Dean Leslie Grinage announced that Deputy Dean of the College Natalie Friedman will be stepping down to take a position at the Posse Foundation, in an email to students on Tuesday morning.

Dean Friedman will leave Barnard at the end of this semester, on May 15, to take a position as the New York Director of the Posse Foundation. The Posse Foundation is a scholarship organization that “identifies, recruits and trains individuals with extraordinary leadership potential” and their Scholars receive full-ride scholarships and mentorship opportunities at one of the Foundation’s partner schools.

Dean Friedman started at Barnard in July 2013 as Dean of Studies, where she spearheaded a number of new initiatives, including a free peer tutoring program and the Senior Auditpalooza, as well as several new positions: the Case Manager, who works with students who are taking/returning from leave and the Dean of Student Success, who works with FGLI students. Following the departure of Dean Avis Hinkson, she spent the 2018-19 school year as Interim Co-Dean of Barnard College. She took over the role of Deputy Dean of the Collge Dean Grinage’s appointment and established the Office of Family Engagement in the past school year.

In the email, Dean Grinage noted that Barnard will make changes to their administrative structure due to Friedman’s departure and the death of Dean Alicia Lawrence this past April. She held off on announcing permanent changes to the organizational structure under Dean of the College, but noted that Madeline Camacho will step in as the Interim Title IX Coordinator, Lizeth Jaramillo will serve as Interim Executive Director of Residential Life and Housing, and Katelyn Dutton, Special Assistant to the President, will become Director of Family Engagement. Permanent appointments/changes will be announced in the coming months.

Dean Grinage’s full email:

Dear Barnard Community,

I write to share that Natalie Friedman, Deputy Dean of the College, will be leaving Barnard on May 15 to become the New York City director of the Posse Foundation. We are, of course, sad to see Dean Friedman go but extremely excited for her to take on this important new role.

Dean Friedman came to Barnard in July 2013 and over the past seven years has made significant contributions to the College. As Dean of Studies, she worked tirelessly to uphold the College’s academic mission, overseeing the Class Deans, Registrar, and Opportunity Programs. Among her many accomplishments, Dean Friedman created the free-of-charge peer tutoring program and the Senior Auditpalooza. She also established the Case Manager position that works with students facing adversity and those preparing for or returning from leave, and created the Dean for Student Success position, which directly supports first-generation and/or low-income (FLI) students. In 2018-19, she served as co-interim Dean of the College.

This past academic year, Dean Friedman established the Office of Family Engagement, which liaises with Barnard families, communicates with parents, and hosts Family Weekend, workshops, and other efforts to support our families. Katelyn Dutton ’14, Special Assistant to the President, will become Director of Family Engagement.

With Dean Friedman’s departure and the recent tragic loss of Deputy Dean Alicia Lawrence, we are making several organizational changes to best support our students within the Dean of the College division. Madeline Camacho will serve as the College’s Interim Title IX Coordinator, and Lizeth Jaramillo will serve as Interim Executive Director of Residential Life and Housing. In the coming months, I will share more information about the permanent organizational structure within the Dean of the College division.

I appreciate the contributions Natalie has made to Barnard during the past seven years, and I am personally grateful for her knowledge and expertise that helped maintain the Dean of the College division last year. Please join me in congratulating her and wishing her the best in her new role with the Posse Foundation.

Dean Friedman via Barnard