Graduating this year and plagued by the nagging feeling that you must be forgeting something? SENIOR CHECKLIST to the rescue!

 

Keep track of deadlines and tasks to make sure you're graduating on schedule, using this Senior Checklist.  Spring dates will be further specified when more information is available.

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????

NO! 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.

REPOST: What are all these honors I keep hearing about (latin honors, departmental honors, Phi Beta Kappa), and how are they determined?

Many of you have been asking about GPAs, P/D/F, Dean's List, and how any of these things may affect honors you may receive upon graduation.  Before explaining these, we would like to stress that your deans and faculty are proud of all of your achievements, and no single number or academic distinction or other statistic defines your worth or how much you have learned and grown in college. 

The Barnard Grading & Academic Honors website explains all about honors:

College Honors

The Faculty awards honors to students who complete work for the degree with distinction (cum laude), with high distinction (magna cum laude), and with highest distinction (summa cum laude).  

Honors are determined by a student’s final cumulative Barnard GPA, with the top 5 percent of the graduating class being awarded summa cum laude, the next 10 percent being awarded magna cum laude, and the remaining 20 percent awarded cum laude.  

The minimum grade point averages that determine eligibility for each category of Latin Honors may change with each May’s graduating class.  Those same criteria will be applied to the following February and October graduating classes.  (For example, the criteria for each category of honors for the May 2024 class will also be applied to the October 2024 and February 2025 graduating classes.)

Beginning with the February and May 2022 graduating classes, study at other institutions (transfer, summer school, study leave) is not factored into a student’s Latin honors eligibility.

Latin honors appear on both the transcript and the diploma.

Departmental honors are awarded for distinguished work in the major to no more than 20% of graduates, as nominated by their major departments, and conferred by the Committee on Honors. Departmental honors display on student transcripts but not diplomas.

Phi Beta Kappa

The Barnard section of the Columbia University chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1901. Election to the national honor society is a recognition of scholarship, and Barnard students of exceptionally high standing are eligible. Junior election will require a minimum of 86 completed points, and senior election, 102. Students do not apply for membership; they are elected by Barnard faculty members who are themselves members of Phi Beta Kappa.

Resource Reminder

Particularly with all that is going on in the world and on campus these days, we know that you don't stop having feelings just because you're busy with schoolwork, and we want to remind you of the many  resources on campus where you can find peers, professionals, and space to get some support.  Below are just a few examples:

Furman Counseling Center 

The Furman Counseling Center promotes the social and emotional development of Barnard students to facilitate their richest experience of College Life. We offer therapy, groups, workshops and medication to assist students in maintaining emotional and mental health. We support the College’s commitment to diversity, raising awareness of systems of oppression and unequal access to resources, and work to promote social justice.

• Make An Appointment

  To schedule an appointment for individual or group therapy:

  Call: (212) 854-2092 
  Email: counseling@barnard.edu

  Fall 2024 Schedule

  Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  Crisis Appointment Hours: Monday to Friday 10 AM - 4 PM

  Closed on Evenings and Weekends

  Call (212) 854-2092 and indicate “urgent” for same day appointment.

  After 5 PM and on weekends Psychological Emergencies:

  Call the After-Hours Psychological Emergency Line at (212) 854-2092  OR
  Call Community Safety at (212) 854-6666 OR
  Call if not on campus 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room

Your class deans are available to meet with you by appointment and during walk-in hours.  Click this link to find your dean's appointment link. Need to see someone but can't find an available time that fits in your schedule? Call the Deans Office for Advising and Support 212-854-2024 any time 9-5, Monday through Friday.

• Worried about a class? Confused about registration?  Just need a friendly, nonjudgmental listener?  Have a question but aren't sure whom to ask?  We're here for all this and more.

The Wellness Spot is the health promotion program and wellness center at Barnard College. Our mission is to promote the health and wellness of Barnard students through a variety of programming activities. Our philosophical approach to wellness focuses on an integration of body, mind and spirit, which moves us toward a more proactive, healthier existence. We use as our model the Wellness Wheel which includes physical, intellectual, occupational, emotional, social and spiritual, service and cultural dimensions which represent all aspects of human growth. The open center of the wellness wheel reflects the notion that each "spoke" impacts on the others and that we cannot be truly healthy if we neglect any aspect of the wheel. However, it is important to remember that gaining total wellness is a journey and a process that continues throughout life.

Res Life staff are on site, trained, and ready to listen and support you.

Being Barnard is the college's sexual violence education, prevention, and outreach program. The mission of Being Barnard is to provide a holistic approach to sexual violence prevention through campus-wide campaigns, educational programming, one-on-one health consultation services, community building, outreach, advocacy, and intervention. Sexual assault and interpersonal violence affect students of all genders, identities, and backgrounds and are widely recognized to not be isolated issues but part of a much larger societal picture. As such, it is our hope that by addressing a multitude of interwoven topics, such as healthy relationships and sexuality, affirmative consent, personal boundaries, self-care, bystander intervention, and social identities and power, we may help reduce, and one day eliminate, sexual assault and violence from our campus and global communities.

Being Barnard is a Confidential Office

Office of Title IX and Nondiscrimination

Barnard College is committed to providing an environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The Nondiscrimination and Title IX Office endeavors to work collaboratively across campus to further the goal that faculty, staff, and students be able to work and study in a campus community free from discrimination and harassment. As such, the Office provides outreach, education, supportive consultation, and response services to all members of the Barnard community. Dr. Elizabeth Scott-Francis, Executive Director for CARES Outreach and Response, serves as the Title IX Coordinator for the College. 

We are operating in-person on the First Floor of Elliott Hall
Monday through Friday (closed on holidays) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Email: nondiscrimination@barnard.edu
Phone: 212-854-3362 (CARES Response Line; indicate you're calling to speak with the Title IX Coordinator)

Columbia Sexual Violence Response & Rape Crisis/Anti-Violence Support Center 

105 Hewitt 212-854-HELP (4357)

The Rape Crisis /Anti-Violence Support Center (also referred to as the RCC or Center) provides peer and professional advocacy and education to the entire University student community. If you are a survivor of sexual assault and would like to talk to someone immediately, call 212-854-HELP to speak to someone and/or schedule a time to meet. Advocates assist survivors by accompanying them to the hospital, health services, the police, public safety, court, campus disciplinary proceedings and other resources. They also help survivors make informed decisions about reporting and disciplinary options. Advocates receive a minimum of 50 hours of training and are supervised by Columbia and Barnard counseling clinicians.

Learn more about sexual violence resources through men's peer education, RCC peer educators, and other advocacy/outreach services.

What to do if you wanted to drop a class but missed the deadline

The deadline to drop a class was February October 8.  Just realizing now that you meant to drop something or that it might be a good idea to drop something?

Don't panic!

Class feeling difficult?
Leaving the class may not be necessary -  consider office hours, help rooms, or requesting a tutor through our free Peer-to-Peer Learning program.  Writing Fellows, Speaking Fellows, and Personal Librarians are also here to help!

If worrying about the grade is crowding out your ability to focus on learning and you don't need the class for a major or minor, you may also consider taking it Pass/D/Fail.
P/D/F deadline: Nov 14, 11:30pm (on SSOL, does not require permission; if unavailable on SSOL there is a Slate Form)

Really need to get out of a class?
It is not too late to withdraw from a class with a W, as long as you will still be in 12 credits total, and still be on track to graduate on your planned schedule.  Remember that a W is a non-punitive grade that simply indicates that you followed proper procedure to leave a class in progress.
Withdraw-with-a-W deadline: Nov 14, 4:30pm (Slate form and adviser approval needed)

Argh I dropped a class but now it is mysteriously back on my transcript pls halp

If you successfully dropped a class with adviser permission on or before the October 8 drop deadline, the class should no longer be on your schedule or transcript in Student Planning (Courseworks/Canvas and SSOL may take a little longer to catch up). 

HOWEVER, there is a known technical issue that sometimes causes a previously-dropped course to mysteriously reappear on your schedule and transcript.  The Registrar is aware of this and can help!  

We encourage you to check your transcript in Student Planning periodically to make sure your current-semester courses remain just the courses you are currently registered for.  

If you notice your dropped class coming back again, please email registrar@barnard.edu and they will re-drop the course for you.

Global Reproductive Rights & Resistance

 Global Reproductive Rights & Resistance:

A Community Conversation & Workshop with Elizabeth Ananat, Kadambari Baxi, Cecelia Lie-Spahn, and Wendy Schor-Haim | RSVP Here

Thursday, October 17, 5:15 - 7:00 pm | In-person, James Room

The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling overturned nearly 50 years of legal protections established by Roe v. Wade (1973), ending the constitutional right to an abortion in the United States. Currently, each state decides whether abortion is legal and under what conditions, and the impact of this ruling is felt unevenly and unequally by pregnant people. This community event brings together the diverse expertise of our faculty, Barnard’s international student body, and the College’s history and archives surrounding reproductive justice and freedom to situate this landmark decision in a broader historical and global context. This event is the first in the Provost’s Year of Elections around the World series.

To develop shared language for discussion, Barnard faculty will provide short presentations on the following concepts and terms:

• the framework of reproductive justice for analyzing unequal access to reproductive care,

• the history of fetal viability and its reverberations into the present,

• the practice of self-managed abortions in the U.S., and

• The impact of trigger laws and reimagining spaces and networks of reproductive care. 

Following these short presentations, participants will be invited to articulate questions together and draw connections and comparisons between these themes and the legality of reproductive healthcare in other countries and political contexts. This event will also showcase the Trigger Planting 2.0 and Abortion in Context exhibition in Milstein, and participants are encouraged to engage with the exhibition in the weeks leading up to the event. RSVP at bit.ly/rightsandresist.

The Joy and Science of Effective Note-Taking Workshop

The Joy and Science of Effective Note-Taking Workshop | RSVP Here

Wednesday, October 16, 4:15 - 5:30 pm | In-person, Helene L. Kaplan Tower Suite North Tower (Sulzberger Hall)

Have you ever wondered if your style of note-taking is effective?    Have you ever thought about whether there might be a better—and more joyous—way to take notes?  

Join the Center for Engaged Pedagogy for a note-taking workshop on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, from 4:15-5:30PM. Come to discuss and learn about note-taking habits, techniques, and practices for readings, lectures, and discussion-based courses. We’ll also save time for showcasing generative AI-assisted note-taking tools and learning from you about tools you have found helpful to your studies. You'll leave with note-taking templates and supplies! RSVP at https://bit.ly/fall24notes. Contact us at pedagogy@barnard.edu. 

Non-Residential Student Support Event - 10/15 Breakfast Social!

Hello students!

Want to grab a quick bite, mix and mingle with other commuter/non-residential students? Stop by the upcoming first monthly Breakfast Social that will be taking place next Tuesday, October 15th from 9:30AM-11:30AM in the North Tower - Helene L. Kaplan Suite in Sulzberger Hall, Floor 17!

If you have any questions, feel free to be in touch with the Community Director for Non-Residential Support (NRSS), Guneet Moihdeen, which you can find her contact information down below!

DEADLINE ALERT: How to drop a class by the Oct 8 deadline

Friday, 9/13/2024 was the deadline to add a class, but you can still drop up to the October 8 deadline (after the drop deadline, you can withdraw with a W on or before November 14)

Follow the easy online steps below to drop a class on or before the deadline. 

1. Contact your adviser to discuss and obtain their approval

Best practice is to have an advising conversation where you discuss options and any possible implications of this drop on your full-time status or your graduation progress, but depending on how much you and your adviser have already discussed things, they may agree to review and approve your form without such a meeting

 

2. Submit the online Drop Request Form

You will only be able to drop online if your adviser has granted this permission. Be sure that you are not attempting to drop below 12 credits unless approved via CARDS or as a final-semester senior  -- the system will not allow drop below 12 credits without additional approval.

 

3. As soon as your adviser grants permission, you will receive an email informing you that you have permission to drop the class(es) discussed.

While this adviser permission is for the specific class you request, functionally it reopens your ability to drop in general, so be sure to drop the right class and nothing else.

 

4. Log into Student Planning to drop the class within two days and on or before the October 8 deadline.*

If you don't drop within the 2-day window, you will need to request permission again. 

*Note that you must drop on or before the drop deadline if you want the class removed from your transcript.

 

FAQ: I filled out the form and it was approved. Why is the class still on my record?

A: The form/permission does NOT drop you from the class; it just temporarily reopens your ability to drop a class yourself -- don't forget to do step 4 above!

 

FAQ: I dropped the class and it was removed from my transcript, and I just noticed that it is mysteriously back there now?!?! 

A: This is rare, but there is a known technical glitch that sometimes causes this to happen. If you notice a previously dropped class has returned to your schedule, please email registrar@barnard.edu.  

 

FAQ: I heard graduating seniors can take fewer than 12 credits in their last semester if they don't need 12. Why won't the drop form let me do that?

A: There is a separate process to request this permission. See recent blog post for directions and link.

Senior Class Dean 2024-2025 Walk-In Hours -- stop by in person or via 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, walk in virtually or in person at any of the times below.  These hours are in effect through NSOP; stay tuned for updated hours when the semester begins

Please note that

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 -- canceled 10/9/2024 (apologies for the inconvenience)

• 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.

English Department Book Club!

Hello seniors!

The English Department is introducing a book club with two readings, both led by students, the second with the author present!

Isabella Hammad has written a terrific novel, Enter Ghost. The English Department is sponsoring two discussions of her novel, both led by students.   

The first meeting is next Wednesday, October 9th, from 7-9PM in the Held Auditorium, Barnard Hall 3rd Floor.     

The second meeting is on Wednesday November 13th from 7-9PM in Sulzberger Parlor,  Barnard Hall 3rd Floor, will be with Isabella herself.   

Isabella's an incredible (young) author: You will really enjoy reading her novel and talking with her. Please come! You can pick up a free copy of Enter Ghost in the English Department during regular hours. We will provide home-baked cookies and hot chocolate!

Again, we'd love to have you come!

    

Ross Hamilton, Chair, English Department.  

P.S.: In the Spring, we plan to read Shalom Auslander's Mother for Dinner.  

Senior-Year FACT OR FICTION: Can't uncover grades of "P" for classes taken in final semester?

FACT OR FICTION:
Is it true that graduating seniors cannot uncover grades of P for classes taken in their last semester?

YES; this is FACT. Graduating seniors cannot uncover P/D/F grades for classes taken during their final semester. (If a graduating senior elects P/D/F in a course that is required for the major, the Registrar’s Office will uncover the grade the month before graduation, but the student cannot uncover any P/D/F grades for the final semester.)  

Heard a rumor and want to know if it's true?  Submit requests for this series to SeniorClassDean@barnard.edu

How do I withdraw from a class with a W by the Nov 14 deadline?

 

The deadline to withdraw from a fall 2024 class is Nov 14. Withdrawn classes will not affect your GPA and you will not earn credit for them, but they will remain on your transcript, and a W will be entered in place of the final grade. 

Note: You may not withdraw from a class if doing so would leave you with fewer than 12 credits.

 

To withdraw from a class, use this online form , following these steps:


1. Consult with your adviser.

2. Get an email from your adviser confirming they approve you to withdraw from this specific class.

3. Download that email as a PDF or save a screenshot of it.

4. Complete and submit the online W form on or before the W deadline, uploading your adviser’s confirmation email when prompted to do so.

5. You will receive an email confirmation once your W request is processed, ordinarily within two business days. 

 

Note that the W may not appear on your record until the end of the semester when final grades are entered.

How to elect the P/D/F option by the Nov 14 deadline

If you are considering electing the p/d/f option for a fall 2024 course, you may do so by late September/early October. 

The last day to elect the p/d/f option is November 14, 2024 (this is also the W deadline).

**Special note for mid-year grads -- 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 Fall 2024 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!

Barnard Help Rooms now OPEN to support your academic success in CompSci, Econ, Math, Orgo, Physics, and Spanish, and Statistics

Want some peer support in friendly, drop-in environment?

The Following Help Rooms are here for you:

• Computer Science Help Room
• Economics Help Room
• Math Help Room
• Statistics Help Room
• Spanish Help Room
• Physics Help Room
• Peer-Led Organic Chemistry Help Rooms
  • Tuesdays, 4-6 PM, Milbank 405 (Severa and TBD)
  • Tuesdays, 6-8 PM, Milstein LL001 (Jocelyn and Racheal)

Looking for more individualized support? Email peertopeer@barnard.edu to ask about our FREE peer tutoring!