Access begins next Wednesday, May 26.

In an email to students this evening, Barnard College Dean Leslie Grinage announced that all Barnard students taking summer classes or participating in the College’s Summer Research Institute (SRI) will have free access to Dodge Gym, located on Columbia’s Morningside campus. Any student who had already purchased a summer pass to use the facility can request a refund from the Bursar.

The announcement clears up confusion surrounding whether Barnard students could use the gym. In past summer terms at Columbia, students taking classes had Dodge’s membership fee included in their tuition. Barnard students, who prior to this summer did not have a summer term, had to pay the membership fee directly to use the gym during the summer. Seeing as many students taking free classes this summer have been able to exercise at Dodge for free as well, the Dean’s email confirms that Barnard summer students will also be able to exercise there.

Gym access for Barnard students will begin on Wednesday, May 26 and will expire at the end of the summer term. The full text of Dean Grinage’s email is available below.

A Columbia University spokesperson also provided Bwog with the following statement to explain the confusion in Barnard students’ payments for access to Dodge Gym.

Normally, access to Dodge has been granted to all Morningside students who pay a fee as part of their Student Life Fee (undergraduates) or University Services and Support Fee (graduates). This summer, with a significant number of students being remote, a fee is being assessed only to those Columbia College and SEAS students residing in residence halls. Other students are not being charged and therefore do not have default access. However, students may visit the Dodge website and electively purchase a membership for the summer for a reduced fee, in light of capacity limits. This fall, with the planned resumption of more in-person activities, we expect the regular approach to return and all Morningside students will be charged a fee and be granted access.

Email sent to Barnard students from Dean Leslie Grinage on May 21 at 9:12 pm:

Dear Students,

I am writing today about access to Columbia’s Dodge Gym over the summer. Typically, Barnard does not offer a summer term, and so students must pay a membership fee directly to Columbia if they remain in the area and wish to use the facilities over the summer. For our first-ever summer term this year, we did not charge students a summer fee as Columbia does for its summer program, and so students’ Dodge membership fee was not automatically covered.

Effective Wednesday, May 26, Barnard will provide access to Dodge Gym through August 6 at no additional charge, for all students enrolled in summer classes or participating in SRI. This is a special arrangement for this summer only. We will provide reimbursement to any eligible Barnard students who have already paid for summer access. If you have already paid the Dodge fee directly to Columbia, please contact the Bursar at bursar@barnard.edu and then a credit will be placed on your account.

Sincerely,

Dean Grinage