Dear Students,
I know the events of yesterday evening and the past couple of weeks — here at Barnard, at Columbia, and on other campuses around the country — have been very difficult for many in our community. This is not how we wanted or expected our semester to come to a close, and I sincerely hope you are all finding meaningful ways to care for yourselves and others.
Our focus is on supporting you to complete the semester successfully. To that end, I’m writing to provide you with important updates about final exams and assessments.
Final Exams
All faculty at Barnard and Columbia have been asked to make final exams fully remote. Faculty may also, at their discretion, make adjustments to their syllabi and/or plans for assessments. Please expect to hear from your faculty members in the coming days regarding their updated plans for their courses, including updates to final exams and assessments.
All exams scheduled for this Friday, May 3, will automatically be rescheduled for next Friday, May 10. This applies to both Barnard and Columbia classes. Days/times for Barnard and Columbia timed exams can be found here, although please be sure to also reference any updated information provided by your faculty member.
Deadlines for Assessments
Any deadlines for final papers, presentations, projects, or take-home exams that currently fall during this week (through Friday, May 3), will be extended to at least Monday, May 6. Note that deadlines may not be extended after Friday, May 10. Please review my message from April 25 regarding information about requesting an Incomplete grade if you have concerns about finishing your work within your professor’s updated deadline(s). If you fall ill on the day of an exam, please refer to the deferred exam process also outlined in my April 25 message.
Pass/D/Fail
As noted in my April 29 communication to students:
- The deadline to request Pass/D/Fail (P/D/F) grading has been extended to this Friday, May 3.
- Barnard students may elect a total of two courses Pass/D/Fail for the current spring 2024 semester only.
- One of these Pass/D/Fail courses may be one course in a major or one course in a minor; however, students may not elect any senior capstone courses as Pass/D/Fail.
- Graduating seniors may revoke a Pass/D/Fail election from the current semester until Friday, May 10 by submitting this form.
Spring 2024 Academic Policy Website
I understand that there have been many updates to academic policies and procedures over the past several days as the situation on campus has changed. Therefore, the full details of these updates are available at the following website: https://barnard.edu/spring-2024-academic-policies-and-procedures. Note that further updates may be made in the coming days, and I encourage you to check this website for current guidance should any questions arise.
I hope this information is helpful to you as you determine options for finishing the semester. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to be in touch with your class dean if you need assistance.
Sincerely,
Dean Grinage