How we intend to study after all study spaces are submerged by rising sea levels.

Robert Goldberg has a lot to say—even when he isn’t asked much. His answers to questions regarding Barnard and its future dominated last night, as captured by Barnard Bearoness Raji Ganapathy. Will Barnard divest? From Columbia? Who knows? Not us.

We started the penultimate SGA meeting of this year with a presentation by administrative guest COO Robert Goldberg, who provided updates on the Fossil Fuel Divestment Task Force. The Divestment Task Force was established in December of 2015, and includes a cross-section of the Barnard community: students, faculty, staff, and trustees. It aims to provide the Board of Trustees with analytical information and data regarding the economic and social effects of fossil fuel divestment on Barnard and the global community.

Some issues currently being considered by the Task Force include defining divestment itself. While some of the literature on the subject considers divestment from Carbon 200 companies adequate, others suggest that climate deniers should also be included in the divestment initiative. Another issue of concern to the task force is Barnard’s investment process, which operates as a consortium with peer institutions. Unlike Columbia University, Barnard College’s relatively small endowment has been pooled with peer institutions such as Middlebury College and Trinity College. Barnard’s investments are overseen by external managers who determine what the combined funds of the entire consortium will be invested in. Barnard currently invests 4% of its endowment in fossil fuels.

The informative report will be presented to the Board of Trustees in November of this year, in time for their December meeting. Goldberg stated that a vote regarding Barnard’s decision to divest from fossil fuels will likely be held in spring of 2017.

Goldberg also made a clarification about Barnard’s 6% tuition increase, higher than usual for recent years, in response to a question from SGA President Shivani Vaikuntam. He stated that the tuition changes were not entirely due to the modification of the Winter Housing Policy and the meal plan, and that increases in operating costs of the college contributed to the tuition hike.

The final topic on the agenda was a discussion of the Town Hall held on Monday, April 4th. VP Campus Life Prianka Jhaveri summarized some of the issues raised by students in attendance regarding the Barnard-Columbia relationship. Students complained that they felt Barnard had been falsely advertised to them prior to their enrollment as being more closely integrated with the Columbia community. Others stated that the sense of camaraderie cultivated between the two schools during NSOP quickly dissipated at the onset of the school year. Suggestions to address these issues included a school day for each individual school during NSOP celebrating each school’s traditions and contributions to the collective community, as well as more NSOP events being held on the Barnard campus and better integration and execution of programming involving the two schools (read: no more awkward “sibling” dinners). SGA members also voiced the need for increased transparency on the Barnard website and communications materials.

In other news,

• There is now a grill in the Diana Cafe for your sandwiches! Props to SGA’s Food Advisory Committee, always taking care of the important stuff.
• There will be a Barnard/GS Ultimate Frisbee and Picnic event this Friday at 12PM on Lewisohn Lawn. Go for the free food, stay for the free food.
• The establishment of an ombudsperson has been recommended to President Spar, for use of students and employees, likely to be available next fall!
• In light of the recent earthquake in Ecuador, donation boxes will be placed in Sulz, Brooks, and Diana. Donation items can include batteries, toiletries, baby food, baby clothes, and tents. More details and a list of items will be available soon!