Friday, July 25, 2025

Senior FAQ: How can I tell what counts for the Lab Science Foundations requirement?

PSA that, while the Vergil search and the searchable Foundations list on Slate can help you find which courses can fulfill the Lecture Science requirement (and other distributional requirements & Modes of Thinking), these searches will NOT work for Lab Science!

The only places to find a comprehensive listing of which lecture-plus-lab combinations can fulfill the Science-with-Lab General Education Requirement are:

1. Your degree audit if you have not yet satisfied this requirement.


2. This list made by the Barnard registrar, which is posted on the searchable Foundations list Slate page:  https://slate.barnard.edu/doc/lab_sci_GER.PDF


 

PSA: How to search Vergil for Barnard courses/sections -- pro tip: Use "Department Search" NOT "School Search"

Looking up course options on Vergil and need to know which are Barnard classes?

Do NOT use the "School Search" option

This may give inaccurate results for some departments like Spanish and Math 😭😭😭

 

Instead, use Department Search -- once you start typing a department and part of the word Barnard, it will helpfully autocomplete to what you need:

 

Searching this way will return only actually-Barnard results:


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, July 21, 2025

Slate??? Student Planning???? Vergil???? Where do I go for which things????

Now that registration is fully in Vergil, are you feeling confused about which website to use for which tasks around your academic record?

Worry no more! The Registrar has you covered with this handy chart.

Also: Pro Tip: Almost anything that you need to do with courses/your record can be found under the Academics tab in the Barnard Portal.  

Never miss a deadline!: Add the Barnard Academic Calendar to your gBear calendar with one click!

Worrying about keeping track registration dates, add/drop deadlines, p/d/f and W deadlines, and the like?


The Registrar has you covered with its Google Calendar version of the Academic Calendar -- you can add this to your gBear calendar with just one click!  Registration and add/drop periods for fall are already added in, so this will help you ASAP

I'm in!  How can I add the Barnard Academic Calendar to my gBear Calendar?

1.  Go to https://barnard.edu/academic-calendar (or, honestly, just google-search "Barnard Academic Calendar" -- that's how I find it every time...)





2.  Click on View Barnard's academic calendar on Google Calendar (note: you must be logged into gBear to access this!). 

3.  In the google calendar that opens, go to the bottom right-hand corner and click on the blue square with the white plus sign (you'll know you're in the right place because when you hover your mouse there, text saying "Add to Google Calendar" will pop up).


4. Once you've added the calendar, set up notifications. Some recommended settings:


Thursday, July 17, 2025

Senior FAQ: can I take 2 classes that overlap?


Thanks to everyone who suggested we address this important question!

Short answer: NO
Even if a class may be recorded, you my not take two classes that overlap, as the expectation is that students will attend classes in-person and synchronously, as there is no substitute for the learning experience of interacting with faculty and fellow students in person and in real time.

Longer answer: Very occasionally, in very specific circumstances, and by petition only


Okay; how do I petition?
Contact your class dean for information about how to petition the Committee on Programs and Academic Standing to take overlapping classes. Once the semester begins, petitions submitted by Thursday will be considered at the following Thursday's CPAS meeting.

How likely is it that my petition will be approved?
Such petitions are only rarely approved. Petitions with a greater chance of success will include:
  • Both classes are required (major or general education req)
  • Both can only be taken this semester due to compelling reason like impending graduation
  • Both faculty members are aware of the conflict and support the petition
  • Course overlap is minimal, e.g. 10-15 minutes (including travel time!) once a week.
  • You/your instructors have a plan to make up the missing content which is more than just watching a recording.
What should I do while I'm waiting to know if my petition is approved?
  • Add a "Plan B" course to keep your options open
  • If you're currently registered for both conflicting classes, stay in them. If your petition is not approved, you will ultimately need to drop one. If you don't drop one, the registrar will drop whichever was most recently added.
  • If you're not registered for both classes, the system will not let you register for conflicting courses, though you may plan or waitlist for a course that conflicts with a registered course. We recommend that you strategically register for whichever course is more important and/or more likely to fill up if you wait.