Mourning the Passing of Tess Majors

What circumstances led to the death of Tess Majors on Dec. 11, 2019?
During an attempted robbery off-campus, Tess Majors was fatally wounded by a group of unidentified males on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in Morningside Park.

Columbia University confirmed that a guard who was stationed in the guard house located on 116th Street and Morningside Drive immediately responded, called for assistance and came to the student's aid upon recognizing that she was hurt.

Friday (Dec. 13) evening the New York City Police Department announced that an arrest has been made and that the investigation is active and on-going.

Where is Morningside Park?
Morningside Park is approximately ½ mile from Barnard’s main campus, with Columbia University located between Barnard’s main campus and Morningside Park. A Columbia University Public Safety booth is located at the western edge of Morningside Park.

Cathedral Gardens, which houses both faculty and sophomores, juniors and seniors, is located at the opposite end of Morningside Park near the southeast corner.

What is Barnard doing to immediately address safety on campus and nearby?
Barnard President Beilock has been in direct and constant communication with New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, who is working closely with Columbia and Barnard Public Safety during this on-going investigation in order to provide the Barnard community with the most up-to-date and accurate information.

Although this incident happened off-campus in Morningside Park, Barnard and Columbia have additional public safety officers on duty, and will continue to do so throughout the weekend. Additionally, the NYPD has increased their presence in the area.

The Barnard shuttle service has been expanded and will run continuously every half hour until further notice. Barnard students may also utilize a Columbia University evening shuttle bus that makes stops between 108th and 125th Streets. Please call x43382 for schedule information.

We have reminded everyone that Barnard Public Safety is staffed 24/7, and Barnard community members are encouraged to reach out if they need assistance:

Public Safety non-emergency line: (212) 854-3362
Public Safety emergency line: (212) 854-6666

What safety orientation is provided to Barnard students?
As a college located in NYC, Barnard College provides a required orientation that teaches safety practices in a city environment. Barnard Public Safety works with all students on situational awareness and provides tips for navigating the city. See the community safety section for more information.

What safety information is available for Barnard parents?
Tips and information for parents can be found in the parents' pages. Deputy Dean Natalie Friedman, who heads the Office of Family Engagement, is also available to speak with parents. You can reach her by calling (212) 854-2024, or on email at parents@barnard.edu.

What information did the College share about Tess Majors and when?
The family was notified Wednesday evening as soon as the College became aware of the fatal assault and Tess Majors was identified as a Barnard student.

Barnard Public Safety sent an emergency text notification alert to all registered students, faculty, and staff about police investigating a robbery/stabbing inside Morningside Park. The alert included a description of the suspect and a warning to avoid the area as soon as the office became aware of the assault.

Barnard Public Safety sent a second text alert with updated information that the assault involved a Barnard student, a continued warning to avoid the area because of ongoing police activity, and to expect an email shortly with counseling services.

President Sian Beilock followed up with an email to all students, faculty, and staff later that evening; Deputy Dean of the College Natalie Friedman shared President Beilock’s email with parents. Please find President Beilock’s messages to the community below.

How is Barnard supporting its students and College community?
At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019, the Barnard community will gather in the Event Oval at the Diana Center to grieve Tess and support each other. Immediately following the gathering, food will be available at the Diana Center in lieu of Midnight Breakfast.

The College is providing 24/7 support services to all students, faculty and staff. Those in need are encouraged to utilize the following services:

Furman Counseling Center: 100 Hewitt Hall, (212) 854-2092
Dean of Studies Office: 105 Milbank Hall, (212) 854-2024
After-hours psychological emergency line: (855) 622-1903
International SOS for students who are abroad: +1-215-942-8478

Additionally, many offices are open for those looking for a place to gather. These include Beyond Barnard; Well-Woman; Residential Life and Housing; The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Student Life; Opportunity Programs; Dean of Studies Offices; Primary Care Health Services; International Student Services; Office of Equity and Title IX; and The Center for Accessibility Resources and Disability Services.

For faculty and staff, a counselor from the College's Employee Assistance Program is on campus on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019, in Milstein 001. Additional support is available at (800) 448-4358 and https://humana.com/eap.

Are any special considerations being made for students during finals?
Yes, the College understands that some students may feel unable to proceed with their exams and other work at this time. Provost Linda Bell has reached out to the faculty to ensure that they are supporting students as needed. Students should feel free to reach out directly to their professors to make individualized arrangements. The Dean’s Office stands ready to assist students in working with their professors regarding final exams.

Where can I send messages of condolence to Tess Majors’ family?
The College has created an email where community members can send condolences and memories, which will be shared with the Majors family: condolences@barnard.edu.

How can I support the Majors family and honor Tess’ memory?
At this time we are working to understand the wishes of the family. We will update you as we learn more.  

What are Barnard’s media policies and who are the College’s direct contacts?
Please contact the Barnard Communications Department at (212) 854-2037 or by email Mediarelations@barnard.edu. Please visit the Media Relations site for Barnard’s policy regarding news media presence and activity on campus.

Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019

Dear Barnard Students,

We are all still in shock and mourning over the death of Tess Majors. Members of the Public Safety team are here to support you throughout this difficult time and always.

I am writing with a reminder about Barnard’s Public Safety resources and practices, to provide additional options for emergency notifications, and to share updated safety measures being taken on and around our campus, including in Morningside Park.

Public Safety Resources & Practices

As a reminder, Barnard Public Safety is staffed 24/7, and Barnard community members are encouraged to reach out if they need assistance by calling Public Safety’s emergency line at  212-854-6666. If you are off campus, call New York City emergency services at 911.

Students are also welcome to use the Barnard shuttle, which typically runs from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., but will now continue to offer extended service twice an hour through Friday morning Dec. 20, 2019.

Students can also utilize Columbia University’s evening shuttle bus that makes stops between 108th and 125th Streets. You can find route maps and schedules by visiting Columbia’s website. There is also an intercampus shuttle service app available to download.

If you would like a point-to-point escort on or between campus property, please call Barnard Public Safety’s non-emergency line at 212-854-3362 to request assistance. Assistance will be provided upon request as promptly as possible. Columbia University Public Safety’s Student Walking Escorts is also in operation during the academic year Monday–Sunday, 7 p.m. to 3 a.m., call 212-854-SAFE (7233).

Emergency Notification Protocols

Barnard Public Safety is committed to ensuring a safe community and sends out emergency notifications via a text alert system when there is an immediate confirmed threat to the safety of our campus or involving a student. For off-campus incidents, and depending upon the circumstances, we may wait to gather as much detail as possible before sending out an alert, which helps us to avoid sharing inaccurate information.

Students are automatically enrolled in Barnard’s alert system utilizing the cell phone number that was provided to the College. Please visit MyBarnard to confirm that your cell phone number is correct or was provided in your student profile and for more information about how to ensure enrollment and troubleshoot issues.

Barnard students can also opt into Columbia University’s Public Safety text alert system by logging in with Columbia UNI to the Columbia SSOL. The link can be found under “Your Academic Records,” select “Text Message Enrollment.”

Because of our separate locations, these alerts will, on occasion, include information about incidents that are not in close proximity to Barnard’s campus. In some instances, you will receive messages from both Barnard and Columbia alert systems.

Enhancing Safety in Morningside Park

New York City services are coordinating with Columbia University to enhance safety in the park. Two marked NYPD vehicles are now stationed at Morningside Park 24 hours a day — one at a fixed location and one patrolling. In addition, requests have been made to the City for additional camera support and lighting in the park. The City’s Department of Parks & Recreation has added Park Enforcement staff during the hours of 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week.

Outside of the park on Morningside Drive, Columbia University Public Safety operates two guard booths — one at 116th Street and one at 121st Street. Staffing hours have been extended to be from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. There is also an additional foot patrol between these booths. Update (12/17): Effective Tuesday, December 17, 2019, Columbia is staffing the two Morningside Drive booths 24 hours a day.

As a college located in NYC, Barnard Public Safety encourages best safety practices in a city environment.

Many of you have thanked our Public Safety team for their work during this time. Our team is grateful for the support shown and we are always working to support the community’s safety and well-being.

With care,
Amy Zavadil, Interim Executive Director of Public Safety

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019

Barnard College President Sian Leah Beilock Remarks

Tonight we come together as one community to support each other in a time of great sorrow. The passing of Tess Majors is an unthinkable tragedy that has shaken us to our core. We are all grieving, and trying to grasp the senseless tragedy that took Tess from us.

Tess was an artist, a musician who played instruments, wrote songs - one of you today called Tess “a blazing talent” - and Tess had just recently performed the first big gig in New York City. In high school, Tess was the leader of Creative Writing Club, volunteered for political campaigns, was a cross country runner and a musician.

When asked, Why Barnard? Tess wrote: “As an avid feminist, I have striven towards bridging my community gender divide by being outspoken in my classes, taking an intensive course on social justice, and campaigning for a congressional candidate. I enjoy taking difficult classes and feel invigorated when forced outside of my intellectual comfort zone. I embrace the culture of positivity and growth at Barnard.”

And Tess did - embrace the Barnard culture full on. Tess was just beginning the journey here at Barnard and in life -- but I have no doubt Tess was on the way -- before being so brutally taken away from us last night in Morningside Park. 

In the days ahead we will properly honor Tess, mourn Tess, celebrate Tess’s life. Tonight, we gather together to support one another in this time of grief. To hold each other close, to embrace the special close-knit community that is Barnard College. Some of you may be scared. Our faith in the safety of our community and our city has been brutally violated. The unthinkable has happened in a park so many of us have spent time in and valued as a place of refuge and peace.  

President Bollinger and I are committed to doing everything we can to reinstill a sense of safety for all of us in our community. I have spoken directly, and repeatedly, to the Police Commissioner who has kept me informed about the investigation. In the days ahead we will be discussing with the police overall safety in our community and what more we can do to restore that sense of safety we all demand and we all deserve in our broader New York City community.

There will be difficult days and nights ahead. As I have asked you in my messages over these past 24 hours, please -- take care of each other. Look in on each other. Look after each other. We are a community and we are each other’s strength. Today and in the days ahead we need to rely on that more than ever.

Tonight hold Tess and her family in your thoughts and in your hearts. Hold each other. Honor Tess’s memory and be there for each other. 

As I mentioned before, what makes Barnard so special is its tight-knit community. Our students come from vastly different lived experiences and come together to support one another in times of need. Our faculty and staff are no different. We are truly a community. Tonight is about leaning on one another. With this in mind I would like to really show that mix of community in the room.

Tonight is an opportunity to gather in conversations and come together as we begin to work through our shock and process this senseless tragedy. 

We have arranged food, tables, and seating around the Diana Center to allow you to engage in conversation and support each other. Food will be available in the Student Dining Room on the 2nd floor and in the lobbies on this level and on Lower Level 2. Tables are available here and in the lobby areas, and you are welcome to sit in empty classrooms throughout the building as well

I encourage you to find space, eat, and talk with your peers and with the counselors and staff who are here to support you. And as a reminder, the counseling center is open and will be available throughout the weekend with extended hours. We are here for you and for each other. If you are hurting or if you just need someone to talk to, please reach out.

Columbia University President Lee Bollinger Remarks

I am unmoored by the tragedy that unfolded yesterday evening and that led to the death of Tess Majors.  Unmoored because Tess was a Barnard student, and in a very real sense Barnard students are Columbia students just like Columbia students are Barnard students; unmoored because Tess was among the youngest members of our community and we feel especially protective of them; unmoored because Jean and I are parents and grandparents and we can oh so readily imagine the pain and grief of Tess’s parents and family; and unmoored because this utterly unspeakable loss happened only a few yards in front of the home where Jean and I live, so we will forever have the searing reality of that physical proximity.

On behalf of Columbia, I want formally to extend our heartfelt love and condolences to Barnard and to President Beilock, who I know will personally carry the burden of grief and mourning of the entire Barnard community.

All of the horror that encompasses this death should not and cannot detract from the appreciation of Tess Majors, the person.  Tess must have been extraordinary.  I am slowly beginning to get a glimpse of a brilliant young individual.  And I am eager to learn more, because Tess will be in my mind, and our collective minds, for a long time to come.

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019

Dear Barnard Community,

Today is one of the most difficult days in our College’s history. We are all grieving, and overwhelmed by the senseless tragedy that took Tess Majors from us. Last night, I spoke to many of you at the Furman Counseling Center, and heard and read so many tributes about Tess that continue to pour in from all corners of our community. Tess was a friend, peer, roommate, musician, writer, and beloved by so many family and friends.

Tonight, we will gather as a community in the Event Oval at the Diana Center at 7 p.m. to grieve Tess and support each other. Immediately following the gathering, food will be available throughout the Diana Center in lieu of Midnight Breakfast.

I have been in direct and constant communication with New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, who is working closely with Columbia and Barnard’s Public Safety teams during this on-going investigation so that we can provide our community with the most up-to-date and accurate information. At this time, police do not have any suspect(s) in custody. Although this incident happened off-campus in Morningside Park, Barnard and Columbia have additional public safety officers on duty today and throughout the weekend. Additionally, the NYPD has increased their presence in the area.

The days ahead present extraordinarily difficult and painful challenges. We expect that some students may feel unable to proceed with their exams and other work at this time. Provost Bell has reached out to the faculty to ensure that they are supporting students as needed. Students should feel free to reach out directly to their professors to make individualized arrangements.

The College is providing 24/7 support services to all of our students, faculty and staff. We encourage those in need to utilize the following services:

• Furman Counseling Center: 100 Hewitt Hall, 212-854-2092
• Dean of Studies Office: 105 Milbank Hall, 212-854-2024
• After-hours psychological emergency line: 855-622-1903
• International SOS for students who are abroad: +1-215-942-8478

Additionally, many offices are open for those looking for a place to gather. These include Beyond Barnard; Well-Woman; Residential Life and Housing; The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Student Life; Opportunity Programs; Dean of Studies Offices; Primary Care Health Services; International Student Services; Office of Equity and Title IX; and The Center for Accessibility Resources and Disability Services.

We remind everyone that Public Safety is staffed 24/7 and encourage you to reach out if you need assistance:

• Public Safety non-emergency line: 212-854-3362
• Public Safety emergency line: 212-854-6666

In addition, the Barnard shuttle service will run continuously every half hour until further notice. Barnard students may also ride on a Columbia University evening shuttle bus that makes stops between 108th and 125th Streets. Please call x43382 for schedule information.

For faculty and staff, a counselor from the College's Employee Assistance Program is on campus today in Milstein 001. Additional support is available at 800-448-4358 and https://humana.com/eap.

The outpouring of support for Tess has been a tremendous testament to Tess’ vibrant spirit. I am deeply grateful to those who have offered their support and condolences to our students and community members who are all mourning. I recognize the impact of Tess’ tragic death on everyone, please feel free to continue to share your thoughts with us at condolences@barnard.edu. We will share condolences with Tess’ family.

Please take care of each other. Look out for each other. Hold Tess and the family in your thoughts and in your hearts. Honor Tess’ memory and be there for each other. I have always marveled at the strength and closeness of our community. Today and in the days ahead we need to rely on that more than ever.

With care,
Sian Leah Beilock, President

Dec. 11, 2019

Dear Barnard Community,

With broken hearts, we share tragic news about the death of one of our students. Earlier this evening, Tessa Majors, a first year student at Barnard, was fatally injured during an armed robbery that occurred off campus in Morningside Park. 

Dean Grinage and I have spoken to her parents and Tessa’s family is enroute to NYC. We are also in close touch with the New York Police Department as they conduct this on-going investigation and seek to identify the assailant in this horrible attack. 

Tessa was just beginning her journey at Barnard and in life. We mourn this devastating murder of an extraordinary young woman and member of our community.

This is an unthinkable tragedy that has shaken us to our core. Please know that we are all grieving together and I am thinking of you as we process this awful news as a community.

In these difficult circumstances, it is important for us to take care of each other. The Furman Counseling Center will be open all night tonight and throughout the day tomorrow. We encourage anyone in need of support to come: 

Furman Counseling Center: 100 Hewitt Hall, (212) 854-2092

In the days ahead, please know that all of our campus resources are available for you as we mourn this heartbreaking loss together. I encourage you to reach out to the following additional on-campus resources as needed: 

Dean of Studies Office: 105 Milbank Hall, (212) 854-2024

After-hours psychological emergency line: (855) 622-1903

International SOS for students who are abroad: +1-215-942-8478

We will provide you with updates as they become available to us. Barnard and Columbia Public Safety are coordinating closely with the NYPD. We remind all students that public safety provides 24/7 escort services and students are free to reach out with any questions or concerns (212-854-6666). 

To our entire Barnard community, I am in mourning with you and am here for you. Tonight and in the days ahead, please hold Tessa and her family in your hearts and keep each other close.

With sorrow,

Sian Leah Beilock, President