Advising: planning the rest of the spring semester

Following the planning meetings held for all first-year students on Feb. 21 and Feb. 23, here are some materials for reference to help you keep track of your planning for this semester, this summer, and next semester:

• A timeline of important dates during the rest of the Fall 2012 semester

• A checklist to keep track of your General Education Requirements (including the Nine Ways of Knowing)

• See the blog posting below for the schedule of upcoming departmental program planning meetings in the post below. It will be updated regularly as we receive more information about scheduled meetings.

And as always, keep an eye on the FY Blog for reminders of upcoming dates and deadlines and for reminders of procedures!

Advising: upcoming departmental program planning meetings

Scheduled as of February 21, 2012 (check back for those marked "TBA"):

Africana Studies: TBA

American Studies: Wednesday, March 28; 205 Barnard (CCIS Library); 6:00 pm

Anthropology: TBA

Architecture: TBA

Art History & Art History/Visual Arts: Wednesday, March 21; Diana Center, 6th floor Atrium; 12 noon

Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures: The Department does not hold a Program Planning Meeting, due to the variations across tracks in the major.  If you are interested in the major, please meet with the following persons, by world area:
  For Japan and Pre-Modern Korea, consult Prof. D. Max Moerman, dmoerman@barnard.edu.
  For China (Social Sciences) and Modern Korea, consult Prof. Guobin Yang, gyang@barnard.edu
  For China & Tibet (Humanities), consult Prof. Annabella Pitkin, aptitkin@barnard.edu
  For Middle East, consult Prof. Hossein Kamaly, hkamaly@barnard.edu.
  For South Asia, consult Prof. Rachel McDermott, rmcdermo@barnard.edu.

Biological Sciences:  Thursday, April 5; 903 Altschul; 12:00-1:00 pm

Chemistry: Friday, April 6; Sulzberger Parlor, 3rd fl Barnard Hall; 12:00-2:00 pm

Classics: Monday, March 26; 214 Milbank; 12:00-1:00 pm

Comparative Literature: Thursday, March 22; 227 Milbank; 9:30-10:30 am

Computer Science: TBA

Dance:  Chair Mary Cochran is available for personal meetings. To schedule, please email her. 

Economics: Thursday, March 29; Sulzberger Parlor (3rd Floor Barnard Hall); 12:00-1:00 pm

Education: Tuesday, February 28; 324 Milbank; 6:00-7:00 pm

English: Tuesday, March 27; James Room; 4:00-5:30 pm

Environmental Science/Policy/Biology: Monday, March 26; 403 Altschul, 12:00-1:00 pm

Film Studies: Monday, March 26; 403 Barnard Hall; 3:00-4:00 pm

French:  Tuesday, March 20; 304 Milbank; 12:00-1:00 pm

German: Wednesday, February 29; 320C Milbank; 9:30-10:30 am

History/European Studies: Monday, March 26; Sulzberger South Tower; 4:00-5:00 pm

Human Rights: TBA

Italian: Wednesday, February 22; 320B Milbank; 9:30-10:30 am

Jewish Studies: Contact Professor Castelli, ecastelli@barnard.edu, for an appointment.

Mathematics: Wednesday, February 22; 508 Mathematics; 6:30 pm

Medieval & Renaissance Studies: Thursday March 1; 311 Milbank; 12:00 pm
 
Music: Monday, February 27; 319 Milbank; 11:00 am

Neuroscience and Behavior: Friday, February 24; 410 Milbank; 12:00-1:30 pm

Philosophy: Monday March 26; 326 Milbank; 12:00-1:00 pm

Physics & Astronomy: Thursday, March 1; 514 Altschul; 12:00 noon

Political Science: Monday, March 26; Sulzberger Parlor; 4:00-6:00 pm

Psychology: Thursday, March 1; 207 Milbank; 1:00-2:00 pm

Religion: TBA

Slavic: Friday March 23; 226 Milbank; 12:00-1:00 pm

Sociology: Thursday, February 23; 332 Milbank; 11am – 12:00 noon

Spanish & Latin American Cultures: Wednesday, February 22; Open Office Hours, 204 - 210 Milbank; 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Statistics: TBA

Theatre: Thursday, February 23; 229 Milbank; 6:00 pm

Urban Studies: Tuesday, April 3; 504 Diana Center; 6:00 pm

Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies: Offering “Open House” dates and times for its majors and interested others:
  Tuesday, March 20; 12-4 pm; 201 Barnard Hall; Professor Tina Campt
  Tuesday & Thursday, March 20 & 22; 1-2 pm; 208 Barnard Hall; Professor Kerwin Kaye
  Wednesday, March 21; 2;30-4 pm; 207 Barnard Hall; Professor Rebecca Jordan-Young
  Thursday, March 22; 11:30 am – 2:30 pm; 206 Barnard Hall; Professor Dorothy Ko

Event: Career Dinner (sponsored by the Junior Class Council)

An announcement from the Junior Class Council:

Nominate Your Parent For the 2nd Annual Career Dinner!

Does your parent love Barnard?  Do you think your parent has an interesting career?  Would he or she like to meet your peers?  Then nominate your parent for the 2nd Annual Career Dinner!

Following a successful pilot program last year, the Career Dinner has become a new Barnard tradition. This event aims to connect Barnard students and Barnard parents for an evening of informal discussions about our career plans. It facilitates round-table discussions between parents from diverse professional backgrounds and a group of students pursuing similar career paths in the following industries: Arts, Finance, Medicine, Non-Profit, Manufacturing, Law, etc. As a result of last year’s well-attended and meaningful event, there are many students who look forward to taking part in this year’s dinner.

This year, the Junior Class Council hopes to bring a wider range of industries on campus.  We welcome all nominations, and we highly encourage you to nominate your parents/guardians if they are working in the following industries:
•    Arts/Fashion
•    Science/biotech/ renewable energy
•    Education
•    Social Services
•    Hospitality Services
•    Science/Technology

Nominations will be accepted on a rolling basis according to our guests’ career industry.

Student RSVP will open 4 weeks prior to the event, and all students are welcome to attend!

DEADLINE: upcoming "drop deadline"

Remember that the deadline to drop a course is next Tuesday, February 21 at 4:30 p.m.

To drop a course from your current program, you must pick up an "Application to Drop a Course" (or "drop form") from the Registrar's office (107 Milbank), complete the form, have your adviser sign it, then submit it to the Registrar's office. The course will then be removed completely from your Spring 2012 program and from your transcript.

If you are considering the idea of dropping a course and would like to weigh the pros and cons of doing so, talk to your professor, your adviser and/or your class dean to make sure that you are taking into account all considerations.

Note: If dropping a course would result in a spring program with fewer than 12 credits, you must see the First-Year Class Dean for special permission.

Advising: upcoming Study Abroad Information Sessions

Are you beginning to consider a semester or year abroad? Learn some of the basic guidelines and information at a Study Abroad Information Session. Please note that any student interested in studying abroad must attend a General Information Session prior to making an individual appointment with Dean Young, the Dean for Study Abroad.

The remaining information sessions this semester will be held on the following dates:

• Monday, February 27, 12:00-1:00 p.m., 237 Milbank
• Monday, March 5, 4:30-5:30 p.m., 237 Milbank
• Friday, April 13, 12:00-1:00 p.m., 237 Milbank

Mark your calendars!

Important Information: mark your calendars

There will be program planning meetings for the First-Year Class on the following dates:

1. Tuesday, February 21, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (Lehman Auditorium, 202 Altschul)
2. Thursday, February 23, 12:00-1:00 p.m. (Lehman Auditorium, 202 Altschul)

All first-year students should plan to attend one of these meetings. Stay tuned for more information.

Academic Assistance: Spring 2012 peer tutoring

The Spring 2012 Academic Assistance Program, a student peer-tutoring program, provides academic assistance to Barnard students who would like help in specific math, science, foreign language and economics courses. Forms to request a tutor (i.e., Academic Fellow) through the Dean of Studies Office's Academic Assistance Program are available through the Dean of Studies website.

You may request a tutor for the following courses:

• BIOL BC1502 Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology
• ECON BC1003 Introduction to Economic Reasoning
• ECON BC1007 Mathematics Methods for Economics
• ECON BC3033 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
• ECON 3035 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
• MATH V1101 Calculus I
• MATH V1102 Calculus II
• Elementary and Intermediate foreign language courses 

[Note: If you would like tutorial assistance in CHEM BC3230 (Organic Chemistry I), CHEM BC3232 (Intermediate General Chemistry), or PHYS BC2002 (Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism), please be advised that Barnard offers free tutoring Workshop Rooms for these courses. See the post below for the current schedule of those workshop rooms.]

Before requesting a tutor, be sure to attend your professor's office hours, the Teaching Assistant's office hours, or the help sessions that are available for the course to see if these alternatives provide sufficient help. If you then determine that you would benefit from the additional help of a peer tutor, access and print the online Tutee Packet. Please print out all forms as single-sided pages, and read all of the information very carefully before submitting your application to the Dean of Studies Office (105 Milbank). Once your completed application and contract is received, we will try to assign a tutor to you within approximately one week, depending upon tutor availability.

If a tutor can be assigned to you, you and she will then contact each other to set up a mutually convenient time to meet. You will most likely be tutored in a small group with one or two other students, and you will meet one time per week for a two-hour session. The fee for the peer tutoring program varies depending on financial need; the sliding scale ranges from $15.00 per hour to $7.50 per hour to $0 per hour.

The deadline to request a tutor through our program is Friday, March 16, 2012. If you have questions that are not addressed in the online Tutee Packet, please call the Dean of Studies Office at 212-854-2024 or email the Academic Assistance Program.

Academic Assistance: Spring 2012 science workshop rooms

Students in the following Barnard science courses are encouraged to take advantage of the Spring 2012 Workshop Rooms designed for each course:

CHEM BC3230 - Organic Chemistry I

• Tuesdays, 7:30 - 8:30pm (Milbank 327)
• Wednesdays, 8:30pm - 10:00pm (Milbank 237)
• Thursdays, 7:30 - 9:00pm (Milbank 327)

CHEM BC3232 - Intermediate General Chemistry

• Mondays, 5:30pm - 7:00pm (Milbank 501)
• Thursdays, 8:30pm-10:00pm (Milbank 237)

PHYS BC2002 - Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism

• Tuesdays, 8:30pm - 9:30pm (Milbank 237)
• Wednesdays, 8:30pm - 10:00 pm (Altschul 1207)

Opportunity: fellowship for foreign language study

The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship Program is predicated on the belief that “the security, stability, and economic vitality of the United States in a complex global era depend upon American experts and citizens knowledgeable about world regions, foreign languages, and international affairs, as well as upon a strong research base in these areas.” FLAS fellowships strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to security threats and to compete effectively in the modern world by promoting foreign language competence and area and international knowledge and by ensuring the continuance of area expertise in a variety of fields, including academe. 

FLAS Fellowships are available for study during the academic year or during the summer. The FLAS Fellowship competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a full-time program (either domestic or overseas) that combines modern foreign language training with international or area studies. Undergraduate students must be at the intermediate or advanced level of language proficiency and can apply for a Less Commonly Taught Language (LCTL).  LCTL are any modern languages other than Spanish, French, or German.

For more information and for application instructions, visit the FLAS website at Columbia's Financial Aid department website. The application deadline is February 24.

FAQ: joining a P.E. class after the lottery placements

If the P.E. lottery did not result in a placement for you, or if you did not enter the lottery but now wish to join a P.E. class, you can do two things to try to secure a place in a course:

1. Visit the P.E. Department (200 Barnard Annex) to see what classes still have space available after the lottery placements.
2. Visit individual P.E. classes (meeting times and places are posted in the online Directory of Courses) to see if space is, or may become, available.

Remember that any classes missed this week will count as absences, even if you join the class later in the week, and the number of allowable absences in a P.E. class is fixed. So visit the department and/or classes as soon as possible to see where you can find a spot.

Event: look for those Bear Necessities

An announcement from your First-Year Class Council:

Calling all Barnard First Years! Join your first-year class council and various services on campus for a refresher on Barnard life and the resources available for you on campus!

Representatives from Study Abroad, Career Development, Barnard Babysitting and Bartending Agencies, Health Services, Student Clubs and many more will be there to offer their services and advice and to answer any questions you may have in a very relaxed environment.

So please join us for a free lunch with your friends, while learning about Barnard services that will enhance your Barnard experience!

The event will be held on Friday, January 20th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the Lower Level II of the Diana Center. We hope to see you there!

DEADLINE: registration for the spring semester

Today is the deadline to register through eBear! If you have a hold on your account that prevents you from registering, please see the appropriate person as soon as possible.

FAQ: previous college credits

If you took college classes before entering Barnard, remember that you may now request evaluation of those classes for possible Barnard credit, by completing this form and submitting it to the Registrar's office (107 Milbank).

Important Information: Spring 2012 Final Exam Schedule

Plan ahead: Columbia has already posted the projected schedule for May 2012 final examinations.

The day-by-day detailed schedule will not be posted until April, but you may use this schedule to determine when your May exams will be given, and you can plan your travel plans for the end of the semester accordingly.

Note the scheduling exceptions at the bottom of the page for certain language courses.

Important Information: registering for the spring semester

Registration for the Spring 2012 semester begins tomorrow. Remember that registration is unrelated to program filing.

The deadline to register (to let the College know that you’re on campus and ready to go) is next Wednesday, January 18th. Remember that you register through eBear (one of the tabs in your Registrar section), and you may need to deactivate the pop-up blocker in your internet browser.

If you miss the deadline, you will be charged late fees, so register as soon as possible -- it will only take a few minutes. If you have a hold on your registration for any reason, be sure to take care of it as soon as possible; you’ll need to see the relevant person, address the issue, and get a signed clearance form to take to the Registrar.

Spring Program: special approvals for programs

If your spring program will carry more than 18 points of credit, you will need your class dean's approval as well as your adviser's approval.

Note: Remember to consider your P.E. or Dance technique courses, the points for which will be added to your program after the filing deadline.

If you need this special approval, please plan to meet with me during an appointment or during walk-in hours to discuss your schedule. (See available times and procedures for reserving appointment times at the right.)

Spring Program: enrolling in Dance Technique courses

If you plan to enroll in a Dance Technique course this semester and have not done so before, here are the procedures:

1. Attend the first class meeting. You can find the schedule for all Dance technique courses in the Dance department’s section of online Directory of Courses. During the first class, the instructor will hold brief placement auditions to determine whether you are at the right level for the class.
2. After your placement has been confirmed, add the 5-digit call number for the course to your eBear program. The Dance course must be listed as part of your final program on eBear as approved by your adviser, or you will not receive credit for the course. If you add the Dance course after your adviser has approved your program, you must ask your adviser to re-approve your program.

Satisfactory completion of a Dance technique class this semester will fulfill one-half of the Physical Education requirement and will earn you one point of degree credit. Barnard requires every student to complete at least one semester of Physical Education or Dance technique by the end of her first year.

Note: The credit for a P.E. class or Dance Technique class will not appear on your eBear program until after the program filing deadline has passed.

Spring Program: first-year Physical Education requirement

If you did not fulfill the first semester of your Physical Education requirement in the fall, you must do so this semester.

In order to enroll in a P.E. class, you should sign up for the P.E. lottery through eBear during the first week of classes between Wednesday, January 18, at 9:00 a.m., and Friday, January 20, at 12:00 noon. Results will be posted after 5:00 p.m. on January 21, and P.E. classes will begin meeting during the second week of classes. You can find more information about the lottery at the Physical Education department’s website.

Note: Once you have been placed into a P.E. class, you must add it to your eBear program in order to receive credit for it.

If the lottery does not place you into a P.E. class, see the Physical Education department in 200 Barnard Annex for assistance or visit the first class meeting of P.E. classes to see if space becomes available.

Note: A Dance Technique course can fulfill a semester of the Physical Education requirement (see separate post for instructions on enrolling in a Dance Technique course for the spring semester). A Dance Technique course does not fulfill a Nine Ways of Knowing category.

Note: The credit for a P.E. class or Dance Technique class will not appear on your eBear program until after the program filing deadline has passed.

Program Planning: program filing period begins

Starting today (Monday, January 9), you may add and drop classes from your Spring 2012 program, and you will have L-course "appointment times" available every weekday (with the exception of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday).

Remember to pay attention to the "Comments and Reminders" box each time you make a change to your program, so that you will know if there are extra steps that you need to take to confirm your enrollment in a course.

The deadline to file your complete and accurate program, approved online by your adviser, is Friday, January 27, at 6:00 p.m. You may work on your program and do L-signup from any computer, on-campus or off.

Opportunity: Internships program through Yale Law School

From the Dean for Pre-Law Advising:

The Arthur Liman Public Interest Program at Yale Law School supports undergraduate and graduate students working in the public interest. Broadly defined, public interest law includes helping those lacking resources to retain attorneys, as well as engaging in advocacy work and participating in shaping public policy. The Liman Summer Fellowship offers students an opportunity to participate in public interest law projects. Past fellows have worked on issues relating to immigrants' rights, workers' rights, prison conditions, educational adequacy, reproductive rights, and juvenile rights.

All currently enrolled students are eligible to apply. Three fellows will be selected by a Barnard committee. The Liman fellows will receive a stipend of $2,500. Selected fellows will be required to attend the Liman Colloquium with fellows from the other participating schools on March 1-2, 2012 at Yale Law School. They must also complete a final report describing their summer fellowship, to be submitted by September 1, 2012.

At the time of application, students need not have identified a specific project. Students will be responsible for finding their own summer internships, but the Liman Program and Barnard's Office of Career Development will be available to assist students in finding appropriate summer internships. However, if students are interested in specific substantive areas or projects, they should feel free to describe them in their applications.

The application must include the following:

• A cover sheet listing your current contact information (address, phone, email) and class.
• A resume, which should list relevant prior experiences working or volunteering in public service.
• An essay, not to exceed 5 double-spaced pages, describing why you are motivated to work in public interest law. The essay should do more than recite activities from the applicant's resume. If the applicant is considering a fellowship at a specific host organization, a short statement about the host's work and confirmation that it is a non-profit organization.
• At least two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a faculty member who knows the applicant's work well. The recommendations must be included with the application.
• A copy of the applicant's unofficial current college transcript.

Applications for Summer 2012 fellowships are due on January 27, 2012. All parts of the application must be received by close of business and must be delivered to the Office of the Dean of Studies, 105 Milbank Hall.

If you have any questions about the program, you should feel free to visit the program website,  or email Barnard's Dean for Pre-Law Advising.

Opportunity: Spring Leadership Labs

From the Athena Center for Leadership Studies:

As a Barnard first-year student, you may enroll in up to two Athena Leadership Lab workshops per year at no additional cost. Registration is now open for our Winter/Spring cycle; workshops will begin on January 24 and run for a month.

All Athena workshops focus on important leadership skills such as communicating persuasively, speaking up, negotiating, running meetings effectively, and calming your "inner critic."  Other workshops this cycle cover entrepreneurial pursuits and website construction. You might also consider some of our Financial Fluency workshops, such as "A Beginners Guide to Financial Fluency" or "Basics of Investing," or some of our new workshops, such as "Toot Your Own Horn" or "Basics of Negotiating: Expanding What It Means to Win."

To learn more about any of thse workshops offered and to register for a workshop, click here. 

If you have any questions, please contact us at athenacenter@barnard.edu.

Winter Break

The First-Year Blog is taking a long winter's nap. Check back around January 15 for new information about the spring semester.

In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year!

Milestone: Well done, Class of 2015!

As you finish your exams and head into the winter break, I hope that you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment in completing your first semester at college.

When you arrived here a scant few months ago, most of you had no idea what to expect from your classes, your professors and your peers, so in order to get to this point you have had to make some significant adjustments to any number of new challenges and new expectations. And if it hasn’t been easy or straightforward every step of the way, that’s because it’s not supposed to be.

So give yourself credit for learning and adapting, and use the winter break to celebrate your achievement by getting some well deserved rest!

Milestone: Last day of classes of your first semester of college

Happy Last Day of Classes! You've almost made it through your first semester of college, although it probably feels that the end is nowhere in sight as you prepare for your first round of college final exams. I hope that you'll remember to do a few things over the next two weeks in addition to studying:

• Sleep. 
• Eat a vegetable. 
• Now and then, take a slow, deep breath. 
• Get some exercise. 
• Grab some social time somewhere other than Butler Library.

And remember that your performance on a final exam represents your performance on a final exam...no more, no less. For each one, study hard, do your best, and then move on. You're almost there!

Important Information: finishing up the semester

From the email sent to all students by the Dean of Studies on Dec. 7:

I hope that your final projects and exams will provide moments in which you'll feel great about what you've learned and accomplished this semester. I also hope that you'll be healthy and crisis-free between now and the end of finals and that you won't need the following information; however, please read and keep this message just in case....

As you know, coursework is to be completed by assigned dates, and finals are to be taken at assigned times, but exceptions are possible if you experience the kind of compelling extenuating circumstances that I wouldn't wish on you. Please contact your Class Dean if you have any questions about the appropriateness of these procedures for you.

Incompletes

--apply to papers, projects, or reports. If your instructor is willing to grant additional time for completion of coursework, obtain the Incomplete Form from the Registrar's Office or online at http://barnard.edu/registrar/barnard-coursework/incompletes. Submit one completed copy to that office and one to your course instructor by 15 December. Please keep a third copy so that you'll have a record of your agreement.

Final Exams

The official exam schedule must be followed unless you have 2 exams scheduled for the same time or unless you have 4 exams within 48 hours or 3 within 24 hours. An instructor is not to change the scheduling of an exam without having received verification of the conflict or overload on the designated Registrar's Office form.

If you are unable to take an exam because of serious illness or disabling personal or family emergency, you must obtain permission for a deferred exam from your course instructor, as well as a dean in the Dean of Studies Office, on the day of the exam--prior to its scheduled beginning time. To speak with one of us, please call 212-854-2024 between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. for a morning exam and between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. for an afternoon or evening exam.

If a deferral is approved by both the instructor and dean, you must submit the required form, including the $10 administration fee, to the Registrar's Office by 4 January 2012. The form is available at the Registrar's Office or at http://barnard.edu/registrar/barnard-coursework/deferred-exams. Deferred exams for Barnard and Columbia courses will be administered on Friday, 20 January (and on Monday, 23 January if you need to take more than two exams).

Please note that the Registrar's Office is unable to administer deferred exams that comprise (1) slides or Power Point presentations (e.g., Art History), (2) an oral component (e.g., languages), or (3) a listening component (e.g., music). Those exams must be administered by the specific departments and may be difficult to arrange.

An X, signifying the fact that the exam was deferred, will be on your transcript along with your course grade.

If you become ill during a final, inform your instructor or proctor, submit your bluebook(s) to her/him, and report to Health Services in Lower Level Brooks. If you have completed more than 40 minutes in a 2-hour exam or more than 1 hour in a 3-hour exam, you will be graded on your completed work, e.g., if you have answered only a 30-point question and earned 26 points for it, and if the exam is worth 100 points, your grade will be based on a score of 26/100. If you have been in the exam for less than 40 minutes or 1 hour, respectively, you must take a deferred exam.

Grades

Course grades are final and may be changed only in the event of clerical error or if the work of all of your classmates is reevaluated. A course grade may not be improved by reexamination or by the submission of additional or revised work. Your grades will be posted on eBear as soon as possible after faculty members have submitted them.

Academic Integrity

I wish it were different, but many of you seem to feel great pressure about grades. As a consequence, some of you over the past few years have taken unacceptable short cuts, cheating yourselves and your classmates. You probably know that misrepresentation of your situation, e.g., saying you're seriously ill when you're not, is also a violation of the College Honor Code--in addition to being a lie. At the risk of sounding preachy, I hope that all of us can agree that honesty in academic pursuits (and in all of our pursuits for that matter) is far more important to the way we choose to live our lives than is a course grade.

Winter Break

The Dean of Studies and Registrar's offices will  be closed from 23 December until 3 January. We hope you won't hesitate to contact us if we can be helpful during the rest of the Break.

We wish meaningful, enjoyable (fun!), and rejuvenating experiences for each one of you--

Karen Blank
Dean of Studies

For Spring 2012: mark your calendars for theater auditions

An announcement from Barnard's Theatre Department:

Auditions 2012 for all Spring acting classes and theatre productions
January 17 & 18 -- with a mandatory meeting for all auditioners 1/17 at 5:30 p.m.
All meetings and auditions are in the Minor Latham Playhouse, 118 Milbank Hall

If you are interested in an acting class, you must audition. You can also audition for one of our four spring productions at the same audition session. More information on audition times and audition requirements can be found on the Theatre Department's website: http://theatre.barnard.edu/auditions

Spring 2012 Acting Classes:

Scene Lab (2 sections), Acting the Song, Acting Language in Action, Avant-Garde Acting, Acting Suzuki and Viewpoints, Acting Chekhov

Spring Production Slate (All students cast will receive academic credit):

1) A New Play: The Egg Layers, by Lauren Feldman
2) The Blind, by Maurice Maeterlinck
3) The Long Goodbye, by Tennessee Williams
4) Gloryday, by Michael John LaChiusa

Upcoming deadline: course evaluation submissions

The online course evaluation period began Monday, December 5 and will run through Thursday, December 15. You can access the evaluation for a particular course through its Courseworks site. Please note that you will not be able to access the evaluation forms at all after December 15.

These course evaluations help faculty to assess the efficacy of the courses they teach, while also providing helpful information to departments who are considering not only course offerings but also faculty promotions. Therefore, your sincerely considered feedback is greatly appreciated.

Students who do not fill out their evaluations will have their grades blocked online until January 7 (3 weeks after the first date when grades are released).

Advance Spring Programs: additional add/drop times

During this week (December 5-9), undergraduates may make adjustments to their Spring 2012 programs. You will have L signup appointments for about 12 hours each day (no priority based on class standing), and will have around-the-clock access to your eBear program.

Please note that you are not required or even expected to make any changes at all; this is simply an opportunity. You should list on your program only those classes you really believe you will take, and in the interest of fairness, you should not take up a space in a class that a fellow student might desperately need.

You do not need your adviser's approval for any December changes.  If you need to make adjustments, you should do so based on the conversation you had with your adviser in November, and of course you will have further discussions after classes start in January.

Note that this week does not provide an extension of the advance program filing deadline that passed on November 21. If you did not receive your adviser's approval for that deadline, you should print your program, have your adviser sign it, and bring it to the Registrar. (Students who do not file approved advance programs may be subject to withdrawal from the College. Only students who will be on study leave in the spring are not required to file advance programs.) Your adviser will not be able to approve your program online until January.

Food for thought: Spectator reminds you to "Take a breath"

Hear, hear:

http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2011/12/01/take-a-breath

DEADLINE: program filing for Spring 2012 semester - MONDAY

The deadline to have a full-time (minimum of 12 points of credit) advance program for Spring 2012 on eBear, and to have your adviser's approval entered online, is MONDAY, November 22, at 6:00 p.m.

Once your adviser has submitted approval for your advance program, every class on your Spring 2012 List of Courses should have a check next to it under the "Status" column. (When your adviser first submits approval, the checks will be red; when the approval has been processed by the computer system, the checks will turn blue.) If you add a course after your adviser has submitted approval, you must contact your adviser again to have approval resubmitted, or that course will not be an approved part of your schedule.

If you haven't already done so, be sure to meet with your adviser by the deadline on Monday, or you will be charged late fees that increase with each passing day.

Opportunity: get involved in McAC

An announcement from the McAC Activities Council:

Do you want to make Barnard traditions happen? Apply to be a McAC member!

The McIntosh Activities Council is comprised of five committees: Action, Community, Multicultural, Network, and Time-Out. Together, we plan, organize, and host some of Barnard's most beloved traditions and events, including Founder's Day, Big Sub, Midnight Breakfast, and Spirit Day. We're currently recruiting for Spring 2012 members on ALL committees, so please take a minute to fill out our application, and submit it by Sunday, November 27 by 5:00pm.

The application can be found here.  Please don't hesitate to reach out to mcac@barnard.edu with questions or concerns.

DEADLINE: pass/d/fail declaration OR course withdrawal

Remember that this Thursday, November 17, is the deadline for two actions:

1) The deadline to declare the Pass/D/Fail option for a course is Thursday at 11:00 p.m., through eBear. You do not need your adviser's approval to use the P/D/F option, but it would be a good idea to discuss the matter with your adviser to ensure that you have thought through the decision. Visit the Registrar's website to be sure that you understand the rules governing the Pass/D/Fail option and to find the instructions for utilizing the option.

2) Also, the deadline to withdraw from a course is this Thursday at 4:30 p.m. You do need your adviser's approval in order to withdraw from a course. To withdraw from a course, pick up a withdrawal form from the Registrar's office (107 Milbank), complete the form, have your adviser sign the form, then submit it to the Registrar's office. The course will remain on your transcript with a "W," indicating that you officially withdrew from the course midway through the semester. Remember that all students are expected to carry at least 12 points of credit per semester; if you have extenuating circumstances and need to drop below 12 points of credit by withdrawing from a course, you must see the First-Year Class Dean for special permission.

Advising: combined programs with SIPA

Barnard College offers dual-degree 5-year programs with Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. One program leads to a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in International Affairs, and the other leads to a Bachelor's degree and a Master's in Public Administration.

On Tuesday, November 15, a panel comprising Barnard alumnae who have recently graduated from SIPA or who are completing their master's degree this year will speak about their experiences and answer questions. If you think you may be interested in applying to one of these programs in the future, do try to attend:

What: Barnard Alumnae Panel on Barnard-SIPA dual degree programs
When: Tuesday, November 15, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Where: 805 Altschul


Then, the following evening, SIPA will hold an information session for students interested in the dual-degree programs:

What: SIPA Information Session on dual degree programs
When: Wednesday, November 16, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Where: IAB, Room 1512

Advising: 3-2 combined plan with SEAS

Students interested in the 3-2 Combined Plan with the Engineering School are invited to an information session on Tuesday, November 15, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., in Barnard Hall, James Room.

If you are interested in the Plan but unable to attend the information session, please send a message to that effect to Dean Bournoutian.

FAQ: the Nine Ways of Knowing for the Class of 2015

Last year, the Nine Ways of Knowing were reviewed and clarified by Barnard's Committee on Instruction, and two of the categories were changed accordingly. Therefore, this year's first-year class will be working toward a slightly different set of Nine Ways of Knowing than their older classmates.

Specifically, the Class of 2015 will need to fulfill a category titled "Ethics and Values" (as opposed to the earlier category of "Reason and Value"), and will need to fulfill a newer version of "Social Analysis". So when you look at the list of current classes that fulfill General Education Requirements, be sure to look at "Ethics and Values" (not "Reason and Value") and to look at "Social Analysis 2" (not "Social Analysis").

Just to make things more confusing, the checklist that was previously provided to help you keep track of your requirements was not updated to reflect this information (apologies!). So please visit the earlier post again and print or download the new checklist to ensure that you remember that you should plan to fulfill "Ethics and Values" and "Social Analysis 2":

http://barnardfirstyear.blogspot.com/2011/10/advance-program-filing-first-steps-in.html

Advising: "Meet the Majors" event this week

The Sophomore Class Council will host a special event this week titled "Meet the
Majors." Designed to help provide information about a variety of prospective majors, the event will take the form of a reception so that first-year and sophomore students can mingle with upperclass students who have declared their majors. Students will be able to ask
questions and seek advice from about the experience of pursuing a major in a particular field.

What: Meet the Majors program
Where: Sulzberger North and South Towers
When: Thursday, November 17, 6:30-8:00 p.m.