New Neuroscience Lab for non-majors!

 The Neuroscience Department is launching a new neuroscience lab class specifically for non-neuroscience majors--NSBV BC1002 Introductory Laboratory in Neuroscience and Behavior. Three sections will be offered this coming Spring 2026 semester right on the Barnard campus! 

If you need to fulfill your lab science requirement, you may register for this lab class concurrently with NSBV BC1001 Intro to Neuroscience lecture. Alternatively, students may also register for the lab class if you previously completed NSBV BC1001 lecture.

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

 

Dear Students,   As we come to the end of the fall 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 105 Milbank any time from 9:00am-5:00 pm (Thursday, December 11th through Friday, December 19th, not including weekend days) to see the available dean on call. If you need to walk in via zoom due to illness, please email doas@barnard.edu for the zoom link.   FINAL EXAMINATION INFORMATION:   All students and instructors are expected to follow the official exam schedule. If you find yourself scheduled for three exams within a 24-hour period or four within 48 hours, 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 acute illness or personal emergency on the day of the exam. Please note our updated guidance for examples of when deferred exams are appropriate. Please also note that deferred exams are not appropriate in the following instances and will not be approved in these cases:   •    Existing travel plans conflict with the exam date •    Concerns about passing the class •    Insufficient preparation for the exam •    More than one exam in a single day, provided that the student does not qualify for exam hardship as defined by the Registrar’s Office: three exams in a 24-hour period, or four exams in a 48-hour period. (This information, along with the form to submit in the event of exam hardship or conflict, can be found here.)    If you need to request a deferral due to acute illness or personal emergency, 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. Your request will be reviewed, and you will be sent an email with details once a decision has been made.   c) For Barnard classes, students should work with their instructor once the request has been approved to go over the details of their deferred exam. For students deferring a Columbia exam or students who receive testing accommodations through CARDS, Deferred exams will be given on Friday, January 23, 2026 and if applicable, Monday, January 26, 2026.   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). However, 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, December 11 (the end of Reading Period). If your course also has a timed final exam, please work with your class dean and also submit an official Deferred Exam request (see above).   As a reminder, the official College deadline for completing Fall 2025 Incomplete coursework is Wednesday, April 15, 2026. 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. As noted in this policy, three or more incomplete, failing, or withdrawal grades may place a student on academic probation for the following semester. 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 winter break.   Sincerely, Holly Tedder Assistant Vice President and Vice Dean of the College - Student Support

Apply to be a Writing Fellow!

Apply to be a Writing Fellow today!

Applications are open until February 6th

 

Apply to be a Speaking Fellow!

Applications to be a Speaking Fellow are now open! 

Apply using the QR code below

Deadline to submit your application is February 20th

 

Need to talk to a class dean during Finals? Stop by 105 Milbank (or zoom if needed) any time 9am-5pm, Dec 11-12 & 15-19 for Class-Dean Drop-ins

 

Need help with a time-sensitive issue affecting your ability to take finals, complete coursework, etc.?

• Never fear; your class deans are here!
• There will be a dean available for drop-ins every day of finals week, 9am - 5pm beginning the last day of reading period. 
• Come see us in 105 Milbank
• Feeling under the weather? Email doas@barnard.edu or call 212-854-2024 to ask for the zoom link.

Register for Anthropology of Climate Change!

ANTH UN2427 Anthropology of Climate Change is being offered for Spring 2026! Please reach out to flafonta@barnard.edu with any questions. 

Academic Coaching: Finals Prep Sessions

 The end of the semester is right around the corner, and the Academic Coaches in the Deans’ Office for Advising and Support are here to help you cross the finish line with tips, tricks, and snacks! If you are feeling stressed for finals, need help organizing your study plan, or want to learn some new study strategies, sign up for a time that works for you using this RSVP form. Drop-in hours will be December 1st - 5th at various times, and located in the C.E.P. (Milstein 126)

We hope to see you there!

Sponsored by the Deans’ Office for Advising and Support

Apply to be a speaker at Barnard's TEDx event by November 18th!

The Speaking Program is looking for students who are passionate about a topic that calls the Barnard community to action and who are interested in speaking at the event.

If you are interested in being a speaker for our upcoming Barnard TEDx event, you can fill out the application by Tuesday, November 18th located in the QR code on the flyer attached!

Announcement: New booking link to schedule appointments with Dean Laurita!

We wanted to share a very important announcement with you all! Our office has been slowly transitioning to using a new platform for students to schedule appointments to meet with their class deans as we have been using youcanbookme as our main online scheduler for a long time.

Starting today, November 12th, we are moving over to Slate as our new platform for students to schedule appointments to meet with their class deans and will no longer be using youcanbookme.

Going forward, please use Dean Laurita's Slate booking link to schedule an appointment to meet with her. If you need help in finding another time to schedule an appointment or need to meet urgently, feel free to contact our office at doas@barnard.edu or call 212-854-2024 for assistance!

Program Planning Fall 2025

Department Name	Meeting Date and Time	Meeting Location
Education	Oct. 21, 7:00 - 8:00 PM	Milstein 614
Film Studies	Nov. 12, 5:30 - 6:30 PM	Barnard Hall 405
Cognitive Science	Oct. 22, 7:00 - 8:00 PM	Event Oval
Computer Science	Nov. 11, 5:30 - 6:30 PM	Milstein 514
Theatre	Nov. 5, 5:00 - 6:00 PM	Milbank 229
Biology	Nov. 7, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM	Sulzberger Parlor
Economics	Nov. 10, 1:00 - 2:00 PM	Diana 203
Sociology	Oct. 29, 5:30 - 6:30 PM	Sulzberger South Tower
Human Rights	Oct. 21, 6:00 - 7:00 PM	Sulzberger Parlor
Neuroscience & Behavior	Nov. 6, 1:10 - 2:00 PM	Milstein LL001
Philosophy	Nov. 12, 12:00 - 1:00 PM	326 Milbank
Political Science	Nov. 5, 5:30 - 6:30 PM	203 Diana Center
Classics & Ancient Studies	Oct 31, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM	406 Barnard Hall
Architecture	Oct. 29, 5:30 - 6:00 PM	The McCagg Gallery, Diana Center
Urban Studies	Oct. 28, 6:00 PM	Diana Center 203
Dance	Oct. 30, 5:30 - 6:10 PM	306 Barnard Hall
Art History	Nov. 5, 11:30 AM	McCagg Gallery
Women's, Gender & Sexuality	Nov. 18, 4:15 PM	205 Barnard Hall
Chemistry	Nov. 13, 12:00 PM	Sulzberger Parlor

We are hiring for The First-Year Team!

Exciting news! We're hiring for the upcoming Spring 2026 semester as well as the summer! If you are still trying to nail down what you'd like to do this summer, working as a Student Assistant for The First-Year Team in the Deans' Office for Advising and Support is a fun, meaningful opportunity – as Student Assistants, we would know! 

In this position, we get to write blog posts, manage social media, and help students over email and meet with them virtually and in-person. We also work closely with each other and the rest of The First-Year Team to ensure that things are running smoothly. This paid opportunity would allow you to work with the Class of 2030 to help them prepare for their arrival on Barnard's campus (remember those First-Year Guides? That could be you!)

As a Student Assistant, you will be working Part-Time (10 hours/week) during the Spring and Full-Time (35 hours/week) during the summer with the option of being in-person, hybrid, or remote. Compensation is $18/hour. 

To apply, please submit your resume, a cover letter, a brief writing sample, and a list of three references on Workday. The application, along with more information about the position, can be found here. Don't hesitate to reach out to our current Student Assistant, Riya Rao (rr3577@barnard.edu) if you would like to hear about the role from a student perspective!

-----------------------------------------

Job Responsibilities:

• Monitor and respond to the First-Year email account on a daily basis
• Update the First-Year blog with informational posts and updates on a regular basis for First-Year students regarding academic policies, procedures and deadlines, information from academic programs and departments, and announcements about student opportunities for fellowships, grants, and scholarships
• Plan events for First-Year students including creating Zoom groups based on students’ shared interests on regular basis
• Collaborate with faculty and staff to ensure all First-Years register for classes, meet with academic advisors, and complete mandatory forms at the beginning of the semester
• Attend scheduled meetings with The First-Year Team for check-ins, announcements, updates on projects, and support other members
• Work on other duties and projects as assigned

Requirements:

Hours: Students in this role agree to work through the Spring term and the summer (last week of August). The role is meant to be Part-Time (10 hours/week) during the Fall and Spring terms and Full-Time (35 hours/week) during the summer with the potential to continue into the following school year. It is also important to note that there is flexibility to work in-person, hybrid or fully remote as long as you are able to complete the majority of your hours during business hours (Monday - Friday, 9AM-5PM ET.) The Student Assistant reports to the First-Year Class Dean, Erica Siegel.

Writing Sample: To give us an idea of how you would communicate via social media, please write a brief sample First-Year Blog post designed to inform entering First-Year students about a Barnard policy, procedure, or facet of Barnard's academic or campus life. Feel free to use images, videos, GIFs, etc. -- whatever you think would best showcase your ability to communicate engagingly, honestly, and professionally with entering students. Please submit your writing sample alongside your résumé and cover letter as part of your application.

References: Please include a list of three references in your résumé who we may contact.

Pay: $18/hour

Education Program - Program Planning for Spring!

 Hello Sophomores,

Please take a look at the following flyer below for the Barnard Education Program - Program Planning schedule for the next couple of weeks if you are interested and looking to plan courses with Education faculty!

Best,

The Sophomore Team

Update: Additional Writing Fellow appointments added for BWC!

We hope you are well! We wanted to share a quick update from the Barnard Writing Center in that, due to increased demand, they have added 30 more Writing Fellow appointments to their weekly schedule!

You can refer to this previous blog post for further information on the Barnard Writing Center and can make an appointment here!

Film Studies Program Planning Meeting!

 

Political Science Major Program Planning Meeting on November 5th!

 Hello Sophomores!

The Barnard Political Science Department will be holding a Major Program Planning meeting next Wednesday, November 5th from 5:30-6:30PM in 203 Diana Center for prospective majors if you are interested!

Please take a look at the flyer down below! You can RSVP here or use the QR code! Refreshments will be served!

Best,

The First-Year Team

Neuroscience & Behavior Department Presentation

The Barnard Neuroscience & Behavior Department will be hosting a meeting for new and prospective majors on Thursday, November 6th, 1:10 - 2:00pm, in Milstein LL001!

Students will be able to meet NSBV Faculty, learn about major requirements, discuss recommended sequences of courses, and more.

Anyone unable to make it in person can use the Zoom ID, 752 261 8457, to join remotely. 

 

How do I withdraw from a class with a W by the November 13 deadline?

 

The deadline to withdraw from a fall 2025 class is November 13. 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. 

6. Within a week or so, you will see a W next to the class on your transcript.

Barnard Languages Fair!

 Come discover the languages taught at Barnard, including new offerings in Chinese, Korean, Italian, and American Sign Language! 

Learn about the language requirement at Barnard! 

Explore the possibilities for study abroad! 

Enjoy international candy as well!! 

All this at the Languages Fair, Monday, October 27 from 12:00-2:00pm in the Diana Event Oval 

Education Program Open House

Join the Education Program for their fall Open House this coming Tuesday, October 21st, 

from 7-8 pm! Located in Milstein 614.

 

Majors Fair

 

Study Abroad Workshops

 

Take Part in a Research Study!

Come help out by taking part in a research study currently being conducted by a PhD student at Northeastern! Check out this flyer for more info... 👀

Also, feel free to fill out this form here!

Empirical Reasoning Center (ERC) Workshops!

The Empirical Reasoning Center is hosting several workshops on the upcoming Fridays. Please see what is being offered below:

SQL Workshop

Join us for a SQL workshop this Friday! Build your resume skills by learning to write SQL queries to retrieve and analyze data. Whether you’re strengthening career skills or just curious about new ways to work with data, there’s something here for you.

RSVP here
Date: Friday, September 26 at 12 PM
Location: Milstein 102

R Workshop

Join us for a series of R workshops! As we wrapped up our first intro to R last Friday, we are ready to dive into how to use dplyr to clean, analyze, and visualize your datasets! If you were not able to attend our first workshop, you can watch the recording here

Data Analysis in R: RSVP here
Date: Friday, October 3rd at 10:30 AM
Location: Milstein 102

Data Visualization in R: RSVP here
Date: Friday, October 10th at 10:30 AM
Location: Milstein 102

QGIS Workshop

Want to turn raw data into beautiful, interactive maps? Join us for a series of QGIS workshops! Learn QGIS to create maps and visualize your data spatially. No previous experience required. 

Intro to QGIS: RSVP here
Date: Friday, September 26 at 10:30 AM
Location: Milstein 102

Intermediate QGIS: RSVP here
Date: Friday, October 10th at 12 PM
Location: Milstein 102

Excel Workshop

Excel is more than a spreadsheet - join us for an Excel workshop in intermediate data analysis. Perfect for anyone working on research projects, internships, or student org budgets. If you were not able to attend our introductory workshop, you can watch the recording here

Intermediate Data Analysis in Excel: RSVP here
Date: Friday, October 3rd at 12 PM
Location: Milstein 102

The Barnard Writing and Speaking Center is Open!

 

We are excited to announce that the Writing and Speaking Center is open! Now, you can begin scheduling appointments to meet with our fellows.

The Center is here to support you at any stage of your writing or speaking projects—whether you’re brainstorming, drafting, revising, or preparing a presentation!

Writing Fellows are generous and critical readers who ask questions to help writers clarify, explain, expand, and explore their writing. We believe–and our practice reflects–that every piece a writer brings us belongs to the voice of the writer. We are active and interested observers. 

Speaking Fellows are trained peers who support students in all speaking-related projects and processes. This includes helping students overcome fears about speaking in public, preparing for presentations, facilitating or participating in classroom discussions, and more!

Science Writing Fellows are a subset of the Writing Fellows program. They support all students in developing tools to describe and interpret data, use scientific language clearly and concisely, and blend the skills learned in humanities classes with scientific ones. 

Creative Writing Fellows are a new subset of the Writing Fellows program. They support students working on creative writing of any form at any stage –brainstorming, revising, editing, receiving feedback, and more!

All fellows can work with all types of writing and students. You can make an appointment here

We look forward to working with you this semester!

Sincerely,

Pam Cobrin (pcobrin@barnard.edu)

Director, Barnard Writing Fellows Program

Daniela Kempf (dkempf@barnard.edu)

Associate Director, Barnard Speaking Program

Alex Watson (awatson@barnard.edu)

Associate Director, Barnard Writing Fellows Program

Diya Reddy (dkr2126@barnard.edu)

Program Administrator, Barnard Writing and Speaking Programs

Maisha Alam (malam@barnard.edu)

Science Fellow Coordinator, Barnard Writing Fellows Program

2025 Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Conference!

Columbia Engineering is happy to invite interested Barnard students to join the Engineering 2025 Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Conference taking place on Thursday, October 9th, 2025 from 8:30AM - 3:00PM in the Davis Auditorium at the Columbia University, Morningside Campus!

This annual event aims to educate and inspire women from all backgrounds to pursue graduate degrees and careers in science and engineering. It offers a unique opportunity for attendees to learn about the challenges, opportunities, and rewards of being a woman in these fields. Additionally, students will have the chance to expand their networks within the Columbia Engineering community and beyond, connecting with some of the brightest and most ambitious women in science and engineering. This experience will further empower you to make an impact as the next generation of leaders!

You can register for the event through this link and find the agenda!

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to Ying Xu, Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions at Columbia Engineering, at yx2783@columbia.edu

How to drop a class by the Oct 7 deadline

Friday, 9/12/2025 was the deadline to add a class, but you can still drop up to the October 7 deadline (after the drop deadline, you can withdraw with a W on or before November 13)

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 Vergil to drop the class within two days and on or before the October 7 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.