Linda A. Bell Remarks

Linda A. Bell, Provost and Dean of the Faculty
February 2, 2024

As Provost, it’s my great pleasure to welcome you to Barnard College on this historic occasion, the ceremony of inauguration of Laura Ann Rosenbury as the ninth president of Barnard College. 

Many have joined us to celebrate today. To the college and university presidents who have joined from around the country, to the representatives of New York’s city and state governments, to the deans and president of Columbia University, to our valued trustees, to our alumnae, and as always, to our faculty, to our staff, and to our students: welcome. 

And of course, a very special welcome to the family and close friends of our new president. We are so glad to have all of you with us today. On behalf of Barnard College, it is my pleasure to welcome our ninth president, Laura Ann Rosenbury.

At moments of transition like this one we look, Janus-faced, both to the past and to the future. I am proud of our past. 

Barnard is built on a long tradition of intellectual bravery, of independent thinkers, and strong leaders. And recent years have seen us grow stronger in what we offer our students, our faculty, and the world around us. We have expanded opportunities for students whose backgrounds are underrepresented in higher education. We have become the premier liberal-arts college for women seeking careers in STEM. And we have remained committed to the tenets of a liberal arts education and to intellectual exploration, while increasing career opportunities for our graduates.

During this period, we have also grown our faculty, attracting world-renowned scholars to our already impressive ranks. We have created academic centers, departments, and programs that make new forms of scholarship possible at Barnard. And we’ve deepened our important relationship with Columbia — enhancing our unique status as a liberal arts college with the intellectual resources of a renowned research university.

I know that President Rosenbury will build on these foundations.

President Rosenbury brings to Barnard her distinguished record in feminist legal scholarship, along with vast experience as an academic leader. But perhaps more important, her lived experience has taught her the transformative power of an intellectually rich undergraduate environment. She knows that power, she is committed to ensuring that all students can feel that power, and I am confident that this commitment will guide the choices she makes as our president.

This is not the easiest moment to assume the presidency of Barnard, but I have great faith in Laura’s intellectual prowess, her commitment to undergraduate education, her strong moral and ethical compass, and her belief in the value of intellectual pluralism. 

As I’ve worked closely with her over the past six months, all of these qualities have been in strong evidence, and I have also been struck by her kindness, her empathy, her deep humanity, and her exceptional openness and ability to listen. Laura knows that diverse voices coming together enhance and amplify the way we learn, the way we think, and what we aspire to.

Barnard absolutely needs all these qualities.

So as we step over this threshold into Barnard’s future — the strength of our history behind us — we look to you, President Rosenbury. And I know that you will lead us with intelligence and with care.