Head over to Diana this afternoon

This afternoon President Spar will host Barnard College’s first community forum on the potential implementation of a transgender admission policy. In response to the call from students for a transgender policy, President Spar announced this past December a series of community forums to address the issue. The first forum will be held this afternoon at 4:15 pm in the Event Oval in the Diana Center (LL1). The forum is open only to current and former Barnard students as a BC ID is required for admission. President Spar also requested the event be closed to “press or external communities,” and recordings or photographs of the forum are prohibited.

In regards to the event being solely open to the Barnard community, Dean Avis Hinkson addressed the restriction in an email to Barnard students this morning, saying, “The forums are only open to members of the Barnard community because this is a pivotal moment in terms of how we define ourselves. We want to be sure that any policy decision is based on our collective voice.”

Several more forums will be held this semester to cater to different audiences beyond just students and alumni, including faculty, staff, and parents. The goal of the forums is to allow for members of the Barnard community to openly share their thoughts on the implementation of a transgender admission policy before any actual implementation takes place.  Admission for transgender students to the college is currently reviewed individually for each applicant, and this new policy would do away with admissions’ current approach.

In addition to the forums, Barnard also offers an online form for all members of the Columbia community to share their thoughts on the potential policy.

January 16, 2015

Dear members of the Barnard community,

I hope that you had a relaxing holiday with family and friends and that 2015 is off to a wonderful start.

I am writing to follow up on the email you received before the winter break regarding the issue of transgender admissions and policies at the College. As I mentioned, I will be leading a series of forums over the next two months to engage the full Barnard community as we consider next steps.

These conversations are intended as an opportunity for us to openly and respectfully exchange views on the subject of transgender enrollment at Barnard. To ensure that everyone can speak freely, we will not open the forums to press or external audiences, and we ask that members of our community refrain from recording or photographing the sessions. Should you choose to read up beforehand, articles and resource materials are widely available online.

The Community Forums will be held on:

January 22, 2015, 4:15-5:45 p.m. — Event Oval, The Diana Center (for students and alumnae)
February 3, 2015, 4:15-5:45 p.m. — Ella Weed Room, 223 Milbank Hall (for faculty and staff)
February 9, 2015, 6:00-7:30 p.m. — Event Oval, The Diana Center (for parents and alumnae)
February 10, 2015, 12:30-1:30 p.m. — Virtual Forum (for parents and alumnae)
February 10, 2015, 4:15-5:45 p.m. — Event Oval, The Diana Center (for faculty and staff)
February 16, 2015, 5:30-7:00 p.m. — Event Oval, The Diana Center (for students and alumnae)

Please register for the forum(s) that you plan to attend, and kindly note that the Virtual Forum on February 10th is intended for parents and alumnae who live outside the area.

For those of you who are unable to participate in any of the sessions, the online form is still available as a place to share your thoughts.

I look forward to adding your voice to this important conversation.

Sincerely,

Debora Spar