go out for crew, baseball, football? ... NOT! (Although I hoisted many a stein with them.)