WALKING TOUR - SELF-GUIDED

THE QUAD: Residential Life

Barnard’s Quad, comprised of Brooks, Hewitt, Sulzberger, and Reid residence halls, shapes

the campus community and much of student life. Nearly 95% of Barnard students live in college

housing, either in the Quad or in one of seven other residence halls: three buildings on 116th

Street near the south end of campus, Elliott Hall, Plimpton Hall, and Cathedral Gardens and

College Residence Hall at 110th. Barnard College oers many housing options: traditional

residence halls, corridor- and suite-style rooms, or apartments near campus. All residence halls

are smoke and substance free.

First-year students reside in doubles, triples, or quads and participate in First-Year Focus (FYF),

Barnard’s extended orientation. Throughout the year, FYF oers programs that introduce

students to Barnard, Columbia, and New York City. A dynamic sta of Associate Directors, Hall

Directors, and student Resident Assistants (RAs) supervises each hall. Resident Assistants

organize social and educational programs and foster a sense of unity among residents. All

buildings have Internet access, 24-hour access coverage with desk attendants, and laundry

facilities. Many of our residence halls also have 24-hour computer labs (visit the housing website

for details on each community).

The Quad has several lounges for student use which provide access to kitchens, televisions, and

additional study space. The Quad also houses the oces of Residential Life and Housing,

Furman Counseling Center, Primary Care Health Services and Well-Woman, Hewitt Dining

Hall, and WBAR, the College’s independent radio station.

Hewitt Dining Hall features regular, vegetarian, vegan, and kosher foods within the meal plans.

In order to maximize dining options, students on the meal plan take advantage of a two-part

system: meals and points. Students on the meal plan have the option of eating at Hewitt Dining

Hall or the Diana Center Café. Points work as currency, with one point equaling one dollar. All

residents of oors 2-8 in the Quad are required to be on an unlimited meal plan.

VAGELOS ALUMNAE CENTER: Visitor Center

The Vagelos Alumnae Center, which opened in 2002, serves as the home base for Barnard

alumnae. Decorated living and dining rooms provide space where alumnae can socialize and

hold meetings, and internet access is available via two computer stations. Vagelos also houses

the Barnard Admissions Visitor Center.

BARNARD HALL: Resources, Curriculum & Athletics

Barnard Hall is the gateway to Barnard, housing everything from dance studios and event

spaces to classrooms and academic departments.

The Barnard education is rmly rooted in the liberal arts to ensure that each student will benet

from great breadth and depth of study in a multitude of disciplines. The Foundations curriculum

is modern and exible, allowing students to keep pace with our rapidly evolving world.

This diverse and ambitious set of general education requirements—First-Year Experience,

Distributional Requirements, Modes of Thinking, and the Senior Experience —is uniquely

Barnard and allows students to learn and study within local, global, and historical contexts.

At the heart of Foundations are the Modes of Thinking, which include a distinct technology

requirement that sets Barnard apart. The Modes emphasize the dynamic process of thinking

over the certainty of knowing. We support our philosophy of encouraging students’ academic

exploration by providing a wide variety of courses across multiple disciplines to fulll each

requirement.

Athletes at Barnard College compete in athletics at the highest level. Barnard’s partnership with

Columbia University makes it the only women’s college whose athletes compete at the NCAA

Division I level. We oer sixteen varsity sports: archery, basketball, cross country/track, fencing,

eld hockey, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, squash, swimming and diving, tennis, and

volleyball. Additionally, many students participate in seasonal intramurals and many club sports,

which compete in collegiate leagues at local, regional, and national tournaments. All students

have full access to the athletic facilities at Columbia and the Barnard Fitness Center.

BARNARD HALL ANNEX: Performing Arts

The Barnard Annex is a space that adjoins Barnard Hall, with Streng Dance Studio on

the ground oor (there are also studio and dance oces in Barnard Hall). Barnard’s Dance

Department is among the best in the nation, with renowned alumnae such as Twyla Tharp. Over

the years, guest artists and faculty have included Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Wendy

Whelan (current Orzeck Artist in Residence), the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Andrea Miller

(Artistic Director of Gallim Dance), and many emerging choreographers. Frequent campus

productions oer a variety of chances for performance and choreography, in addition to the

wide curriculum of dance classes open to all students. The Department produces two concerts

annually, which feature professional choreographers at New York Live Arts and Miller Theatre.

Barnard graduates dance in many prestigious companies including the Paul Taylor Dance

Company, the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Gibney Dance Company, the Limon Dance

Company, regional ballet companies, O-Broadway productions (Sleep No More), and Third Rail

Projects. They also can be found choreographing around the world.

FUTTER FIELD: Barnard Spirit and Women Who Lead

This unique, grassy oasis oers a respite from busy New York City and acts as a center of

community life at Barnard. When the weather is nice, students ll the lawn, soaking up the sun,

reading, or just catching up with friends. Professors often hold class here, and Futter Field also

hosts traditional Barnard events and activities including Commencement celebrations, Big Sub,

and the Greek Games, a tradition that honors generations of ambitious and inspiring Barnard

women with a modern twist. Wherever they are, on campus and o, Barnard students are a

diverse and remarkable group of independent, intelligent, creative, inquisitive, resourceful,

and adventurous women. They shine as leaders inside and outside the classroom, run campus

organizations at Barnard and Columbia, organize activities and events, conduct advanced

research with professors, and discuss the mission of the College with administrators. Student

services, such as Health Services, Beyond Barnard, and Academic Advising focus energy and

resources entirely on meeting the needs of undergraduate women. Barnard’s encouraging and

challenging environment has shaped accomplished graduates in every eld.

THE CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN TEACHING AND LEARNING CENTER:

Academics & Library

The Milstein Center provides a diverse range of innovative and essential resources that will

continue Barnard’s legacy for decades to come. The 128,000-square-foot building—with a base

of ve oors and a tower of eleven oors adjacent to Altschul Hall—is a distinctive place that

convenes students and faculty, facilitates collaboration, and fosters dialogue. It includes a new

kind of library, one that brings together current technologies and learning spaces in an interactive

setting. The Library features a core collection of books, journals, zines, and special collections that

supports a strong liberal arts education; enhanced storage for the entire Archives collection, along

with the Hope L. and John L. Furth Archive Reading Room for scholarship. Its innovative centers

include: Design Center (maker space), Digital Humanities Center, Elsie K. Sloate Media Center

with a production lab and post-production lab, Empirical Reasoning Center, Center for Engaged

Pedagogy, Movement Lab, The Vagelos Computational Science Center, The Barnard Center for

Research on Women, and the Athena Center for Leadership Studies.

THE DIANA CENTER: Student Life & Learning

This mixed-use building, which opened Spring 2010, is utilized for teaching, learning,

student activities, dining, and events. Its seven stories include classrooms, department oces, a

café and student dining, event spaces, a student store, administrative oces, art and architecture

studios, an art gallery, and a black box theatre. Additionally, the main computing center at

Barnard is housed on the third oor of The Diana Center, where students can work on group

projects using large monitors, use scanning stations and printers, or get computer support.

The Oce of Student Life, also housed on the third oor, advises all student-run organizations,

provides opportunities for identity exploration and leadership development through intentional

and inclusive programming, and the store oers discounted tickets for professional dance,

theatre, opera, sporting events, and movies. With an ascending double-height glass atria and

unfolded glazed staircase, The Diana Center brings in natural light and views, while its wedge-

shaped design frames a clear sightline from one end of the campus to the other, linking the historic

gates of our campus entrance at Barnard Hall to Milbank Hall at the north end of campus.

ALTSCHUL HALL: STEM and More

The lower level of Altschul Hall houses the student mailroom/mailboxes. The upper

oors of Altschul house Barnard’s laboratories and science departments, including Biology,

Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics and Astronomy, and Neuroscience and Behavior.

As one of 50 leading “science-active” colleges in the country—liberal arts colleges that produce

a disproportionately high level of achievement in the sciences and mathematics—Barnard

encourages research and close interaction with faculty mentors. Barnard professors are teachers,

mentors, and scholars. They are devoted to helping guide students through their educational

journey at Barnard. Many students elect to build on their classroom experience through our fully-

funded Summer Research Institute. A student professor ratio of 10:1 ensures close interaction

and unparalleled research opportunities; more than 70% of Barnard classes have 19 students or

fewer. In addition, more than 60% of Barnard’s full-time faculty are women, compared to about

45% nationally.

Elliott Hall: Beyond Barnard

Beyond Barnard supports all students and alumnae of the College as they work to dene,

pursue, and achieve success in their careers and communities.

The oce’s multifaceted approach covers careers, experiential education (student jobs,

internships, civic engagement, and post-baccalaureate programming), fellowships and research,

as well as advising on graduate and professional school (including masters and doctoral programs).

The sta provides guidance to students and alumnae to clarify interests, strengths, and ambitions

in order to help them make informed career and post-graduate decisions. Students are encouraged

to participate in internships, community service, jobs, and career programming. Beyond Barnard

lists nearly 16,000 jobs and internships each year, and 75% of our students complete at least one

internship during their time here.

MILBANK HALL: Administration & Advising

Milbank Hall was the rst building on Barnard’s campus and originally contained

classrooms, residences, and a dining facility. Milbank remains an integral part of the campus and

houses the College’s main administrative oces, including the President’s and Provost’s Oces,

Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar, Bursar, and the Oce of International & Intercultural

Student Programs. The following academic departments are located in Milbank Hall:

Anthropology, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Classics, Foreign Languages, Mathematics,

Music, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, and Theatre. The climate controlled,

2,500-square-foot Arthur Ross Greenhouse is located on the roof of Milbank Hall. The

greenhouse contains specimens from over 45 plant families and provides research subjects for

courses ranging from molecular biology to ecology.

The Oce of the Dean of Studies is located on the rst oor and coordinates a stellar advising

program, which emphasizes student-professor interaction. Prior to arriving on campus, students

complete an extensive questionnaire regarding their interests, both academic and personal,

to ensure a good match with their rst-year advisor. Professors volunteer to advise students

according to their research and teaching schedules to make certain that each student is given

the maximum amount of attention. When students declare their majors at the end of the second

year, they select a major advisor. Four Class Deans serve as a general resource for personal and

academic support. In addition, there are Deans who work with international and transfer students

and those interested in advanced professional degrees.

WEST 120

STREET

PLIMPTON

SULZBERGER

BARNARD

HALL

MILBANK

BROADWAY

CLAREMONT AVENUE

Cathedral Gardens & College Residence Hall at 110

St.

WEST 116

STREET

WEST 120

STREET

ELLIOTT

616

600

620

HEWITT

BROOKS

REID

RIVERSIDE DRIVE

KEY:

Campus Entrance

Building Main Entrance

Admissions Visitor Center

Wheelchair Access

Security/Information

Subway

Garages (120th St & Riverside)

(122nd St & Broadway)

Plimpton Hall at 121st St & Amsterdam

WEST 119

STREET

MAIN GATES

THE

MILSTEIN

TEACHING

& LEARNING

CENTER

ALTSCHUL

THE DIANA

CENTER

CAMPUS MAP

VAGELOS

ALUMNAE CENTER

ANNEX

ADMISSIONS

VISITOR CENTER

FUTTER FIELD

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