Anonymous
12/28/2025 23:23
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a freshman at Barnard and I would describe their first term as challenging, as she came from a public HS with a ton of grade inflation, and had a couple of tough profs, one known for rarely giving As and the other having 2 TAs, one that was very difficult with grading that she was assigned to. Probably this is very class and prof-dependent.
Wait, there were TAs grading papers at Barnard? That would bug me a ton. It's a small college that supposedly prides itself on small classes....
I don’t think they have their separate faculties. All Barnard professors are from Columbia. This is not your traditional liberal arts college.
Barnard's faculty is distinct from that of Columbia College.
Right- Barnard sells itself as a small liberal arts college within the bigger Columbia University. It has its own faculty and I'm very surprised that there are TAs grading.
There are TAs at most liberal arts colleges.
Who are they when there are no grad students?
Other undergraduate students who have completed the course and excelled.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 23:21
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:My child has had the same freshman year experience at an Ivy (not Columbia so I can't speak to it's rigor). Classes are ridiculously easy even as a STEM major and many peers are not doing well in them (grades on tests as low as in the teens). All together a big step down in rigor and peer group from child's private high school. They got a job for 15-20 hours a week to fill the time.
I have no doubt that there are Ivies and other colleges that are still rigorous but many are not. I am not posting this to be a jerk or a snob at all but because it's been really eye opening.
I don't know if you are real or not, but I was visiting the art museum at Harvard and overheard an undergrad saying the classes were easy. Was she telling the truth? Bragging? I have no idea. I am merely repeating what she was discussing loudly in the art gallery.
Her conversation did make me wonder. A friend taught at Harvard and said all of her students fit into four categories--legacy, the best at something, first gen, or child of staff.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 23:11
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Barnard's faculty is distinct from that of Columbia College. The relationship either of these undergraduate schools have with Columbia University as whole doesn't seem to be relevant to the classroom experience.
Barnard maintains its own science facilities, including research laboratories. These facilities will be greatly enhanced by a new science building set to open in 2026. Barnard faculty and students may use the "core" lab facilities of Columbia University.
Except that is not the point. They are not distinct from Columbia faculty, because they ARE Columbia faculty. Even if they are approved promotion by Barnard, Columbia is looking at a professor's research output to see if they should be faculty; this actually occurred with Dr. Bashir Abu-Manneh, who is a great post-colonial scholar that was denied tenure from Columbia, but not Barnard, due to his lack of research productivity and consequently had to leave the institution.
No one is denying the autonomy of Barnard, but there is an institutional order which says that undeniably Barnard faculty aren't distinct from Columbia faculty.
In the absence of your having made a distinction between Columbia College and Columbia University, I've found it difficult to follow your reasoning.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 22:23
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:Barnard's faculty is distinct from that of Columbia College. The relationship either of these undergraduate schools have with Columbia University as whole doesn't seem to be relevant to the classroom experience.
Barnard maintains its own science facilities, including research laboratories. These facilities will be greatly enhanced by a new science building set to open in 2026. Barnard faculty and students may use the "core" lab facilities of Columbia University.
Except that is not the point. They are not distinct from Columbia faculty, because they ARE Columbia faculty. Even if they are approved promotion by Barnard, Columbia is looking at a professor's research output to see if they should be faculty; this actually occurred with Dr. Bashir Abu-Manneh, who is a great post-colonial scholar that was denied tenure from Columbia, but not Barnard, due to his lack of research productivity and consequently had to leave the institution.
No one is denying the autonomy of Barnard, but there is an institutional order which says that undeniably Barnard faculty aren't distinct from Columbia faculty.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 21:13
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Barnard's faculty is distinct from that of Columbia College. The relationship either of these undergraduate schools have with Columbia University as whole doesn't seem to be relevant to the classroom experience.
Barnard maintains its own science facilities, including research laboratories. These facilities will be greatly enhanced by a new science building set to open in 2026. Barnard faculty and students may use the "core" lab facilities of Columbia University.
Barnard maintains its own science facilities, including research laboratories. These facilities will be greatly enhanced by a new science building set to open in 2026. Barnard faculty and students may use the "core" lab facilities of Columbia University.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 20:58
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a freshman at Barnard and I would describe their first term as challenging, as she came from a public HS with a ton of grade inflation, and had a couple of tough profs, one known for rarely giving As and the other having 2 TAs, one that was very difficult with grading that she was assigned to. Probably this is very class and prof-dependent.
Wait, there were TAs grading papers at Barnard? That would bug me a ton. It's a small college that supposedly prides itself on small classes....
I don’t think they have their separate faculties. All Barnard professors are from Columbia. This is not your traditional liberal arts college.
Barnard's faculty is distinct from that of Columbia College.
Right- Barnard sells itself as a small liberal arts college within the bigger Columbia University. It has its own faculty and I'm very surprised that there are TAs grading.
I thought tenured Barbard professors are also tenured at Columbia. For example, a Barnard chemistry professor is simultaneously a member of Columbia Chemistry department. So that "distinct" is in name only. They have their labs and graduate students at Columbia, but also has a small office at Barnard for teaching?
Anonymous
12/28/2025 20:36
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a freshman at Barnard and I would describe their first term as challenging, as she came from a public HS with a ton of grade inflation, and had a couple of tough profs, one known for rarely giving As and the other having 2 TAs, one that was very difficult with grading that she was assigned to. Probably this is very class and prof-dependent.
Wait, there were TAs grading papers at Barnard? That would bug me a ton. It's a small college that supposedly prides itself on small classes....
I don’t think they have their separate faculties. All Barnard professors are from Columbia. This is not your traditional liberal arts college.
Barnard's faculty is distinct from that of Columbia College.
Right- Barnard sells itself as a small liberal arts college within the bigger Columbia University. It has its own faculty and I'm very surprised that there are TAs grading.
There are TAs at most liberal arts colleges.
Who are they when there are no grad students?
Anonymous
12/28/2025 20:31
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a freshman at Barnard and I would describe their first term as challenging, as she came from a public HS with a ton of grade inflation, and had a couple of tough profs, one known for rarely giving As and the other having 2 TAs, one that was very difficult with grading that she was assigned to. Probably this is very class and prof-dependent.
Wait, there were TAs grading papers at Barnard? That would bug me a ton. It's a small college that supposedly prides itself on small classes....
I don’t think they have their separate faculties. All Barnard professors are from Columbia. This is not your traditional liberal arts college.
Barnard's faculty is distinct from that of Columbia College.
Right- Barnard sells itself as a small liberal arts college within the bigger Columbia University. It has its own faculty and I'm very surprised that there are TAs grading.
There are TAs at most liberal arts colleges.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 20:31
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a freshman at Barnard and I would describe their first term as challenging, as she came from a public HS with a ton of grade inflation, and had a couple of tough profs, one known for rarely giving As and the other having 2 TAs, one that was very difficult with grading that she was assigned to. Probably this is very class and prof-dependent.
Wait, there were TAs grading papers at Barnard? That would bug me a ton. It's a small college that supposedly prides itself on small classes....
I don’t think they have their separate faculties. All Barnard professors are from Columbia. This is not your traditional liberal arts college.
Barnard's faculty is distinct from that of Columbia College.
They're Columbia university professors and promotion is dependent on Columbia reviewing their tenure application.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 18:24
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Would it be possible for your daughter to graduate early?
Anonymous
12/28/2025 18:23
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a freshman at Barnard and I would describe their first term as challenging, as she came from a public HS with a ton of grade inflation, and had a couple of tough profs, one known for rarely giving As and the other having 2 TAs, one that was very difficult with grading that she was assigned to. Probably this is very class and prof-dependent.
Wait, there were TAs grading papers at Barnard? That would bug me a ton. It's a small college that supposedly prides itself on small classes....
I don’t think they have their separate faculties. All Barnard professors are from Columbia. This is not your traditional liberal arts college.
Barnard's faculty is distinct from that of Columbia College.
Right- Barnard sells itself as a small liberal arts college within the bigger Columbia University. It has its own faculty and I'm very surprised that there are TAs grading.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 17:32
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a freshman at Barnard and I would describe their first term as challenging, as she came from a public HS with a ton of grade inflation, and had a couple of tough profs, one known for rarely giving As and the other having 2 TAs, one that was very difficult with grading that she was assigned to. Probably this is very class and prof-dependent.
Wait, there were TAs grading papers at Barnard? That would bug me a ton. It's a small college that supposedly prides itself on small classes....
I don’t think they have their separate faculties. All Barnard professors are from Columbia. This is not your traditional liberal arts college.
Barnard's faculty is distinct from that of Columbia College.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 17:29
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
If the classes are very easy, then your daughter will have plenty of time for her hobbies and interests. That's nice. Does she play a sport, or play an instrument? Sing in a choir?
And she will also have lots of time to volunteer for whichever cause she finds important.
And she will also have lots of time to volunteer for whichever cause she finds important.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 16:55
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I have a freshman at Barnard and I would describe their first term as challenging, as she came from a public HS with a ton of grade inflation, and had a couple of tough profs, one known for rarely giving As and the other having 2 TAs, one that was very difficult with grading that she was assigned to. Probably this is very class and prof-dependent.
Wait, there were TAs grading papers at Barnard? That would bug me a ton. It's a small college that supposedly prides itself on small classes....
I don’t think they have their separate faculties. All Barnard professors are from Columbia. This is not your traditional liberal arts college.
Anonymous
12/28/2025 15:21
Subject: Disappointed with Barnard
Anonymous wrote:I have a freshman at Barnard and I would describe their first term as challenging, as she came from a public HS with a ton of grade inflation, and had a couple of tough profs, one known for rarely giving As and the other having 2 TAs, one that was very difficult with grading that she was assigned to. Probably this is very class and prof-dependent.
Wait, there were TAs grading papers at Barnard? That would bug me a ton. It's a small college that supposedly prides itself on small classes....