Navigating Student Planning at Barnard College: A Comprehensive Guide

Barnard College provides a structured approach to student planning, ensuring students have the resources and guidance necessary to navigate their academic journey successfully. This guide covers essential aspects of student planning, from utilizing the Barnard Portal to understanding registration procedures and accessing support services.

The Updated Barnard Portal: Your Central Hub

Barnard College has transitioned from the myBarnard Portal to an updated, mobile-accessible platform known as the Barnard Portal, accessible at portal.barnard.edu. This upgrade aims to provide a more seamless and user-friendly experience for students, particularly through mobile devices. The updated portal utilizes Barnard’s Single Sign-On (SSO) solution, enabling students to access other SSO applications like gBear without re-entering login information.

The myBarnard Portal was officially retired on August 9th. As a result, the public Barnard directory is no longer available. Students can now use the gBear Global Address list or the Columbia directory to find contact information for other Barnard students.

Online Course Registration Through Student Planning

Students register for classes online through Student Planning, accessible via the Barnard Portal. Continuing students register in April for fall classes and in November for spring classes. Incoming students register in July for fall classes and in January for spring classes. It is crucial to consult the academic calendar for specific registration periods.

Steps to Registering for Classes

Search for Classes: Students can search for courses in the Course Catalog within Student Planning or through the Columbia Directory of Classes, which lists all Columbia and Barnard courses.

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Add Classes to Your Plan: Utilize Student Planning to add desired courses to your academic plan.
Consult Your Adviser: Advisers play a crucial role in the registration process. All students require their adviser’s permission at two stages:
- Before initial registration for the semester.
- To approve the final class schedule on or before the registration deadline (the second Friday of classes each semester).
Before declaring a major, students are assigned a "pre-major" adviser to guide them through course selection and academic planning.
Register for Classes: Students are assigned specific registration appointment times, which can be viewed in the Barnard Portal.
Credit Limits: Students should ensure they register for an appropriate number of credits. Beginning with the Fall 2019 semester, students can take a maximum of 19 credits each semester. Students may initially add up to 23 credits during early registration and the "shopping period," but remaining above 19 credits requires adviser approval.

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Finalize Your Schedule: Students can add and drop classes online through the second Friday of the semester, allowing for adjustments based on course experience and academic goals.

Important Registration Considerations

Registration Holds

Students should resolve any registration holds before their registration appointment time. These holds may include:

Financial Responsibility Statement: Students must sign and acknowledge the Financial Responsibility Statement for each semester or term of enrollment in Vergil.

Full-Time Enrollment

All Barnard students are required to be enrolled full time, defined as a minimum of 12 credits per semester and a minimum of 24 credits over the academic year. Part-time enrollment is generally not permitted, except in specific circumstances outlined in the Reduced Courseload policy.

Students with compelling circumstances may request additional credits during the shopping period in September and January.

Reduced Course Load

Students registered with CARDS (the Office of Disability Services) who require a reduced course load as a disability-related accommodation will need to request a Reduced Course Load through CARDS. The credit requirements for reduced course loads are:

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Fewer than 12 credits for students living on campus and students on F-1 visas.
Fewer than 9 credits for all other students.

Students with approved reduced course loads lower than 6 credits who are on Financial Aid should also schedule a meeting with their Financial Aid counselor to discuss potential loan implications.

Utilizing the "Shopping Period"

During the first two weeks of the semester, students have the opportunity to attend classes for which they are not registered. This "shopping period" allows students to learn more about the class content and format before finalizing their schedule.

CourseWorks

Clicking on the “View in CourseWorks” tab will redirect students to the class’s CourseWorks site, providing access to course materials, announcements, and communication tools.

Waitlists

Different courses manage waitlists in various ways:

Instructor-managed: The instructor selects students individually from the waitlist based on their own criteria.
Disabled waitlist: The course does not have a waitlist.

Physical Education (P.E.) Classes

Only Barnard students who have not yet satisfied the P.E. requirement can register online for Barnard P.E. classes. Other students can attend the first class to request permission. First-year students must complete the one required semester of P.E. by the end of the first year. Transfer students should consult their transfer credit evaluation to determine if they need to fulfil the P.E. requirement. Level I P.E. courses, except Dance Styles courses, receive a Pass/Fail grade and have no prerequisites.

Additional Academic Opportunities

Cross-Registration and Independent Study

Barnard students can apply a maximum of two professional school courses (e.g., courses at Teachers College, Journalism, Social Work, Public Health, or International Affairs) toward their degree. Students not in the 4 + 1 program at SIPA can cross-register into SIPA classes after the start of the semester.

To request credit for an independent study, students must submit the Request for Approval of Independent Study form by the registration deadline.

Summer Courses

All summer credit taken outside of Barnard must be pre-approved using the Summer Course Approval form to ensure credit will be granted. Students are responsible for the tuition charged for all summer credit taken elsewhere.

If a Barnard student plans to take any Columbia summer course, their student record will be affected and could impact their ability to register for upcoming Fall or Spring classes.

Slate for Students

Slate for Students is a central online location for academic forms and resources. Through this portal, students can submit requests to the Registrar’s Office, obtain approvals from advisers and academic departments, upload supporting information, and track the status of pending requests.

Degree Audit

Students should regularly review their online degree audit in Student Planning to identify remaining course requirements for their degree.

Resources and Support Services

Barnard College offers a range of resources and support services to help students succeed academically and personally:

Academic Centers: Barnard is home to several academic centers that facilitate hands-on research, collaborations, and conversations.
Well-Woman Health Center: This center provides checkups, vaccines, gynecological services, health education, nutrition counseling, and a 24/7 on-call clinician.
Office of Financial Aid: The Office of Financial Aid processes financial aid applications, loans, and outside scholarships, and provides guidance related to financing a Barnard education.
Bursar's Office: The Bursar's Office manages student bills, including all charges, payments, payment plans, and refunds.

Important Reminders

Students can no longer add credited courses after the registration deadline.
No time conflicts are allowed; students will not be able to register for two courses that overlap.
To see if a section has a note attached, click on the section itself. Notes will identify special requirements for the course, such as required applications, writing samples, or attendance at the first class.

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