Barnard Commencement date, time & location announced: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 4 p.m. at Radio City Music Hall

You should by now have received the following email from Dean Grinage:

Dear Barnard Class of 2025, It is with great pleasure that we announce that Barnard College Commencement 2025 will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 4 p.m. at Radio City Music Hall in midtown Manhattan.   As students of Barnard College, you are invited to participate in both the Barnard College Commencement and the Columbia University Commencement ceremonies. The Columbia University Commencement will be held the following day, Wednesday, May 21, on Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus. For more information on the Columbia University Commencement, including ticketing and other key details, please visit the Columbia University Commencement website. Commencement is a milestone event that marks your tremendous achievements. We are working hard to plan a memorable day and are so glad to be able to return to Radio City, a beautiful and iconic venue, for the Barnard ceremony. Each graduating student will receive 4 tickets for guests to Barnard’s Commencement; this is one fewer ticket than was allocated to last year’s graduates due to the larger number of students in this year’s graduating class. We will work to accommodate as many requests for extra tickets as possible through a ticket redistribution program. Students may also share their unused tickets directly with other students who are looking to bring more guests. Tickets will be available in the spring semester and registration will be required for all graduating students and their guests. As you may know, the Barnard Medal of Distinction, the College’s highest honor, is bestowed upon at least one extraordinary individual every year at Commencement. Honorees are individuals of high distinction whose mark on the world bears some relation to Barnard: as a college dedicated to the education and advancement of women, connected to its location in New York City, and committed to intellectual and creative achievements across the arts and sciences. These medalists also exemplify the best qualities found in our students and alumnae: leadership, resilience, creativity, and excellence. The Medal is equivalent to an honorary degree and has been awarded to a broad and wonderful group of recipients including Billie Jean King, Cecile Richards, Joanne Liu, Toni Morrison, Meryl Streep, and Barack Obama. A list of prior recipients is here for your reference. Nominations for the 2025 Medalists are now being accepted via this nomination form, which will close December 18, 2024. The nominations will be submitted to the Medalist Committee, and the Medals of Distinction will be conferred at Barnard's Commencement in May 2025.   Additional Commencement details, such as ticketing information, guest accommodations, and information on where to get your cap and gown, will be posted on the Commencement 2025 webpage and communicated via email to graduates as they become available. If you have any additional questions in the months leading up to Commencement, please email commencement@barnard.edu.   We look forward to celebrating this important achievement with you!   Sincerely, Leslie Grinage Dean of the College Vice President for Campus Life and Student Experience Barnard College 3009 Broadway, New York, NY View in browser

What to do if you missed Friday's spring registration deadline

If you missed the Nov. 22 deadline to register and receive adviser approval for classes, don't panic.  You are late, but it is not too late to do something about this.

What to do in some common scenarios:

1.  If you have not registered for any classes, please contact and meet with your adviser ASAP to discuss course selection. You'll be able to register when the next registration/add/drop period begins in December

2.  If you are registered but are not in the minimum 12 credits due to waitlists or other issues, we hope you will be admitted from waitlists in the near future.  If you're still not in 12 credits when the next add/drop period begins in December, you may wish to add a "plan B" option then.

3.  If you registered on time but want/need to make changes to your schedule (add, drop, join new waiting lists, etc.), don't worry!  It's not too late at all!  All continuing students without registration holds may add/drop courses during upcoming add/drop periods and during the beginning-of-semester "shopping period."

And it's never too late to upload the Academic Calendar to your gBear Calendar!

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.

Registration Period Nov. 18-22: meet with adviser and register during your assigned time, beginning on MONDAY 11/18/2024 for seniors

As a reminder, you are encouraged to meet with your adviser sometime before your first assigned registration time Nov 18.  You will soon be able to plan courses, but you will not be able to register until the Nov 18-22registration week.

Haven't met with your adviser yet?  Contact them to set up an appointment.

To register for spring courses starting Nov. 18:

• Be sure you have met with your adviser, and that you know what to register for so you're on track to graduate!

• Be sure you have planned (yellow) your preferred Spring courses in Student Planning so they'll be ready to go when your registration time begins.

• Log into the Barnard Portal and find your registration times and check for holds (Academics tab --> Planning Your Courses --> Registration Appointments & Holds).  
  

• Resolve any holds before registration week, so nothing gets in your way!
  

• Log into Student Planning as soon as your first registration time begins on Monday 11/18, and no later than the end of your last registration time on Friday 11/22, and click the blue "REGISTER" button on the upper right.  

• Unless a course has note informing you of special registration procedures (application, writing sample, audition, must attend first class to confirm, etc.), you will be registered for any course that shows up in green on your schedule.

• Many courses will initially waitlist all students (e.g. Organic Chemistry I, Bio 1502). If you aren't able to add a class, add yourself to the waiting list and/or select a "plan B" option.

• NOTE: You must be fully registered (green) for at least 12 credits by the end of this week, or you may be charged late fees.  There will be additional add/drop times in the coming weeks and months, along with the customary final "shopping" period at the beginning of the spring semester.
  

• Also note: you can register for no more than 19 credits at this stage; permission for over 19 credits is not possible until the start of the new semester.
  

Questions?  Meet with your adviser or a dean.  

Senior Year FACT or FICTION: possible to take fewer than 12 credits in your last semester????

FACT OR FICTION:
Is it true that you can take fewer that 12 credits in your last semester?

YES; this is FACT, BUT ONLY IN VERY SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES and by following proper procedure. 

As stated in the Barnard College Catalogue:

"As of Spring 2022, in their final semester of enrollment, graduating seniors who need fewer than twelve credits to complete their degree – and who have already completed at least four full-time semesters in academic residence – may be approved to take a minimum of nine credit hours. Because Barnard students are charged a flat rate of tuition per semester, reducing one’s course load to nine credits will not change the tuition owed in the student’s last semester." 

Submit this form by the drop deadline to request approval **Note that this request can only be made at the start of your final semester, for that semester**: https://slate.barnard.edu/register/final_semester_request

International students must consult with International Student Services in advance to determine eligibility.  Students who meet this criteria and are approved to be enrolled in nine credits are still eligible to live in Barnard’s residence halls. 

If any student who is not an eligible senior needs to register for fewer than twelve credits for disability-related reasons, they may reach out to CARDS to discuss the reduced course load process at cards@barnard.edu.

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

Senior FAQ: Can I take more than 19 credits? How/when can I get permission?

Q: I heard it's possible for students to get permission from their adviser to take more than 19 credits. Is that true, and if so, how/when can I get permission?

A: Yes, in rare cases, and only once the semester has begun. You may request adviser permission* for more than 19 credits only during the final registration period (Jan 21-31for spring 2025), using this online form. 

NOTE: Approval after the registration deadline is by petition only.

*Please note that these requests will only be granted for urgent reasons, such as completion of a major, a minor, or for graduation requirements.

 

Q: What if I get in off a waitlist that puts me over the limit?

A: If you are removed from a waitlist and temporarily find yourself in more than 19 credits, you will need to drop the "extra" class or receive approval to exceed the limit 

Warning: if you neither request permission nor drop below 19 credits, the registrar will drop you from the most recently added class.

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.

REPOST: *SEARCHABLE* list of all classes approved for Foundations General Education Reqs

Looking for a way to check if a current, future, or past class has been approved for a particular Foundations General Education Requirement? 

Reminder that the old "Snowbird" site has been replaced by a new page with a very useful search function!

https://slate.barnard.edu/portal/gen_ed_courses

 

Search by semester and requirement:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or by course name or keyword:

Post-election events and resources for support on campus

Events:

All Barnard community members are invited to join the Post-Election Community Forum on Wednesday, November 6, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Diana Event Oval.  This is an opportunity for all Barnard students, faculty, and staff to come together during a critical moment to discuss the status and possible impacts of the election.  

In addition, the Athena Center is hosting election-focused programming on Thursday, November 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on Friday, November 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.  You may find more information about those events on the AthenaFest webpage.

 

Resources for Support

 

The Rosemary Furman Counseling Center (located on the first floor of Hewitt Hall)

Hours: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Crisis appointment hours: Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Phone: 212-854-2092
Email: counseling@barnard.edu

 

Students who are experiencing heightened stress or have concerns related to the election are encouraged to take advantage of resources that are available to them through the Furman Counseling Center, including 20-minute one-on-one sessions as well as small group listening spaces that have been scheduled for next week.  Those seeking a space for personal and collective dialogue and reflection may visit social media (@furmanatbarnard and @barnardhealth_wellness) for more information.

 

Additionally, Furman staff will be available to speak with students at the Post-Election Community Forum on Wednesday, November 6, in the Event Oval from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Thursday, November 7, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Furman Counseling Center. 

 

To complement these on-campus resources, the College also offers after-hours counseling and crisis management support through Protocall Services.  To connect with Protocall at night, on weekends, and during holidays, students may call 212-854-2092 and choose option 1.

 

Primary Care Health Service (located on the lower level of Reid Hall)
Hours: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Phone: 212-854-2091

 

Barnard’s Primary Care Health Service (PCHS) will continue to offer an after-hours triage nurse service through AccessNurse.  Students may access this service by calling 212-854-2091 and selecting option 1.

 

Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being

The Wellness Spot

Staff open office hours: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Phone: 212-854-3063
Email: TheWellnessSpot@barnard.edu

 

The Francine LeFrak Center and the Campus Life team will provide additional student-support spaces and quiet activities in Rooms 106 and 107 of Barnard Hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday next week.

What's open & what's closed during Nov 4-5 Election Day Recess

What is open & what is closed during Election Day Recess / Fall Break?

Monday Nov. 4
No classes
Administrative offices OPEN
Some Profs, Deans, and staff may be unavailable (check first if you're planning to go to office hours)

Tuesday, Nov. 5
No Classes
Administrative offices CLOSED
Polls OPEN