Dean Grinage announced new Fall 2021 on-campus policies, including COVID protocols, an orientation for all new and returning students, and move-in details for all classes.

Dean Leslie Grinage of Barnard College announced updated protocols for on-campus student life for the Fall 2021 semester, most of which loosen restrictions on previously-instated health precautions, according to an email sent to Barnard students this afternoon. This email can be found in its entirety below. 

Move-In

Barnard move-in will occur between August 29 and August 31. First-year and incoming transfer students will move in on August 29. Returning sophomores will be moving in on August 30. All other students will move into Barnard housing on August 31.

Students will sign up for a check-in slot on their respective moving day. This check-in slot should help traveling students plan their trips back to campus. Check-in slots will be held for students who do not live in EDT time zones. Move-in slots will be open for registration in late July. 

First-year housing/roommate assignments will be sent to students in early August. All other housing/roommate assignments will be sent in late July. All applicants without guaranteed housing will hear from Residential Life at the beginning of August. 

Reach out to housing@barnard.edu with any questions.

Orientation

Barnard is introducing an extended orientation program: Welcome Back, Welcome Home. Unlike other years, this orientation program is “for all new and returning students.” More information about programming will be available to the classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024 later in the summer.

New students—specifically first-years and incoming transfer students—will participate in Barnard’s New Student Orientation Program (NSOP) in their first weeks on campus. More information on NSOP orientation group assignments and scheduling will be available later this summer. 

Information is available now on Barnard’s orientation website.

COVID-19 Precautionary Policies

All Barnard students will take a COVID-19 test before arriving on campus at the end of August. 

Students will be permitted to bring their families or other guests onto campus during move-in; visitors will not be required to get tested or vaccinated before entering campus, but they will not be allowed to enter residence halls. Only students may enter residence halls during move-in so as to “manage density … as advised by infectious disease experts.” Friends and family may be able to visit residence halls “later in the semester.” Students are encouraged to request “move-in assistance for disability-related reasons” through the Center for Accessibility Resources and Disability Services (CARDS).

Students are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination before the start of the fall semester. Information will be available shortly on how to upload proof of vaccination. “Documented medical and religious exemptions” from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine “will be accommodated.” International students will also be accommodated  to “ensure they are able to be vaccinated as soon as possible upon arrival to NYC.”

Barnard students are encouraged to get vaccinated “as soon as possible,” receiving their final vaccine dosage “no later than August 1.” This will ensure that the campus is as close to fully vaccinated as possible before the commencement of the fall term. More information is available on Barnard’s COVID-19 Vaccine website, which will be continually updated. 

Barnard students and community members will be “expected to acknowledge and adhere to a Community Pledge” which requires that they “comply with [Barnard’s] health and safety guidelines.” This 2021-2022 Community Pledge will be accessible in the next couple of weeks. 

More information about Barnard’s current community guidelines is available now. Questions may be directed to vaccine@barnard.edu. 

Academics

Students should plan to attend classes on campus in New York City this fall, as “all Fall semester classes will be taught in person.”

Barnard College is “closely monitoring information regarding international students’ ability to obtain a visa,” and International Student Services (ISS) “will contact students as information about their home countries becomes available.” Students requiring an F-1 visa should contact ISS at iss@barnard.edu with questions or for assistance.

Students should expect to receive the Barnard 411, a bi-weekly newsletter catered to one’s class year, beginning in the fall. The Class Deans will have a welcome feature in this newsletter.

Tuition

Tuition rates for the 2021-2022 academic year have been approved by the Barnard Board of Trustees, which includes tuition, fees, and housing. This bill has increased 3.5% from the last academic year due to “growing costs associated with returning to full on-site operations,” recruiting and retaining faculty and staff, “maintaining [the College’s] commitment to need-blind admissions,” and “enhancing [the College’s] excellent academic programs.” Financial aid will be awarded according to the new term bill rates.

While first-year students were emailed about financial aid awards last week, all students in other classes should expect “updated financial aid awards” during the last week of June. The bills will be sent electronically via Nelnet and will be due on August 6.

Meal Plans

Information about meal plans for Fall 2021 is available on Barnard’s dining website and on the bursar site. All students living in Barnard residences are required to have a meal plan, and meal plan registration is optional for students living off-campus. 

First-year students are automatically enrolled in Barnard’s Standard Platinum Plan. All other students will be enrolled in the Flex 150 Meal Plan. The email notes that upper-class students can change their Fall 2021 meal plan through the Meal Plan Change Form starting on July 8 and ending on August 25. Students on meal plans can access Columbia’s dining halls— Ferris Booth, John Jay, and JJ’s Place—as well. Non-first-year students who “receive grant-based financial aid” will automatically receive the Flex 150 Plan if they do not live on campus. 

All questions may be directed to bursar@barnard.edu. 

Convocation

Barnard College’s annual convocation will take place on September 14 at Riverside Church, and will be “followed by a community-wide reception.” Convocation 2021 attendees are encouraged to arrive wearing their class color t-shirt which will be distributed the week prior to the event. 

Email sent from Dean Leslie Grinage to students on June 24 at 3:45 pm EST:

Dear Students,

It has been lovely to see those of you who are studying and working on campus this summer, and I am so excited to welcome everyone in the fall! As we prepare for the upcoming semester, I am writing with information and updates that will be helpful to each of you in your planning. Please read this email carefully and in its entirety, and save it for future reference. Also, please be sure to check the Returning to Campus website regularly for any new updates.

But first, on behalf of all our faculty and staff, I want to welcome the incoming Class of 2025 and new transfer students! I have heard wonderful things about your accomplishments and how excited you are to begin your journey at Barnard. We look forward to engaging with you this summer and to welcoming you to campus in August.

Move-in Dates

For students who will be living in the residence halls, general move-in dates for the Fall semester are August 29, 30, and 31. Incoming first-year and transfer students will move in first on August 29, returning sophomores on August 30, and all other students on August 31.

To help us best coordinate and ensure a smooth process, all students will be asked to sign up for a check-in time slot on their designated move-in day. While you may be eager to make travel plans, we encourage you to wait until you have selected your check-in time slot. If you must arrange travel now, please be flexible, as your planned arrival in New York may not align with the time slots available. We will hold times specifically for those traveling from time zones other than EDT.

Move-in time slots will be sent in late July and housing/roommate assignments will also be sent in late July (early August for first-years). Applicants without guaranteed housing will hear more from Residential Life in early August and can reach out to housing@barnard.edu with any questions.

Welcome Back, Welcome Home, and Orientation

A lot has changed since we were last on campus together, so we are pleased to introduce Welcome Back, Welcome Home, an extended orientation program for all new and returning students. Returning students will receive information later in the summer about events and activities specifically for the classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Members of the Class of 2025 and new transfer students will begin their Barnard experience with our New Student Orientation Program (NSOP), a multi-day event designed to help the newest members of our community learn about campus resources and build relationships with each other. You will receive more information about NSOP schedules and orientation groups later in the summer. Until then, visit the Orientation website for any updates.

Move-in Guidelines & Arrival Testing

Please review the Move-In, Testing, and Arrival Quarantine Outline to get a sense of what to expect during this process. Please note that all students must take a COVID-19 test before arriving on campus. More details will be communicated in the coming weeks.

We look forward to welcoming students, families, and other guests onto campus during move-in. However, please note the following: we will not require visitors to be tested or vaccinated for COVID-19 to come onto campus, but only students will be allowed into the residence halls during move-in. We know this may be disappointing, but as advised by our infectious disease experts, we want to manage density in our residence halls at a time when people are arriving to campus from all over the world. We hope to allow residence hall visits from students’ family members and friends later in the semester.

We do accommodate student requests for move-in assistance for disability-related reasons through the Center for Accessibility Resources and Disability Services (CARDS) website.

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

As a residential community, we want to do all we can to help protect the health and safety of ourselves and those around us. Having a fully vaccinated campus also puts us in a better position to return to the many activities and experiences that existed on our campus prior to the pandemic.

As you know, we require all students to provide proof that they have received a COVID-19 vaccine prior to the start of the Fall 2021 semester. You will hear soon about how to upload your proof of vaccine to be in compliance with this requirement. Documented medical and religious exemptions will be accommodated. Also, we will work closely with international students and others who may not have ready access to vaccines over the summer to ensure they are able to be vaccinated as soon as possible upon arrival to NYC.

While this vaccine requirement takes effect for fall, we encourage you to get vaccinated as soon as possible; students should plan on having their final dose no later than August 1. Please continue to monitor Barnard’s COVID-19 Vaccine website for updated information and send any questions you may have to vaccine@barnard.edu.

Community Pledge

It is our collective responsibility to be mindful of one another and to act with the utmost respect and consideration of the community around us. Therefore, all members of the Barnard community will be expected to acknowledge and adhere to a Community Pledge, including that all community members comply with our health and safety guidelines. A Community Pledge for the 2021-2022 academic year will be made available in the coming weeks. In addition, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with our current Community Conduct information.

Academics Updates

All Fall semester classes will be taught in person, and students should plan to attend classes on campus in New York City.

We are closely monitoring information regarding international students’ ability to obtain a visa. As needed, International Student Services (ISS) will contact students as information about their home countries becomes available. If you are a student who requires a F-1 visa to study in the United States and you have questions or concerns about your status for the upcoming Fall semester, please contact ISS (iss@barnard.edu) for assistance.

In mid-July we will transition our email distribution lists to your class year as of Fall 2021. As many of you know and our new students will soon learn, we send a bi-weekly newsletter called Barnard 411 with announcements and updates. So be on the lookout for a welcome from your Class Dean in the newsletter!

Tuition Bill and Financial Aid

The Barnard Board of Trustees has approved the 2021-2022 rates for tuition, fees, and room and board. The new term bill represents a total increase of 3.5% from the 2020-2021 rates, which is a result of the growing costs associated with returning to full on-site operations in the Fall, annual recruitment and retention of faculty and staff, maintaining our commitment to need-blind admissions, and enhancing our excellent academic programs. The College provides more than $40 million annually in aid that represents approx 20% of the College’s operating budget and continues to meet full demonstrated financial need for all students. Financial aid awards for the coming academic year will take into account the new term bill rates.

First-years were sent an email to accept their updated financial aid awards last week and students in other classes will be receiving their 2021-2022 financial aid award letters the last week of June. The Fall 2021 term bills will be sent electronically to all students on July 6th via Nelnet (the College’s new payment provider), with a due date of August 6th.

Meal Plans

You can find meal plan information for Fall 2021 on the Dining website and the Bursar site. Students will be automatically enrolled in a default meal plan based on their residence hall assignment or non-residential status. As in past years, all residential students are required to be on a meal plan; meal plans will be optional for students not living in the residence halls. All residential first-year students will be assigned to the Standard Platinum Plan. Sophomore, junior, and senior students living in the Quad will be assigned to the Flex 150 Meal Plan. Upper-class students residing elsewhere will be enrolled in the Flex 100 Meal Plan. Upper-class students can change their Fall 2021 meal plan through the Meal Plan Change Form starting on July 8 through August 25, 2021 and students on a meal plan will also be able to take advantage of the meal exchange with Columbia, with access to Ferris Booth, John Jay, and JJ’s Place.

Please note that students not in their first-year who receive grant-based financial aid will be packaged with the Flex 150 Plan if they live in the residence halls or the Convenience Plan if they are non-residential. If you have any questions, please direct them to bursar@barnard.edu.

Save the Date: Convocation

Finally, I want to invite you to save the date for Convocation, a tradition in which the entire Barnard community gathers together to officially open the academic year. Convocation 2021 will take place on September 14 at Riverside Church and will be followed by a community-wide reception. We hope you will all join us wearing your class color t-shirt (which all students will receive in the week before Convocation).

Stay well and enjoy the remainder of your summer.

Sincerely,

Dean Grinage

Barnard’s campus via Bwog’s archive