Dear Members of the Barnard Community,
Over the past two years, we have been engaged in a thoughtful review of how our staffing structure supports our shared mission. As the College has shifted to post-pandemic operations, we’ve identified the need to more robustly utilize new technologies, improve coordination across teams, and better align our financial resources with our academic mission in service of the College’s long-term goals.
That’s why I write today with difficult news.
As part of a one-time, College-wide restructuring, we’ve made the hard but necessary decision to eliminate multiple staff positions across departments. This restructuring reflects our evolving operational needs and a strategic realignment that keeps our focus on what matters most: delivering a world-class education, sustaining our close-knit community, and protecting Barnard’s future as a proudly independent women’s college for generations to come.
We are not reducing faculty positions or instructional services, and student support will remain our priority. We will continue to offer the same rigorous liberal arts education that makes Barnard the best women’s college—and one of the best liberal arts colleges—in the world.
This restructuring is part of our broader strategy to ensure Barnard remains strong, focused, and fully prepared to meet the needs of our community and the evolving landscape of higher education. At the same time, this decision was not made lightly, as approximately 77 full-time staff members currently fill the eliminated positions. They are being notified this morning.
To support our departing colleagues, the College is offering generous separation packages. Union employees will receive the benefits outlined in their collective bargaining agreements. The College is offering non-union employees packages that include severance, two months of fully covered health insurance, job placement support, and continued access to the Employee Assistance Program.
This is a painful moment, as many of those leaving have helped shape the Barnard we know today. We are deeply grateful to all of our colleagues for their contributions to our community.
Please know we are committed to making sure Barnard remains a place where staff grow and thrive. In the days ahead, supervisors will reach out to their teams with more information about the restructuring, including the creation of some new roles and the closing of some vacant positions.
Thank you for your continued care for this community and for all you do to move Barnard forward.
Laura