How do I drop a Columbia Summer Class and can I get my money back?

 

How do I drop a summer Columbia class?

If you are dropping a Columbia Summer class but not all of your summer CU classes, you may drop via Vergil.  If Vergil does not cooperate, please reach out to sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu and your class dean.  

What are the deadlines to drop a summer class and receive a full tuition refund? 

Summer A Session 

June 2 is the deadline to drop a summer session A class and receive a full refund. 
You may drop a summer session A as late as June 23, but you will be responsible for tuition and fees.

Full-Term Summer Session (Summer X)

June 2 is the deadline to drop a summer session X class and receive a full refund.  
You may drop a summer session X class as late as July 21, but you will be responsible for tuition and fees.

Summer B Session 

July 11 is the deadline to drop a summer session B class and receive a full refund. 
You may drop a summer session B class from your schedule as late as August 4, but you will be responsible for tuition and fees.   

This information is also available on the CU Summer Session website. 

Can I take my summer class for PDF grading? 

In theory, yes, but because Columbia summer courses are considered transfer credit, you will only be able to transfer your Columbia summer courses to Barnard if you take them for a letter grade and earn at least a C-.

If, knowing all that, you still want to take a Columbia summer class p/d/f, the deadline to change your grading option for Summer A courses is June 23. For Summer B courses it is August 4.   For Summer X courses it is July 21.  

I want to drop all of my summer classes (even if all=1); how do I do that?  

In order to drop all of your CU summer courses, thereby withdrawing from the summer term entirely:

1. Consult with your Barnard Class Dean
2. Barnard Class Dean signs Approval to Withdraw form.
3. Student fills out Summer Non-SPS Withdrawal Request Student Form and uploads signed approval.
4. Student receives confirmation from sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu approximately 3–4 weeks after submission, once the withdrawal is finalized.  Students should continue to watch Vergil and SSOL to see adjustments to their schedule and account details.

Please refer to the CU Summer Academic Calendar and to this page, which includes more details about refunds and drop and withdrawal processes.  If you have questions about your refund, please reach out to sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu if you have any questions at all. 

This information and forms are also available on the CU Summer Session website.

I heard that this takes three weeks to process! Should I be concerned? 

Refunds, drops and transcript notations should be based on the date of form submission, not the date the form is processed -- please be in touch with the Columbia Summer School (sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu) with any questions.  

Additional reason not to worry: Unlike summer 2021, this year as in all previous years, Columbia Summer courses are considered transfer credit, so only completed CU summer courses that you pass with at least a C- and for which you have also submitted an approved Summer Course Approval Form will appear on your Barnard transcript.

Important End-of-the-Semester Information for Completion of Coursework

 

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

P/D/F Deadline Extended to Monday, May 5 at 9:30 pm!

 

Dear Students,    We write today to inform you that, as a one-time adjustment, the deadline for the Pass/D/Fail option has been extended to Monday, May 5, 2025 at 9:30 p.m. All of the normal guidelines for Pass/D/Fail are still in effect. Please note the following:    1.   You may access the Pass/D/Fail option through SSOL (Go to vergil.columbia.edu and look for the SSOL tile on the right-hand side of the page). 2.   Full information on the Pass/D/Fail option and process is available on the Registrar website under Grades/Exams. 3.   Students are allowed one Pass/D/Fail course per semester.  4.   Courses for the major or minor are not eligible for Pass/D/Fail.  5.   The deadline extension does not apply to Withdraw. That deadline was March 27.  6.   Final semester seniors may not uncover a Pass/D/Fail election.   Please feel free to contact your adviser and/or your class dean if you have questions about Pass/D/Fail.    Sincerely,   Leslie Grinage Dean of the College Vice President for Campus Life and Student Experience   Rebecca Walkowitz Provost and Dean of the Faculty Claire Tow Professor of English

Special SIPA Course: Inside the Situation Room

Dear Students,

I am delighted to announce that Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and I will once again be offering our course, Inside the Situation Room, this fall 2025, and I write now to invite undergraduates to apply.

The course is designed to teach students to understand why and how foreign policy decisions are made, drawing insights from political psychology, domestic politics, and international relations. The lessons learned from this inter-disciplinary analysis are applicable to leadership roles and decision making in government, business and other fields. You can read the course description below.

Additional details: This course includes a large lecture and weekly discussion sections. The lecture, led by me and Secretary Clinton, will include a Q&A for the last 20 minutes or so focused on the topic of the given week. Admitted undergraduate students will also register for a required discussion section with various instructors. Course grades will be assigned by discussion section instructors.

Application Process: Please apply through the application form no later than 11:59 pm on Thursday, April 24th. Students will be notified a few weeks later. Please note that once selected, students will be vetted by US Secret Service.

We look forward to reviewing your applications and to teaching many of you next term.

Kind regards,

Dean Yarhi-Milo

Course Description: Inside the Situation Room

The lecture is scheduled on Wednesdays from 1:10-2:50 pm. Admitted undergraduate students will also register for a required discussion section at a later date.

In an era increasingly defined by geopolitical competition, it is more important than ever for future policymakers to understand why and how foreign policy decisions are made. Inside the Situation Room, co-taught by Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo, employs insights from diverse academic fields—including political psychology, domestic politics, and international relations—and the direct experience of high-level principals in the room to understand the key factors which underpin a nation’s most crucial decisions. This course allows students to engage with a range of case studies and examine decision-making in a variety of historical and contemporary contexts, from the search for Osama bin Laden, to the 'red line' in Syria, to negotiating with Iran.

Students will be taught how to analyze and understand the complex interplay between individual psychology, domestic politics, public opinion, bureaucracy, the international environment, and other factors which feed into decisions about foreign policy—from crisis diplomacy to the use of force, signaling and perception, Women Peace and Security, intelligence and its analysis, the deployment of other instruments of statecraft, and more. Through this course, students will think carefully and analytically about how leaders and other actors view the world, how they arrive at their decisions, and how various social, political, and psychological factors shape the policies they devise to promote their interests abroad.

Academic Coaching Finals Prep Sessions

 

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.

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!

Program planning with the Education Program

The Education Program invites you to program planning sessions for the Fall semester. Meet with faculty one-to-one, this week or next.  

See the flyer for the schedule - then please use the QR code to sign up, or use the link here: 

Program Planning sign-up Sp '25

Title VI Training Reminder - complete by 11:59 pm on April 10th to avoid a hold on your registration!

 

Dear Students,   Please read this email in its entirety for important information related to your ability to register for fall 2025 courses and/or receive your tickets for Commencement 2025.   I am writing to follow up on my email from March 26, regarding the required training on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Thank you to all who have already completed it! If you have completed this training, you can disregard this message.    Due to the importance of this training for our community, we are now asking that all students complete it by Thursday, April 10 at 11:59 PM — prior to registering for fall 2025 classes (for continuing students) or picking up Commencement tickets (for graduating students).    If you do not complete the training by the deadline, you may lose your ability to register for fall 2025 classes during your allocated time next week and/or, where applicable, your ability to collect your tickets for Commencement 2025.   For those students who still need to complete the training:  •    For students intending to register for fall 2025 courses: You need to complete the training by this Thursday, April 10 in order to retain your priority registration window for fall 2025 classes. If you have not already completed the training, a hold is being placed on your account, which will prevent you from registering. Holds will be removed for students who complete the training. Please note that holds are only lifted Monday through Friday, and it can take up to 48 hours for a hold to be released. We urge you to complete the training by the April 10 deadline so that you can register for classes during your allocated time.   •    For students graduating this spring: You need to complete this training by April 10 in order to receive your allocated amount of tickets to Barnard’s Commencement ceremony.   To complete the training, watch the video at this link and then complete the quiz available at this link. Please note that you will need to be signed in to your Barnard Google account to watch the video and complete the quiz.   We thank you in advance for prioritizing completion of this important training. All students who complete this training by April 10 will receive a small gift to their Barnard mailboxes.   Sincerely,   Leslie Grinage Vice President for Campus Life and Student Experience Dean of the College

Prehealth Overview | April 9, 3pm

Prehealth Overview sessions serve as your first meeting with a prehealth advisor! These interactive sessions discuss academic preparation, portfolio development, letters of recommendation, Barnard’s Committee process, and advising resources. At a Prehealth Overview, you can expect to meet with a small group of other students to learn about what it means to be a prehealth student and ask any and all questions about the prehealth experience at Barnard.

Sign up for the Prehealth Overview session on April 9 here!

Know Your Rights Workshop | April 11, 12:30pm

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.

All you need to know about registering for Fall 2025 classes

 

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