Dear Barnard Students,
Welcome to the new academic year! I hope you all had wonderful summers that provided meaningful experiences and a chance to recharge ahead of the coming year.
Please also join me in offering a special welcome to our first-year and newest transfer students and the faculty and staff joining us for the first time.
To our incoming Class of 2027: You are one of the most selective and diverse classes in Barnard’s history, chosen from a pool of nearly 12,000 applicants and representing 43 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and 35 countries beyond the U.S. Each of you will bring your own experiences, perspectives, and talents to this community, and we will be better for it.
To those transferring into Barnard this year: In taking this leap and seeking out a place that feels right for you, you have demonstrated the boldness we seek in a Barnard student. We cannot wait to see you thrive here.
To all of you here for the first time: I am proof that you will not be the only new face on campus! We have much to learn together, but I already know that you will soon be part of a community that provides daily opportunities to grow, create, and experiment. You will be surrounded by people who will educate you, engage you, challenge you, and above all care for you.
You are joining Barnard in a moment of unparalleled momentum for the College. Everywhere you look, Barnard is redefining higher education.
With construction underway on the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being, we are supporting the whole student on a level unmatched anywhere else in the country — providing a centralized hub for physical, mental, and financial health. Even as the physical space is being built, we will offer programming this year that is directly informed by our community.
Academically, we continue to empower the next generation of great minds across an ever-growing range of disciplines. As young people confront the climate crisis head-on, we are poised to meet the moment with our finalized plans for the Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Center, funded by the largest gift in the College’s history. At the same time, we continue to build on Barnard’s eminence in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. We have added 28 new faculty across 19 departments, and they will continue to challenge our students in the classroom while pursuing research that strengthens our community.
Above all, we continue to ensure that every student — regardless of socioeconomic background, race, or other circumstances — gets a chance to take advantage of a Barnard education. There will be more to say about the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision in the coming weeks. For now, let me be clear: Under my leadership, Barnard will remain a community that thrives because of its commitment to diversity in experience, background, and perspective. We will continue to aggressively raise funds to support the financial aid needs of our families because we know our entire community benefits from the different experiences, identities, and perspectives our students bring.
In the coming weeks, we will have a moment to celebrate the start of the academic year with our 2023 Convocation on Monday, September 18, at 4:30 p.m. This ceremony is one of Barnard’s most enduring traditions, as it marks the beginning of the academic year, celebrating all new and returning students. All members of the Barnard community are invited.
The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Herminia Palacio ’83, a physician who has led several major public health initiatives both in city government and in the nonprofit sector. I’m fortunate to know Dr. Palacio personally through my work with the Guttmacher Institute, where she is currently president and CEO. I can tell you firsthand: Her vision, her dedication to the public good, and her support of well-being and justice on both individual and global scales are second to none.
My goal these past few months has been to better understand this community and the people who make it exceptional. I still have much to learn, but there is one thing I’ve quickly realized: Barnard people have little time for small talk. We are doers. We collaborate. We build things together. And in times of challenge, we will always lift each other up.
I promise to lead in that same spirit, and I cannot wait to see you on campus soon. Go Bold. Go Brave. Go Barnard!
With admiration,
President Laura Rosenbury