Dear Members of the Barnard Community,
A short time ago, President Sian Leah Beilock announced that at the end of academic year 2022-2023, she will conclude six years of outstanding leadership at Barnard. While we will accomplish much together between now and then, I write today on behalf of the Board of Trustees to offer Sian our congratulations on her new appointment and to share our early plans for the search for the College’s next President.
As one of the nation’s outstanding liberal arts institutions, with a distinctive mission as a college for women, Barnard continues to reach greater heights under the stewardship of each new President. That growth has been especially remarkable under Sian’s leadership, advancing our core mission and values through a historically challenging time. She has been a champion for the learning, teaching, research, and scholarship at the heart of Barnard’s excellence. Most recently, the Barnard Year of Science has helped support and highlight the College’s growing eminence in STEM fields, complementing our historic strengths in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
During Sian’s tenure, the number of applicants to Barnard has grown by more than 50 percent, topping 12,000 for the Class of 2026, with almost 50 percent identifying as women of color. To support those remarkable students and continue investing in the faculty and staff who are so essential to our mission, Sian has led record fundraising for initiatives such as expanded financial aid, the new Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Center, and the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being. Through Beyond Barnard, Sian has helped ensure that students and alumnae achieve their goals and make an impact on the world after graduation, with 95 percent of the Class of 2021 successfully launching their careers in jobs or in academic programs within six months after graduation.
Barnard is truly a singular place. We are proud that one of the nation’s most prestigious institutions has sought Sian as their next President, further evidence of Barnard’s preeminence in developing women leaders. All members of our College community share in Barnard’s extraordinary record of success.
In the weeks to come, we will share news about how all of you can contribute to the search for Barnard’s next President, which we are committed to completing by next spring. Please feel free to share any initial thoughts you have at presidentialsearch@barnard.edu.
We have a very exciting and important year ahead of us. The Board and I look forward to our continued work with Sian and all of the members of the Barnard community as we achieve even higher levels of excellence.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Glicker Milstein ’82, P’14
Chair, Barnard College Board of Trustees