IMPORTANT END-OF-THE-SEMESTER INFORMATION FOR COMPLETION OF COURSEWORK

We hope you won't become ill or have an emergency during finals, but in case you do, the information in the email below will help. Plus bonus tips and resources to help you prepare and study!

Dear Students,   As we come to the end of the spring semester, the Deans’ Office for Advising and Support wants to update you about final exam information and academic resources. We also want to remind you what to do if you experience anything that impacts your ability to complete work for your courses and final exams.   One of the most important things to remember if you are experiencing difficulties is to reach out to your instructor and/or Class Dean. Your class dean is available to discuss your specific situation and offer advice and options.   Academic Resources   •    Personal Librarians: As you complete your final assignments for this semester, contact Barnard Library’s research and instruction team (Personal Librarians) for any support needed around research-based assignments, including senior projects. Librarians are available for individual consultations about ways to access online research materials and meet citation requirements for your papers and projects. Personal Librarians can assist in finding e-books, full-text articles, and open access sources.  •    Center for Engaged Pedagogy: The CEP has put together helpful guides for time management, active reading strategies, and a resource map that points you to various supports. •    Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS): Students who are registered with the Barnard Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS) and have accommodations should be in touch with CARDS as needed to ensure that their accommodations align with end-of-term assignments. If a faculty member has specific questions about how to implement accommodations in their courses, CARDS is available for individual consultation at cards@barnard.edu. •    Deans’ Office Walk-in Hours (exam week only): If you have an emergent situation and need to consult with a dean during exam week, stop by the Deans’ Office for Advising and Support in 105 Milbank any time from 9:00am-5:00 pm (Friday, May 9 through Thursday, May 15, not including weekend days) to see the available dean on call.    FINAL EXAMINATION INFORMATION:   All students and instructors are expected to follow the official exam schedule. If you find yourself with an exam conflict (two exams at the same time) or exam hardship (defined as three exams within a 24-hour period or four exams within a 48-hour period), you should fill out this form.   Individual faculty members have discretion to allow or deny requests to take an exam at a time different than originally scheduled. If you need assistance with communicating with an instructor, you may contact your Class Dean.   DEFERRED EXAMS:   Students may defer an exam due to illness or personal emergency on the day of the exam. If you need to request a deferral, you must:   a) Email your instructor, copying your class dean, on the day of the exam requesting a deferred exam.   b) You must also submit an official request for a deferred exam in Slate. You will need to upload an approval email from your instructor when you submit the Slate form.   c) Deferred exams will be given on Friday, September 5, 2025 and Monday, September 8, 2025. After submitting the Request for a Deferred Exam form, you will receive a confirmation email. It is your responsibility to check the registrar's website and your Barnard email the previous week for the details of your deferred exam.   Please be aware that deferred exams cannot be requested in advance of exam week. For more information, visit https://barnard.edu/registrar/grades-exams and scroll down to "Final and Deferred Exams."    ILLNESS DURING EXAM:    If you become ill during an examination:   a) inform the proctor b) hand in the exam, and c) call Primary Care Health Services at 212-854-2091 to make an appointment.   If you've completed less than 40 minutes of a two-hour exam or less than one hour of a three-hour exam, you qualify for a deferred exam (see above.) If you leave the exam more than 40 minutes into a two-hour exam or more than an hour into a three-hour exam, you'll be graded on the basis of the work you've completed to that point.   INCOMPLETES:   Incompletes are to be given only in cases of illness, personal emergency, or other compelling circumstances. If you need to request an Incomplete, and the instructor is amenable, please be in touch with your faculty member via email to obtain their approval. From there, you will need to submit an Incomplete Request Form in Slate. You will need to upload email confirmation from your instructor when you submit the Slate form. Note that these requests should be received by Thursday, May 8 (the end of Reading Period).    As a reminder, the official College deadline for completing Spring 2025 Incomplete coursework is Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Individual faculty may also set an earlier deadline for the work to be completed. Please note that incompletes apply only to coursework exclusive of the final examination. For more information, visit https://barnard.edu/registrar/grades-exams and scroll down to "Incomplete Grades."   GRADES:   Final grades are indeed final. Grades may be changed only in cases of clerical error or in the rare event that the instructor needs to reevaluate the work of the entire class. Grades may not be recalculated on the basis of reexamination or the submission of additional or revised work.    ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND THE BARNARD HONOR CODE:   As you write papers or complete exams, whether in a proctored environment or in the comfort of your residence hall or off-campus residence, keep the College's Honor Code (https://barnard.edu/honor-code) in mind. Under pressure, it can sometimes be tempting to make a regrettable decision, such as using untrustworthy and undocumented sources, collaborating on an exam, not following proper citation methods on a paper, or claiming someone else's work as your own. Doing something that might violate the Honor Code is NEVER the way to respond to a difficult or pressured academic situation. There's always a better choice. Please also be aware that any misrepresentation of your circumstances in order to obtain an exam deferral or an incomplete is a violation of the Honor Code. An additional word of caution: it is your responsibility as a student to be aware of your professor’s individual stance on the use of generative AI (ex. ChatGPT). If you are not sure about whether the use of generative AI is permitted in a course, you must consult with your instructor for additional guidance before using generative AI. Note that the Honor Code states that students must responsibly use electronic, print and other resources.     ACADEMIC STANDING:   Please be advised that all students should be aware of Barnard’s academic standing policy (please scroll down on this page to “Academic Standing and Degree Progress”) and how incomplete grades, deferred exams and/or withdrawal grades may impact a student’s academic standing. To discuss your academic standing, please contact your Class Dean.    We wish you all the best as you complete your work for the semester, and hope you have a restful, restorative summer.   Sincerely, Holly Tedder Dean for Academic Planning and Class Advising   Barnard College 3009 Broadway, New York, NY View in browser Unsubscribe

My degree audit says "in progress," not "pending completion" and/or things are missing from my major audit -- should I panic?????

As graduation approaches, prospective May grads may have questions about the online degree audit. Many degree audits are complete, correct, and fully updated and should therefore show everything you need to graduate as either "complete" or "pending completion of unfinished activity."  

However, even if your degree audit does not appear to be complete or pending, you are very possibly fine.  There are some majors that are so flexible that they don't use the online audit, and others where things could theoretically be updated but at this stage, the registrar has turned their focus from updating the online audit, to instead prioritize confirming with departments that students are cleared to graduate.  



What does this mean for you and how should you avoid panicking?

You are completely fine and totally on track for May 2025 graduation if:

1.  Your General Education Audit shows everything complete, waived, or pending completion, and you pass any in-progress classes in this category with a D or better.

 

2.  Your major audit shows everything complete, waived, or pending completion online, or your department has confirmed that all of your major requirements are completed or in progress, and you pass any in-progress major classes with a C- or better.

 

3.  You pass whatever senior requirement your major has according to your department's standard.

 

4.  You complete at least 122 credits (121 for transfer students) by the end of this semester.  (See previous blog post for best way to double-check this)

Concerned there may be an actual problem?  

If you see something missing in the General Education Audit, or any missing study abroad or external credit, please contact the registrar and class dean ASAP to address this.

If you have questions or concerns about your major audit, please contact your major adviser or department chair.

Senior FAQ: My course doesn't have a P/D/F option in SSOL! Does that mean I can't take it p/d/f????

DON'T WORRY! If you can't elect p/d/f in SSOL, you can use this Slate form to do it!

The rules governing p/d/f are on this Registrar website.

How to elect the P/D/F option by the **NEW** May 5 deadline

The last day to elect the p/d/f option is now May 5, 2025 (the W deadline was in the past and remains unchanged).

**Special note for graduating seniors-- you cannot uncover grades of P from a course taken during  your last semester. 

Also, note that courses taken p/d/f this year are subject to the current rules.  Read all about p/d/f on the Registrar's website but especially note the current policy on the number of courses that may be taken p/d/f, as it is different from the special policy exception that was in place last year:

Beginning fall 2023, Barnard students can elect P/D/F grading in one course per term during the academic year (fall/spring).  This is in addition to any courses with mandatory pass/fail grading.  A class in which the P grade is uncovered is still counted towards the one course per term P/D/F limit.

• Classes taken for P/D/F grading can be applied to general education requirements. 
• You cannot elect P/D/F grading for any course that is needed to fulfill major or minor requirements.  It is your responsibility to be sure that you understand this policy and to consult with your department if you have any questions.  Please note that if you elect P/D/F grading in a class that your Department Chair determines is required for your major or minor requirements, the “pass” grade will be administratively uncovered by the Registrar’s Office at the point of graduation, which could affect both your term and cumulative gpa. Dean’ List status can also be affected by this.

Grading

The instructor is not informed when a student elects the P/D/F grading option. The instructor will assign a letter grade in SSOL, which will be converted to P/D/F on your transcript.

A letter grade of A+ through C- will appear on the transcript as a P, and will not count in the gpa.
A letter grade of D will appear on the transcript as a D, and will count in the gpa.
A letter grade of F will appear on the transcript as an F, and will count in the gpa.

 

To elect the P/D/F Grading option:

Barnard students will use SSOL to elect P/D/F grading

-Click here to elect a current course for P/D/F grading.  (Use a browser other than Safari).

-Click on P/D/F grading then Grading Option Change Request.

This form can be used to elect Pass/D/Fail for a course where that option is not available in SSOL.

 

To undo/ revoke your p/d/f election  - or switch the election to a different class (this must be done prior to the P/D/F grading deadline):

-Go to ssol.columbia.edu and go to Pass/D/Fail Uncover.

 

 Pro Tip:

-If you drop or officially withdraw from a class that you had previously p/d/f'd, you should also revoke the p/d/f so that it won't count towards your p/d/f limit.

FAQ:

Q: My course doesn't have a P/D/F option in SSOL! Does that mean I can't take it p/d/f????

A: No! If you can't elect p/d/f in SSOL, you can use this Slate form to do it!

Academic coaching finals prep drop-in week!

Soooo what do you mean it's almost the end of the semester?! Time is truly flying by and now's right around the time when the pre-finals panic sets in. But, not to worry, the Dean's Office for Advising and Support has got your back!

If you're feeling stressed for finals, needing help organizing your study plan, or wanting to learn some new study strategies, then academic coaching is the right resource for you! The Deans' Office for Advising and Support will be providing academic coaching drop-in sessions at various times April 28th-May 2nd. Use this link to RSVP for a day and time to receive a google calendar invite!

Activist Research Salon

As part of this year's Grace Lee Boggs programming, the Office of DEI is collaborating with SGA's Equity Committee to highlight the work of undergraduate seniors who are researching activism and social justice initiatives. The research salon will be held on Wednesday, April 23, from 6-8PM in Diana 504. The Library is generously offering stipends to students who will be presenting.

Please fill out this form by Sunday, April 20 at 11:59PM EST to be considered to be a presenter.

Senior Class Dean 2024-2025 Walk-In Hours -- Stop by in person or on zoom!

Got a quick question?

Need to talk to a dean ASAP?

If you have something complicated or want to be sure you can talk at length, please make an appointment via Dean Grabiner's online scheduler.

Otherwise, during the semester, you may walk in virtually or in person at any of the times below. 

Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm Eastern Time

• Enter waiting room via this Tuesday Afternoon Walk-In Hours Zoom Link or visit 105 Milbank,
  
• We will see students on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• If we run out of time and can't see you, we apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to schedule an appointment, to try walk-ins on a different day, or for time-sensitive matters, to call the office at 212-854-2024 during business hours.

Wednesdays: Degree Audit Drop-Ins 4-5pm Eastern Time

• Enter waiting room via this Degree Audit Drop-ins Zoom Link or visit 105 Milbank
• We will prioritize students seeking degree audit advice but will see other students if time permits 
• If we run out of time and can't see you, we apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to schedule an appointment, to try walk-ins on a different day, or for time-sensitive matters, to call the office at 212-854-2024 during business hours.

Thursdays 3-4pm Eastern Time

• Enter waiting room via this Thursday Afternoon Walk-In Hours Zoom Link or visit 105 Milbank.
  
• We will see students on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• If we run out of time and can't see you, we apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to schedule an appointment, to try walk-ins on a different day, or for time-sensitive matters, to call the office at 212-854-2024 during business hours.

Detailed Final Exam schedules now available online

 

Projected University Examination Schedule

Undergraduate Courses

Graduate Courses

Engineering Courses

Barnard Courses

Please note that procedures listed on the Columbia master schedule DO NOT apply to Barnard students.

For Barnard students: If you have exam conflict (two exams at the same time) or exam hardship (defined as three exams within a 24-hour period or four exams within a 48-hour period), please fill out this form.

Examinations are not rescheduled to accommodate travel plans.

Barnard SGA Earth Day Fair!

Join us for the Earth Day Festival 2022 event on April 22nd from 2-6 pm in Futter Field. Barnard Student Government Association will host the Earth Day Festival, an interactive event for students to engage sustainability clubs and events. This event will feature speeches and performances, a book swap, a clothing swap, raffles, food, and DIY activities. There will be picnic blankets for fun in the sun! All Barnard faculty, staff, and students are welcomed! Join us for some sustainable goodies, plants, and food!

DEADLINE ALERT: incomplete work from fall 2024 due TUESDAY, April 15

If you took an Incomplete in any of your Fall 2024 classes, be sure to turn in all remaining written work to both the instructor and registrar@barnard.edu (so that it can be time-stamped as on time) no later than Tuesday, April 15, 2024.  

Once the instructor submits the new final grade, it will completely replace the temporary placeholder "I" grade, and your transcript will show no evidence of the former incomplete.

In between you submitting the work and the instructor entering the updated grade, you may see your grade temporarily changed to "WS" -- do not panic if you see this! It stands for "Work Submitted" and means you have done everything correctly and by the appropriate deadline.

If work is not submitted by the deadline, the instructor will be directed to enter the contingency grade, i.e. a final grade factoring in a zero for any missing work. The contingency grade will be preceded by an asterisk on the transcript (e.g. *B, *C-, *F). 

If you are experiencing extenuating circumstances and would like to discuss the possibility of petitioning to extend an incomplete, please contact your class dean.

Senior Thesis Group Coaching - April 18th!

The Deans' Office for Advising and Support and the Center for Engaged Pedagogy are hosting another senior thesis group coaching session! 

If you are writing a senior thesis and are struggling with: comparing your progress to others, writer's block and motivation, an overwhelming course workload, wanting feedback on drafts, or reaching checkpoints, then we can help. 

RSVP to join the next group coaching session on Friday, April 18th at 2PM in Milbank 318!

Know Your Rights workshop THIS FRIDAY, 4/11, 12:30-2pm, Milstein LL001

In response to student interest, Barnard College has organized a Know Your Rights workshop. This workshop, led by representatives from Columbia Law School’s Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, will provide information and guidance for potential interactions with immigration enforcement. The session will be held on Friday, April 11 from 12:30-2:00pm in Milstein LL001. Please RSVP here. While non-RSVPs may join the session, participation is subject to room capacity. Light refreshments will be served. If you have any questions, please email deanofthecollege@barnard.edu.

Technical issue affecting Tassel Commencement Registration System for some students -- stay tuned for updates

Thank you to those who have let us know about technical issues with the Tassel Commencement Registration system that are intermittently causing some students to incorrectly receive an error message stating that you are not on the list of approved graduates. 

We are aware of this issue and working on addressing it.  An update will be sent out when it is fixed.  

In the meantime, do not panic! If you received the commencement registration email, you are on our list of eligible students!

Opportunity: Apply OR nominate another senior to be a Senior Marshal! DEADLINE APRIL 18

The Barnard Commencement Committee is seeking applicants to be Senior Marshals

What's a Senior Marshal?
It could be you.

WHAT IS A SENIOR MARSHAL AND WHY SHOULD YOU APPLY OR NOMINATE A STUDENT?Senior Marshals are students who are honored at Commencement for their leadership at Barnard with a special cord on their gown and front row seating among their fellow graduates. The Committee will look for nominees who are, in one or more ways, outstanding members of the Barnard community and who have made exemplary contributions to the campus community.

WHAT DO SENIOR MARSHALS DO?
In order to for their importance as student leaders to be recognized, senior marshals are required to attend both:
* Baccalaureate Service, which will take place on Sunday, May 18, at 9am, in St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia

* The Barnard commencement ceremony on Tuesday, May 20

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must:

* be Barnard seniors participating in May 2025 Commencement and

* be and remain in good standing (academic and disciplinary) through Commencement

HOW DO I APPLY / NOMINATE?

Use this form to either:

• Apply to be a Senior Marshal (only Barnard seniors participating in May 2025 commencement are eligible)
• Nominate a Barnard senior for the role of Senior Marshal

You may submit the form multiple times if you want to apply and/or nominate one or more seniors for this honor.

https://forms.gle/S6haC92t95i1KgkP6

More info on how to prepare for fall registration in Vergil

 

Dear Students,   We are roughly two weeks away from the start of registration for fall classes.   I hope you were able to successfully try out the Vergil Course Search and Planner after reading my email last week.    This week, to prepare yourself for registering for fall classes in the new Vergil registration system, you can do the following things: •    Log into Vergil. •    Complete the Financial Responsibility Statement. Important: You will not be able to register for fall classes until this is completed. •    View your Registration Appointments for the fall. Be sure the Term in the upper-right is set to Fall 2025.   •    Rising seniors register on Tuesday April 15, rising juniors on Wednesday April 16, rising sophomores on Thursday April 17. •    If you think your registration appointment in Vergil is incorrect, please contact us immediately at registrar@barnard.edu. •    Use the Vergil Course Search to Add classes to your Planner. •    TIP: Be sure to change the Term to Fall 2025 in the upper right corner. •    Search by subject, by department, by Foundations/Gen Ed requirement, by classes with open seats, etc. See screenshots here. •    Schedule a meeting with your academic adviser.   You can find more information about how to register in Vergil here.   If you have questions about Vergil or registration more generally, please contact my office at registrar@barnard.edu so that we can assist you.   If you have questions about the Financial Responsibility Statement or payment arrangements more generally, please contact the Bursar’s Office at bursar@barnard.edu.   Best wishes, Jennifer Simmons Registrar

Office of the Registrar, Barnard College 3009 Broadway, New York, NY View in browser

Not graduating this May? Don't forget to meet with your adviser and register for classes April 15 for senior priority

If you're not graduating this May and plan to take fall 2025 classes, be sure to meet with your adviser for advising, so that you will be prepared to sign up for fall 2025 classes during your appointment timeslot the week of April 15-21 (seniors register Tuesday, April 15).  

Reminder that registration will take place entirely in Vergil

Your assigned registration time will appear closer to registration week if it’s not there yet. 

Additional reminder about the credit cap: You may not advance-register for more than 19 credits. Once the semester begins, you may ask your adviser for permission for up to 23 credits if there are extremely extenuating circumstances that make this necessary

Vergil registration resources

Not graduating this May or October?  Reminder that registration for the fall semester will take place on Vergil! Your academic record (transcript and degree audit) will still be in Student Planning, but now's a good time to get familiar with Vergil, so you can register with confidence and efficiency when rising-senior registration opens on Tuesday, April 15.

This Columbia website has some really helpful information and screenshots for all your registration needs:

 https://sishelp.sis.columbia.edu/vergil_student_registration

 

 

Accessibility Week 2025

Dear Barnard Students, Faculty, and Staff,    The Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI), Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS), and the Disability Employee Resource Group are excited to invite all Barnard community members to the fifth annual Accessibility Week, which will take place from April 7-11, 2025. Accessibility Week offers community-wide programming focused on disability inclusion and social justice.   Special thanks to our partners: CEP, IMATS, and Health & Wellness   RSVP for ALL events here.   Please check out our Disability and Access website for more resources, including an intro guide on Digital Accessibility by Elana Altman (IMATS).    If you have any questions, please email dei@barnard.edu   Warmly, Office of DEI Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services   Events line-up:    CARDS Student Social/Field Day Monday, April 7 | 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. | Sulzberger Tower North Have a Field Day with CARDS! Students are invited to our 3rd Field Day event - we’ll have tie-dye, crafts/coloring, pizza, and bingo with prizes. We’ll also have a raffle for gift cards and CARDS Peer Mentors/Mentees can pick up their sweatshirts! Join us as we celebrate disabled joy together! If you have any questions please reach out to cards@barnard.edu   An Intro to Digital Accessibility - A Workshop for Faculty and Staff   Tuesday, April 8 | 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Milstein 516 Learn about digital accessibility and how to design accessible content. Sponsored by the Barnard Computational Science Center and Presented by Anisa Bora Disability (Research) Salon Tuesday, April 8 | 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. | James Room, Barnard Hall 4th Floor Join us for the Disability (Research) Salon during Accessibility Week, the week of April 7th! Students will have the opportunity to present research or theses related to disability studies or lived experiences with disability/chronic illness and then engage in discussion with the community. Opening remarks and facilitation will be provided by Prof Mara Green, Anthropology and instructor of the Disability course taught in the Fall 2023 & 2024 Semesters. Refreshments will be provided.   Tabling for How to Register with CARDS For Students By Students  Wednesday, April 9 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Diana First Floor   Disability Zine Event Wednesday, April 9 | 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Zine Library Sponsored by the Barnard Libraries and Presented by Jenna Freedman   Disability Employee Resource Group and Staff/Faculty Mixer Thursday, April 10 | 11:30  a.m. - 2 p.m. | Judith Shapiro Faculty Room, Diana 2nd Floor Are you interested in learning more about the Disability ERG? This event is for staff and faculty who identify as part of the disability community to connect and mingle with the Barnard Disability Employee Resource Group (ERG) members. Please come out to meet new people and celebrate Accessibility Week! Lunch will be provided.   Film screening of "As You Are" and talkback with Director Daisy Friedman Thursday, April 10 | 6 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. | Milstein LL001 Check out the short film “As You Are”, which delves into themes of desirability, intimacy, and the unique experiences of disabled individuals. Join in a talkback from the writer and Director, Daisy Friedman, BC’25.  Refreshments will be provided.   RSVP for ALL events here. We’d also like to highlight programming from the Center for Engaged Pedagogy:   The Crip Shelves Reading Group, a student-led initiative supported by the Center for Engaged Pedagogy (CEP).    A new monthly Crip Shelves Reading Group! Students, faculty, and staff will meet to discuss readings concerning critical disability studies, especially those which emphasize care work and engaged pedagogy. This month's reading is Making Sense: Language, Ethics, and Understanding in Deaf Nepal by our very own Barnard linguistic anthropologist, E. Mara Green! You are invited to join the conversation regardless of your background with disability studies! Register here. *A physical copy of the reading is available in the CEP lending library along with a digital copy through CLIO*   CEP is thrilled to announce our Bold 2025 Conference (April 3-4) lineup! Bold is not just any pedagogy conference; it’s a rare space for the whole Barnard community–students, faculty, and staff–to come together to consider the urgent questions impacting our teaching and learning culture. This year, we went back to our roots to emphasize student-designed sessions–like our Centering Disabled Voices panel discussion and our Prioritizing Student Learning, Centering Community Needs community conversation, both of which were pitched and designed by Barnard students and members of the CEP Student Advisory Committee.    Centering Disabled Voices: Faculty and Students in Conversation  Friday, April 4 | 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Check out the full line-up and register for all conference sessions here (https://bit.ly/bold2025reg). A plug from Barnard Alum, Julia Betancourt ’21: Barnard Accessibility Week is partnering with the ReelAbilities Film Festival to allow Columbia community members to attend, for free, a screening of ReelShorts: Dream Big on April 5, 2025, at 1 p.m. This screening will include a selection of short films and a talk-back with the filmmakers and will end at approximately 2:45 pm. Free tickets are first come first serve, and community members can reserve their free tickets at this link. Barnard College 3009 Broadway, NY, New York View in browser