Dear Class of 2024 and Barnard Community,
As we approach the end of this challenging academic year, we look forward to honoring our remarkable graduates and their accomplishments on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at Radio City Music Hall in midtown Manhattan. Our students, and our community, have persevered through global and local conflicts to get to this day and reach this important milestone.
This ceremony marks Barnard College’s 132nd Commencement, and we are delighted to announce that Ruth J. Simmons, distinguished scholar, author, and president emerita of Smith College, Brown University, and Prairie View A&M University, will receive the Barnard Medal of Distinction and deliver the College’s 2024 Commencement address. Dr. Simmons’s contributions to higher education have been nothing short of extraordinary. For example, at Smith, she established the nation’s first engineering program at a women’s college, breaking barriers and paving the way for countless women to pursue careers in STEM. Her commitment to educational equity and excellence as president of three distinctive institutions of higher education resonates deeply with our own institutional values. We trust that she will motivate and inspire our graduates as they embark on their own journeys.
Barnard students will receive individual ticketing information for the Barnard ceremony in a separate email. Additional logistical information for the event, including safety protocols and procedures, will be communicated in the coming days.
Additional information regarding the schedule of Barnard Commencement activities, parking, guests with disabilities, photography, and directions may be found on the Barnard College Commencement website.
Please note that Columbia University has announced the cancellation of the University Commencement ceremony, which was scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. on May 15.
If you have questions, please contact commencement@barnard.edu.
We look forward to gathering with our graduates and celebrating their achievements together on May 15th.
Very truly yours,
Laura Ann Rosenbury
President, Barnard College