June 23-27 2025 Department Meetings

 Hey First Years!

What class do I take for my major in the Fall? Do I major or do I minor? What is a major concentration? How can I meet people who are involved with my prospective major? What do I choose? Who do I talk to? 

If these sound like any questions you currently have in regards to what to do with your interests at Barnard, you're in luck! June 23-27, Barnard is hosting multiple general advising Department meetings on Zoom to inform you with what's going on Fall 2025 and provide guidance on what you can do as a First-Year. Department chairs/directors will give a presentation of department planning and offerings, and then usually hold space for Q&As! We HIGHLY recommend attending at least one of these meetings as it is a great way to familiarize yourself with academics at Barnard before the academic year officially begins! Here is a table of all the department meetings:

Department(s)	Meeting Date and Time	Meeting link
Psychology, Neuroscience, & Cognitive Science	Monday, June 23 10-11 AM ET	Link
Pre-Health	Monday, June 23 11AM-12 PM ET	Link
Math & Economics	Monday, June 23  12-1 PM ET	Link
Social Sciences (sociology, anthropology, urban studies, political science)	Tuesday, June 24 10-11 AM ET	Link
Humanities (philosophy, english, art history, music, spanish)	Wednesday, June 25 11-12 PM ET	Link
First-Year Experience	Thursday, June 26  10-11 AM ET	Link
Computer Science	Friday, June 27 10-11 AM ET	Link
Sciences (biology, chemistry, physics)	Friday, June 27 11-12 PM ET	Link

This information will also be included in Volume 2, so stay tuned!

Best,

The First-Year Team

A Rundown on Barnard Beginnings 2025!

Hi First-Years!

Yes, that’s you: CLASS OF 2029! We are so excited to welcome you on campus. Before that happens, we hope to provide a run down on most things academic as well as advise you on other aspects of the college experience in preparation for your arrival at Barnard. 

WELCOME TO BARNARD BEGINNINGS!

So what is Barnard Beginnings?

Barnard Beginnings is the umbrella term used to refer to the content delivered by the Dean’s Office for Advising and Support during the summer to help the first-year class transition smoothly to the College. Over the next three months, we will communicate with you frequently via emails, our Blog, our Instagram, and most importantly our First Year Guide volumes to keep you informed of relevant and timely information. This ranges from topics such as class registration to academic and social support to our favorite dining halls. 

 

Who’s on the team?

Our team is comprised of the following:

• Wendy Garay (The First-Year Class Dean & Senior Associate Dean)
• Lauren Quach (Administrative Assistant to the First-Year and Senior Class Deans)
• Rebecca Sidi (you can call me Becca) and Riya Rao (Two Student Assistants to the First-Year Class Dean)

You can expect to hear from us often!

Riya

Rebecca ("Becca")

Lauren

Dean Garay

What other Barnard Beginnings Programming should I expect?

• First-Year Guide Volumes every two weeks

• Q&A’s on our Instagram

• Academic Planning & Registration Sessions

• Department Meetings for Prospective Majors 

• Blog Posts

The above list is not comprehensive but, hopefully, provides a good idea of what to expect!

Where should I go If I have any questions?

We have all been in your shoes and have had dozens of questions on everything related to college. This is why we are all so excited to start working with you. We are here to help! Below are the best ways to reach the first-year team.

Becca and Riya will host virtual walk-in hours over Zoom every week to answer your many questions:

• Becca's Office Hours: MON (3PM-4PM EST) | TUES (10AM-11AM EST)

• Riya's Office Hours: WEDS (8PM-9PM EST) | THURS (9AM-10AM EST)

You can also email the first-year team with your questions at first-year@barnard.edu and we will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Dean Garay will also host a general advising session on Monday, June 9th this summer during which she will discuss all things related to academic planning and registration. Starting Tuesday, June 10th, you will be required to participate in one (1) individual academic advising sessions. Instructions on how to sign up for you 1:1 advising session will be delivered to your Barnard email on June 6.

We will pause here for now. Just know that we are ready to take this journey with you and look forward to meeting you all! 

Best,

The First-Year Team

Physical Education (PE) @ Barnard

Hi First-Years,

As part of your first-year requirements, you are expected to complete the Physical Education (PE) requirement within your first year. This can be fulfilled by enrolling in one Barnard PE class or one Barnard dance class.

Earlier, in Volume 1 of Barnard Beginnings, you filled out the Physical Education Requirement Preference Form by the deadline (June13). Based on your preferences, you’ll be notified via email before July registration about whether you’ve been selected to fulfill the PE requirement in Fall 2025 or Spring 2026.

If you’re selected to fulfill the Physical Education requirement in Fall 2025, be sure to register for your PE or dance class during the July registration period.

The Physical Education department offers a variety of classes, including yoga, body sculpting, pilates, tai chi, strength training, and health coaching. For dance, you can choose from courses in ballet, modern, tap, hip hop, and more.

Click here to view course offerings for Physical Education and here for dance. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to physed@barnard.edu for PE-related inquiries or dance@barnard.edu for dance-related questions.

Best, 

The First-Year Team