Open History Classes!

 Hi All - If you're still looking for an open class, please see this list below!

OPEN HISTORY COURSES, FALL ‘25

For more info, see here: https://history.barnard.edu/course-listings-1

South Asian Diasporas, with Prof. Rao BC2859

This course focuses on the migration of people originating from the Indian subcontinent into a global horizon, and the multi-dimensional array of economic, political and cultural relationships produced between diasporic communities, their places of origin, and their places of arrival.

 

Check out this course if you: 

-would like to read fiction in addition to historical scholarship

-want to learn how to annotate reading materials

-are excited to learn more about NYC through walks in the city and short ethnographic write-ups

 

 

Early America to 1763, with Prof. Lipman BC2549

This course examines the three critical centuries from 1492 to 1763 that transformed North America from a diverse landscape teeming with hundreds of farming and hunting Native societies into a partly-colonized land under the sway of the Spanish, French, and British empires.

 

Check out this course if you:

-want to learn more about Indigenous nations, European colonies, and the Atlantic slave trade

-want to read primary sources on the culture of enslaved peoples, witchcraft, Native politics, and colonial rebellions

 

 

History of Globalization, with Prof. Alacevich BC2963

This course explores the history of globalization and its interpretations over the past six centuries. We will discuss constitutive elements of globalization, such as empires, trade and capitalism, slavery, and migratory movements, its environmental and ecological dimensions, and how it intersects with questions related to sovereignty, hegemony, and inequality.

 

Check out this course if you:

-are interested in mixing historical, economic, and sociological analysis

-want to get the big picture of global phenomena like trade wars, global inequality, and migrations, and their historical roots

-would like to improve your ability to interpret graphs but fear they are too complex and scary (they are not)

Of interest to students of: history, economic history, economic sociology, international political economy

 

 

Intro to European History from the Renaissance to the French Revolution, with Prof. Valenze BC1101

From 1450 to 1789, Europeans pursued their wildest desires for riches, power, truth, and beauty. The legacy of their ideas and actions shape our world today: Renaissance ideals and education; conflicts generated by long-distance trade; religious rebellion and toleration of difference; innovative scientific inquiry; transformative modes of production and consumption; and fearless curiosity associated with the word “enlightenment.”

 

Check out this course if you want to:

-experience history through art images and music

-find out how people in earlier centuries lived, worked, what they wore, and what they ate

-learn how to formulate good historical questions and write better essays

 

 

Introduction to the Global Middle Ages, with Prof. Delvaux BC1062

This course introduces students to medieval history and the methods historians use to study the premodern world. Topics include the fall of Rome, the rise of Christianity, the Islamic Conquests, the Polynesian and Viking expansions, the Black Death, and more.

 

Check out this course if you:

- are interested in big stories that still shape the world around us

- want to learn how archaeology and artifacts are used by historians

- think medieval pop culture is cool and want to know more about it

 

 

Global Environmental History, with Prof Cagloti BC2385

This class introduces students to the field of environmental history from a global perspective. Environmental history is the study of the relationship between nature and society over time. It deals with the material environment, cultural and scientific understandings of nature, and the politics of socio-economic use of natural resources. The class welcomes students from the natural and social sciences, as well as the humanities. 

 

Check out this course if you are interested in:

- the origins of climate change

- global history

- the ways in which the environment shaped human history

- how different societies cared for, managed, and exploited the natural environment in history

- how power relations are shaping the politics of the current climate crisis

 

 

World Migration, with Prof. Moya BC2980

This course explores the role of migration in the evolution and global spread of our species and in the emergence of race, ethnicity, inequalities, and mixing. Sessions on prehistory, ancient Rome & Egypt; the spread of Judaism, Christianity and Islam; Viking, Mongol, and Arab invasions; colonialism and slavery; the European, Chinese and Indian diasporas; and current migrations and debates.

 

Check out this course if you:

-have an interest in thinking through the deep historical context of an issue of immense contemporary significance in our city, country, and world

Junior Class Dean Walk-in Hours start the first week of classes

Got a quick question?

Need to talk to a dean ASAP?

If you have something complicated or want to be sure you can talk at length, please make an appointment via Dean Siegel's online appointment link.

Otherwise, during the semester, you may walk in beginning Friday, Sept 5 at any of the times below.  

Mondays 3:30-4:30pm Eastern Time

• Enter waiting room via this Walk-In Hours Zoom Link or visit 105 Milbank,
  
• We will see students on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• If we run out of time and can't see you, we apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to schedule an appointment, to try walk-ins on a different day, or for time-sensitive matters, to call the office at 212-854-2024 during business hours.

Fridays 3:30-4:30pm Eastern Time

• Enter waiting room via this Walk-In Hours Zoom Link or visit 105 Milbank.
  
• We will see students on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• If we run out of time and can't see you, we apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to schedule an appointment, to try walk-ins on a different day, or for time-sensitive matters, to call the office at 212-854-2024 during business hours.

How to search Vergil for classes with open seats or other relevant criteria

Did you know you can use the Course Search in Vergil to filter for classes that have open seats?

Select “Only show classes with open seats” in the search results!

There are a bunch of other useful things you can filter for, including  classes that satisfy Barnard General Education (Foundations) requirements, classes with a particular number of credits, etc. 

NOTE ON FOUNDATIONS REQS: for Barnard requirements, it's safest to cross reference anything found here with the Slate listing of courses approved for Foundations requirements. 

NOTE ON LAB SCIENCE: Do NOT rely on Vergil for acceptable lecture-plus-lab science pairings. See recent blog post for more info on this. 

Apply to be a Peer Academic Coach!

 

Need an extra credit or two this fall? Here are a few options

Doing that degree-audit arithmetic and need one or two more credits?

If you're having trouble getting up to the number of credits you need and are looking for a 1-2-credit course to add, here are some options and tips. Pay special attention to the start dates of these courses.

**Be sure to check course descriptions for special registration procedures or necessary permissions.

Know of something that's not on here? Email SeniorClassDean@barnard.edu, and we'll add it!

1-2 credit course options:

PSA: How to search Vergil for Barnard courses/sections -- pro tip: Use "Department Search" NOT "School Search"

Looking up course options on Vergil and need to know which are Barnard classes?

Do NOT use the "School Search" option

This may give inaccurate results for some departments like Spanish and Math 😭😭😭

 

Instead, use Department Search -- once you start typing a department and part of the word Barnard, it will helpfully autocomplete to what you need:

 

Searching this way will return only actually-Barnard results:

 

 

 

 

Junior FAQ: How can I tell what counts for the Lab Science Foundations requirement?

PSA that, while the Vergil search and the searchable Foundations list on Slate can help you find which courses can fulfill the Lecture Science requirement (and other distributional requirements & Modes of Thinking), these searches will NOT work for Lab Science!

The only places to find a comprehensive listing of which lecture-plus-lab combinations can fulfill the Science-with-Lab General Education Requirement are:

1. Your degree audit if you have not yet satisfied this requirement.

2. This list made by the Barnard registrar, which is posted on the searchable Foundations list Slate page:  https://slate.barnard.edu/doc/lab_sci_GER.PDF

 

Slate??? Student Planning???? Vergil???? Where do I go for which things????

Now that registration is fully in Vergil, are you feeling confused about which website to use for which tasks around your academic record? Worry no more! The Registrar has you covered with this handy chart. Also: Pro Tip: Almost anything that you need to do with courses/your record can be found under the Academics tab in the Barnard Portal.

How do I drop a Columbia Summer Class and can I get my money back?

How do I drop a summer Columbia class?

If you are dropping a Columbia Summer class but not all of your summer CU classes, you may drop via Vergil.  If Vergil does not cooperate, please reach out to sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu and your class dean.  

What are the deadlines to drop a summer class and receive a full tuition refund? 

Summer A Session 

June 2 is the deadline to drop a summer session A class and receive a full refund. 
You may drop a summer session A as late as June 23, but you will be responsible for tuition and fees.

Full-Term Summer Session (Summer X)

June 2 is the deadline to drop a summer session X class and receive a full refund.  
You may drop a summer session X class as late as July 21, but you will be responsible for tuition and fees.

Summer B Session 

July 11 is the deadline to drop a summer session B class and receive a full refund. 
You may drop a summer session B class from your schedule as late as August 4, but you will be responsible for tuition and fees.   

This information is also available on the CU Summer Session website. 

Can I take my summer class for PDF grading? 

In theory, yes, but because Columbia summer courses are considered transfer credit, you will only be able to transfer your Columbia summer courses to Barnard if you take them for a letter grade and earn at least a C-.

If, knowing all that, you still want to take a Columbia summer class p/d/f, the deadline to change your grading option for Summer A courses is June 23. For Summer B courses it is August 4.   For Summer X courses it is July 21.  

I want to drop all of my summer classes (even if all=1); how do I do that?  

In order to drop all of your CU summer courses, thereby withdrawing from the summer term entirely:

1. Consult with your Barnard Class Dean
2. Barnard Class Dean signs Approval to Withdraw form.
3. Student fills out Summer Non-SPS Withdrawal Request Student Form and uploads signed approval.
4. Student receives confirmation from sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu approximately 3–4 weeks after submission, once the withdrawal is finalized.  Students should continue to watch Vergil and SSOL to see adjustments to their schedule and account details.

Please refer to the CU Summer Academic Calendar and to this page, which includes more details about refunds and drop and withdrawal processes.  If you have questions about your refund, please reach out to sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu if you have any questions at all. 

This information and forms are also available on the CU Summer Session website.

I heard that this takes three weeks to process! Should I be concerned? 

Refunds, drops and transcript notations should be based on the date of form submission, not the date the form is processed -- please be in touch with the Columbia Summer School (sps-summeradvising@columbia.edu) with any questions.  

Additional reason not to worry: Unlike summer 2021, this year as in all previous years, Columbia Summer courses are considered transfer credit, so only completed CU summer courses that you pass with at least a C- and for which you have also submitted an approved Summer Course Approval Form will appear on your Barnard transcript.

Need to talk to a class dean during Finals? Stop by 105 Milbank (or zoom if needed) any time 9am-5pm, May 9 & 12-15 for Class-Dean Drop-ins

 

Do you need help with a time-sensitive issue affecting your ability to take finals, complete coursework, etc.?

The Deans' Office for Advising and Support is here to help. There will be a dean available for drop-ins every day of finals week, 9am - 5pm.  Come see us in 105 Milbank, or if you are feeling under the weather, visit our zoom instead.  

Important End-of-the-Semester Information for Completion of Coursework

 

Dear Students,   As we come to the end of the spring semester, the Deans’ Office for Advising and Support wants to update you about final exam information and academic resources. We also want to remind you what to do if you experience anything that impacts your ability to complete work for your courses and final exams.   One of the most important things to remember if you are experiencing difficulties is to reach out to your instructor and/or Class Dean. Your class dean is available to discuss your specific situation and offer advice and options.   Academic Resources   •    Personal Librarians: As you complete your final assignments for this semester, contact Barnard Library’s research and instruction team (Personal Librarians) for any support needed around research-based assignments, including senior projects. Librarians are available for individual consultations about ways to access online research materials and meet citation requirements for your papers and projects. Personal Librarians can assist in finding e-books, full-text articles, and open access sources.  •    Center for Engaged Pedagogy: The CEP has put together helpful guides for time management, active reading strategies, and a resource map that points you to various supports. •    Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS): Students who are registered with the Barnard Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS) and have accommodations should be in touch with CARDS as needed to ensure that their accommodations align with end-of-term assignments. If a faculty member has specific questions about how to implement accommodations in their courses, CARDS is available for individual consultation at cards@barnard.edu. •    Deans’ Office Walk-in Hours (exam week only): If you have an emergent situation and need to consult with a dean during exam week, stop by the Deans’ Office for Advising and Support in 105 Milbank any time from 9:00am-5:00 pm (Friday, May 9 through Thursday, May 15, not including weekend days) to see the available dean on call.    FINAL EXAMINATION INFORMATION:   All students and instructors are expected to follow the official exam schedule. If you find yourself with an exam conflict (two exams at the same time) or exam hardship (defined as three exams within a 24-hour period or four exams within a 48-hour period), you should fill out this form.   Individual faculty members have discretion to allow or deny requests to take an exam at a time different than originally scheduled. If you need assistance with communicating with an instructor, you may contact your Class Dean.   DEFERRED EXAMS:   Students may defer an exam due to illness or personal emergency on the day of the exam. If you need to request a deferral, you must:   a) Email your instructor, copying your class dean, on the day of the exam requesting a deferred exam.   b) You must also submit an official request for a deferred exam in Slate. You will need to upload an approval email from your instructor when you submit the Slate form.   c) Deferred exams will be given on Friday, September 5, 2025 and Monday, September 8, 2025. After submitting the Request for a Deferred Exam form, you will receive a confirmation email. It is your responsibility to check the registrar's website and your Barnard email the previous week for the details of your deferred exam.   Please be aware that deferred exams cannot be requested in advance of exam week. For more information, visit https://barnard.edu/registrar/grades-exams and scroll down to "Final and Deferred Exams."    ILLNESS DURING EXAM:    If you become ill during an examination:   a) inform the proctor b) hand in the exam, and c) call Primary Care Health Services at 212-854-2091 to make an appointment.   If you've completed less than 40 minutes of a two-hour exam or less than one hour of a three-hour exam, you qualify for a deferred exam (see above.) If you leave the exam more than 40 minutes into a two-hour exam or more than an hour into a three-hour exam, you'll be graded on the basis of the work you've completed to that point.   INCOMPLETES:   Incompletes are to be given only in cases of illness, personal emergency, or other compelling circumstances. If you need to request an Incomplete, and the instructor is amenable, please be in touch with your faculty member via email to obtain their approval. From there, you will need to submit an Incomplete Request Form in Slate. You will need to upload email confirmation from your instructor when you submit the Slate form. Note that these requests should be received by Thursday, May 8 (the end of Reading Period).    As a reminder, the official College deadline for completing Spring 2025 Incomplete coursework is Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Individual faculty may also set an earlier deadline for the work to be completed. Please note that incompletes apply only to coursework exclusive of the final examination. For more information, visit https://barnard.edu/registrar/grades-exams and scroll down to "Incomplete Grades."   GRADES:   Final grades are indeed final. Grades may be changed only in cases of clerical error or in the rare event that the instructor needs to reevaluate the work of the entire class. Grades may not be recalculated on the basis of reexamination or the submission of additional or revised work.    ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND THE BARNARD HONOR CODE:   As you write papers or complete exams, whether in a proctored environment or in the comfort of your residence hall or off-campus residence, keep the College's Honor Code (https://barnard.edu/honor-code) in mind. Under pressure, it can sometimes be tempting to make a regrettable decision, such as using untrustworthy and undocumented sources, collaborating on an exam, not following proper citation methods on a paper, or claiming someone else's work as your own. Doing something that might violate the Honor Code is NEVER the way to respond to a difficult or pressured academic situation. There's always a better choice. Please also be aware that any misrepresentation of your circumstances in order to obtain an exam deferral or an incomplete is a violation of the Honor Code. An additional word of caution: it is your responsibility as a student to be aware of your professor’s individual stance on the use of generative AI (ex. ChatGPT). If you are not sure about whether the use of generative AI is permitted in a course, you must consult with your instructor for additional guidance before using generative AI. Note that the Honor Code states that students must responsibly use electronic, print and other resources.     ACADEMIC STANDING:   Please be advised that all students should be aware of Barnard’s academic standing policy (please scroll down on this page to “Academic Standing and Degree Progress”) and how incomplete grades, deferred exams and/or withdrawal grades may impact a student’s academic standing. To discuss your academic standing, please contact your Class Dean.    We wish you all the best as you complete your work for the semester, and hope you have a restful, restorative summer.   Sincerely, Holly Tedder Dean for Academic Planning and Class Advising