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Barnard College < Barnard College | Columbia University Skip to Content AZ Index Catalogue Home Institution Home Left arrow Barnard.edu Print Options Search Catalogue Open Search Submit search 2019-20 Edition Barnard College 2019-20 Edition 2019-20 Edition Message from the President The College Admissions Financial Information Financial Aid Academic Policies &​ Procedures Academic Advising Student Life &​ Services Curriculum Courses of Instruction Trustees, Faculty &​ Administration Archived Online Course Catalogues Print Options Home › Barnard College Overview 2019-20 Changes to Academic Policies This catalogue is intended for the guidance of persons applying for or considering application for admission to Barnard and for the guidance of Barnard students and faculty for the 2019-20 academic year. The College reserves the right to make changes to this catalogue from time to time, without notice. This catalogue is not intended to be and should not be regarded as a contract between Barnard College and any student or other person. In accordance with its own values and with Federal, State, and City statutes and regulations, Barnard does not discriminate in admissions, employment, programs, or services on the basis of race, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability. Quick Links Academic Calendar Search for Courses CU Directory of Classes Current Courses Satisfying Foundations GERs General Education Requirement Descriptions Registrar During the 2019-2020 Academic Year, Barnard College temporarily revised some of its academic policies in response to two unprecedented events, the tragic loss of first-year student Tessa Majors in December 2019 and the global COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020. Fall 2019 In the days following the death of Tessa Majors, Barnard temporarily adjusted its end-of-term academic procedures. The College’s guidelines regarding incomplete and deferred work were altered for the Fall 2019 semester to meet the varied needs of the student community in a time of mourning. Deferred Exam Policy In Fall 2019, students who wished to defer their final exams as well as any students absent at the time of their final exams were granted deferrals without penalty or fee. Likewise, students who were unable to complete written work or other final projects received a temporary grade of “incomplete.” Students were informed that the “incomplete” or “deferred” designation would be permanently replaced by the final course grade once their exam or final coursework was completed. Faculty were given latitude to make alternative arrangements to end-of-semester work, including changes to final work assignments and extending due-dates. In late January 2020, Fall 2019 deferred exams were self-scheduled by students according to their preference. Those who receive testing accommodations through Barnard’s Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS) scheduled their deferred exams with CARDS. All students were asked to sign an additional pledge supplementing the traditional Barnard Honor Code, committing students to confidentiality and expressly prohibiting the sharing of exam information. Spring 2020 In response to the circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Barnard College has moved to virtual classes starting Wednesday, March 11, 2020, through the end of the Spring 2020 semester, in line with Columbia University. Barnard College has temporarily revised the following academic policies for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. Pass/Fail Policy Spring 2020 has been mandated a Pass/Fail semester -- i.e., all final grades for Spring 2020 will be either “pass” or “fail.” As the community adjusts to these new grading procedures, the College maintains its dedication to engaging students in thoughtful, rigorous learning. Faculty will continue to guide and measure the work of their students, providing feedback on all course requirements and helping students progress in their understanding, application, and mastery of course material. Given the great uncertainty about obstacles to academic study and instruction that students and faculty may be facing, faculty are encouraged to consult with their departments and programs to consider what a grade of "pass" or “fail” looks like in the current circumstances, and to communicate this with their students. Faculty are encouraged to keep their own detailed records of student work, performance, and participation for the purposes of future letters of recommendation. However, faculty are advised against assigning official letter grades for any student work completed since the disruption of the semester. Faculty are also encouraged to continue to help students in their efforts to gain mastery of course material with critical and timely assessment. If faculty are concerned that a student in one of their classes may be unlikely to earn a “pass” as a final grade, they should submit an Early Academic Report as soon as possible. The student’s class dean will then follow up by requesting a meeting with the student. The pass/fail grading system was put into place this semester to try to create the conditions in which our students can successfully complete this disrupted semester and progress to the next stage of their studies or careers. Student transcripts from Spring 2020 will have clear notation clarifying that all courses in the term were graded exclusively on a Pass/Fail basis. Non-evaluative notations on the transcript will still be available, such as I (incomplete), UW (withdrawal from a course without official notification to the Registrar), X (absence from final examination), or IX (incomplete coursework as well as absence from final examination). It should be noted that the Spring 2020 Pass/Fail policy is not an extension of Barnard’s usual Pass/D/Fail policy and that all faculty should be evaluating students with either a pass or fail grade, not a letter grade. A Pass grade in Spring 2020 will allow a course to satisfy both major and minor requirements, as well as General Education Requirements. For reasons of equity, no student will be able to uncover a grade at the end of the semester. Students who had previously elected Pass/D/Fail for a class in the Spring 2020 semester will have that election removed, so that it does not count against their total possible P/D/F elections. Barnard, in partnership with Columbia University, is committed to ensuring that the Spring 2020 Pass/Fail policy does not disadvantage any student applying to graduate school, professional school, or competitive work opportunities. The end of the academic year remains the same. No additional teaching days will be added to the academic calendar. The last day to withdraw from a course has been changed from March 26 to April 2, 2020. See the academic calendar and deadlines. Guidance to Faculty for Providing Equitable Remote Learning Many students are working asynchronously and coping with a range of challenging circumstances, and are studying at a physical distance from their instructors and from one another. In order to facilitate equitable access to course material, faculty have been advised to record all their lectures in Zoom. These lectures may be shared by the faculty with those students who, for reasons of time or place, cannot join classes at the scheduled meeting time. Faculty may also adjust the times of their courses at their discretion and according to the needs of their students. Students are reminded that the Barnard Honor Code includes relevant language for the proper use of electronic class material: “We consider academic integrity to include the proper use and care for all print, electronic, or other academic resources.” Recorded class content is the intellectual property of the professor and attending students, and should not be distributed outside of class. The Barnard Center for Engaged Pedagogy (CEP) can help faculty develop alternative assignments and group work. If you would l...