Barnard College
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

In compliance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and other federal, state and local laws, and in accordance with our values, Barnard College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, disability, or sex[1], gender identity or expression, in the administration of any of its educational programs and activities or in its employment practices.

In addition, Barnard College does not discriminate on the basis of alienage or citizenship status, marital partnership status, military status, arrest or conviction record, predisposing genetic characteristics, caregiver status, or victim status for the following offenses: domestic violence, stalking, and/or sex offense, in its employment practices.

Barnard College has designated the Executive Director for Equity to handle all inquiries regarding its efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under these laws. The interim Executive Director for Equity may be contacted as follows:

[1] As a women’s institution, Barnard College accepts applications from those who consistently live and identify as women.

https://barnard.edu/title-ix-equity/inform/notice-non-discrimination

Response Protocol: Anyone who has experienced or learned of potentially discriminatory or harassing behavior is encouraged to report these incidents. Upon receiving a report, Barnard College (“the College”) will respond promptly, equitably, impartially and fairly. In addition, the College will take steps to prevent the recurrence of the alleged discrimination or harassment and to correct its effects. The College is committed to providing an employment, learning and campus living environment free from discrimination or harassment.

Reports may be received from information reports from Public Safety, supervisors or other College staff, or may come directly from an individual bringing forward a specific complaint. Individuals who believe they have experienced or observed discrimination or harassment may consult with the Executive Director for Equity/Title IX Coordinator to discuss their concern or initiate a report in accordance with the information:
Complaints against students should be directed to Students Associate Director of Community Standards. Complaints against Faculty should be directed to the Vice Provost for Academic Programs. Complaints against staff should be brought to HR.

For a description of specific grievance procedures, see the link below:
https://barnard.edu/title-ix-equity/respond/grievance-procedures/discrimination-harassment

For those in need of support following a bias incident, act of discrimination, or hate crime, the College provides one-on-one guidance from the Title IX Coordinator at the discretion of the reporting person. Every concern is handled on a case by case basis, and even in situations where the reporting person does not wish to proceed with a formal investigatory process, the Office of Title IX & Equity offers supportive options where applicable and takes a hands-on approach in assisting the reporting person with accommodations as needed (whether they be academic/work place accommodations, Residential Life & Housing specific accommodations, additional security or options for safety attention, etc.). The Office of Title IX & Equity endeavors to provide the reporting person informed guidance on how to access resources both on- and off-campus, either in writing upon initial outreach or in person. Importantly, the Office strives to emphasize the autonomy of the reporting person.

Support for Students: https://barnard.edu/title-ix-equity/support/resources/students
Barnard offers a number of resources to support to students who have experienced or witnessed a bias incident, act of discrimination or hate crime. Campus resources include counseling at the Rosemary Furman Counseling Center and drop in hours at Beyond Barnard which provides support to students and makes referrals to other on and off campus resources. The Columbia University/Barnard College - Rape Crisis Anti-Violence Support Center provides peer counseling, advocacy and education to the entire University community. They are staffed by graduate and undergraduate women, a professional Program Coordinator, and Advisors from Columbia University and Barnard College. The RC/AVSC offers emotional support, accompaniment, and referrals to survivors and their supporters. It helps survivors of sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, relationship violence, childhood abuse, hate crimes, stalking and sexual harassment.

Resources for Staff: https://barnard.edu/title-ix-equity/support/resources/faculty-staff
Staff have a number of resources available to them on and off campus. On campus, the office of Title IX and Equity is available to consult and provide references to outside services or to initiate a report. College benefits also include access to the Employee Assistance Program through Humana which provides off campus counseling services.

Diversity in Admissions

The Admissions Office and Pre-College Programs Offices implement a number of programmatic and strategic initiatives to attract and enroll a diverse pool of students, with targeted efforts around low-income students and underrepresented students-of-color. In addition, the College is committed to making a Barnard education and helping each family make the best financial choices. ion affordable. For US Citizens and Permanent Residents the College is need-blind in its admissions selection and meets full determined need of admitted students. The College has a limited number of scholarships for undocumented students and international students.

Recruitment
General recruitment efforts involve biannual visits to over 600 public and private high schools and community-based organizations throughout the country and internationally. Staff attend college “fairs”, run workshops on a variety of college planning topics, serve on college planning panels and host receptions to introduce students to our alumnae. Staff also travels jointly with peer colleges and universities to market the college more widely. To determine recruitment outreach each year, staff research geo-demographic trends including socioeconomic make-up of particular areas, strength of high school programs, diversity of regions and communities, college-going rates, and more. They utilize internal inquiry, applicant and current student data national market data provided by the College Board, and the resources of other college admissions membership networks.

The Admissions Office designates a Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment whose responsibility is to enrich the college’s outreach to underserved populations, enhance recruitment efforts on the part of all staff members, and liaison with other key members of the college. The individual works closely with several local and national networks, such as CACNY (College Access Consortium on New York), to ensure that our outreach is wide and comprehensive. The individual also partners with others on campus, including the Financial Aid, Student Life, the Deans Office, faculty and currents students to forge on-campus support.


Opportunity Programs:
HEOP stands for Higher Education Opportunity Program, a statewide program put in place by the New York State legislature in 1969. Barnard College started its program in 1970 and is funded by both the New York State Education department and Barnard College. Barnard and The Arthur O. Eve HEOP Scholars Program give bright and motivated students who are educationally and economically disadvantaged access to higher education. Once a student is admitted to Barnard as an HEOP Scholar, the program provides academic support services to ensure her success in college. The College enrolls about 20-25 students annually through HEOP.
Over 20 years ago, Barnard established the Barnard Opportunity Program (BOP) attract and enroll students with academic and socioeconomic profiles similar to the HEOP pool of students, beyond New York State. We enroll 7-10 students BOP student annually.

Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program The Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) is a New York State Department of Education initiative designed to provide services to students from underrepresented populations or economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are seeking careers in the sciences, mathematics and technological fields, and the licensed professions.
During the academic year CSTEP provides faculty mentors, academic support (tutorials), financial assistance for specialized preparation courses for standardized examinations (e.g. GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.), workshops, placement in internships, and academic counseling.

Science Pathways Scholars Program – (SP)2
The Science Pathways Scholars Program – (SP)2 – is a highly-selective four year program to support talented young women from Black, Native-American and Latina backgrounds and first generation college students, who convey strong interest in biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics/astronomy, or neuroscience. Students who are selected as (SP)2 Scholars will benefit from an exceptional set of opportunities and resources. Students must be applying to Barnard as first-year students and demonstrate a strong interest in the sciences. Student must be interested in majoring in biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics/astronomy or neuroscience to continue in the program all 4 years. Eligible students must be members of an underrepresented minority in the sciences (Black, Native-American or Latina), or a first-generation student with parents who did not complete a four-year college degree. The College enrolls 10-15 students annually as (SP)2 Scholars.

Targeted recruitment programs for students-of-color:
We know that our ability to matriculate students is directly related to the opportunities students have to spend time on campus, taking a tour, attending classes and spending an overnight with a current student. Admissions established the following two initiatives to help address two challenges: the interest in helping students of color better understand diversity at Barnard and connect with their peers and the fact that some students cannot afford to visit the colleges in which they are interested.

Barnard Bound:
In the Fall the Admissions Office runs several Open House programs for prospective students. Barnard Bound provides financial support to enable high-achieving, low-income students of color to visit campus. The college reaches out to students throughout the country and they complete an application for financial support to attend. Students submit an application, a short essay, and a recommendation from a guidance counselor or Community-based organization coordinator in order to be considered.

Pre-Open House for Students of Color (POHFSOC)
Throughout the month of April, the Admissions Office holds several open houses for admitted students. Embedded in one of these programs is POHFSOC, a program that provides admitted students of color the chance to experience Barnard along with other admitted and current students. As in the fall, the College provides the funds for low-income students to visit.


Connections with Community-Based Organizations:
Barnard Admissions and Pre-College Programs maintains strong relationships with many community-based organizations (CBO’s) throughout the country that serve underrepresented high school students. These organizations provide after-school tutoring, college advisement, run workshops on financial planning for college and application and SAT preparation. We know that many CBOs are a strong source of a diverse group of motivated and bright young women who would otherwise not have the awareness of a college like Barnard nor the preparation to be admitted, enroll and succeed. We also believe that this outreach can help elevate Barnard’s profile in a geographical region where we lack significant name recognition and representation.


Admissions activities with CBO’s include:
- Breakfast meeting each fall with over 200 students and counselors from local CBO’s to introduce them to Barnard and hold financial aid and admissions workshops. Targeted to HEOP.
- Outreach to community-based organizations during travel. Admissions Officers and the Pre-College Office hold informational meetings, admissions and financial aid workshops and Admissions interviews.
- The college maintains databases from several national networks, including Venture Scholars, ABC, and National Hispanic Scholars. Students receive information about Barnard, are invited to visit with staff during travel and to on-campus programs. The college also maintains data on the corresponding websites.
- The college hosts CBO’s on campus through the year, leading tours, informational meetings, admissions and financial aid presentations. In an effort to reach students early in the process, the college also younger grades as well (6th-8th graders). Some of the programs that Barnard hosts annually include the Princeton University Prep Program(NJ); Sunnyside Community Center(NY); Fulfillment Fund (CA); GEAR-UP(NY); Oliver Scholars(NJ); College Match(CA); Girls Write Now(NY); Girl Scout Scholars(NY);


For Faculty recruitment, The College has a "Target of Opportunity Program" which supports faculty recruitment from groups underrepresented in the professoriate.

The Science Pathways Scholars Program – (SP)2 – is a highly-selective four year program to support talented young women from Black, Native American and Latina backgrounds and first generation college students, who convey strong interest in biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics/astronomy, or neuroscience. Students who are selected as (SP)2 Scholars will benefit from an exceptional set of opportunities and resources.

Well Woman, Barnard's health promotion program, holds POC office hours every week for students of color.

The Rosemary Furman Counseling Center maintains a Student of Color Crisis Text Line.

Students in the Opportunity Programs have access to academic, personal, and career and internship placement advising. They also have in place a Sister to Sister Mentoring Program which promotes peer mentorship. Students in this program are provided tutors as needed, book vouchers and access to a lending library which includes graphing calculators and laptops.

Identity-Based Community Meetups/Socials
Student Life hosts monthly meetups for students, faculty, and staff of color, and for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual, LGBTQIA-identified students, faculty, and staff. The meetups are a space to connect, build relationships, and share experiences and resources with people who share these identities.

First Generation Student Advisory Board
The Dean of Studies Office and Student Life convene the First Generation Student Advisory Board to discuss and take actions to better engage and support the first-gen student population on campus. The advisory board, in collaboration with college staff at Barnard, have open dialogue on how we can better serve first-gen students through programming and services.

Zora Neale Hurston Lounge
The Zora Neale Hurston (BC ‘28) Lounge, named after Barnard’s first black alumna, commemorates her legacy in providing a safe space for Barnard students of color. This space, located at 121 Reid Hall in the Barnard Quad, is managed by the Barnard Organization of Soul Sisters (B.O.S.S.). In this space, B.O.S.S. hosts biweekly discussions and events as well as open lounge hours on Tuesdays from 9PM - 11PM. Stop by for access to the library--filled with many of Zora Neale Hurston’s works as well as the works of other great authors including James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Maya Angelou, and more--or to catch up with B.O.S.S. members.

Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowhsip

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF) is a national fellowship program that supports students of color and others with a demonstrated commitment to diversity in pursuit of a PhD and diversification of the academy. MMUF identifies and supports students of great promise and helps them to become distinguished scholars by providing them with the opportunity to develop their own research projects, work with faculty mentors, and learn about graduate school and academic careers.

As undergraduates, Mellon Fellows join a local cohort of emerging scholars eager to learn about academic life; the program continues at the graduate school and post-PhD levels, providing scholars with opportunities for advanced research, mentorship, an academic and career support network, as well as some financial support. There are over 5,000 students in the program in the US, Puerto Rico, and South Africa; over 800 of them have earned the PhD. Over 100 of them are now tenured faculty members, serve as Deans and Provosts and college Presidents. The name of the program symbolically connects the MMUF mission to the achievements of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, educator, college president, and civil rights activist.

About the MMUF program at Barnard College
Barnard College has been a steadfast supporter of MMUF—over 20 cohorts of fellows have been mentored at Barnard by dedicated faculty and administrators. Barnard’s Mellon Mays program has been very successful— as of 2019, we have fifteen alumnae who have earned the PhD and nearly as many currently in graduate school. Our fellows have won national fellowships for graduate study form the Ford Foundation and the National Science Foundation, among others.

Each year, we select a cohort of undergraduate fellows eager to join their fellow Barnard alumnae in the pursuit of scholarly careers. Students apply in the spring of their sophomore year.

Distinguished faculty and administrators have worked with this program since it’s inception at Barnard in 1996. Over the years, professors Christopher Baswell, Rosalind Rosenberg, and Monica Miller have had the honor of mentoring Mellon fellows along with Deans Vivian Taylor, Michelle Tollinchi-Michel and Nikki Youngblood Giles as faculty-administrative coordinators of the program.