Since Barnard College President Judith Shapiro announced her resignation last April, students and faculty have been considering qualities they hopes to see in its 11th president.
Spencer Stuart, the consulting firm hired to lead the presidential search, held an open forum last night specifically for students after having separate discussions with the Student Government Association, administrators, and faculty this past week.
At the forum, students didn’t hold back in giving their input to the Spencer Stuart representatives. The small but lively group of about 20 first focused on students’ general criteria for Shapiro’s successor. Students agreed that Barnard’s next president should be an academic leader who is committed to women’s education and has the ability to work with a broad range of constituents.
“I would like the see the next president focus on giving Barnard more of an international perspective,” Mary Shodiya, BC ’08, said. “Currently there is no financial aid for international students, which may be one of the reasons why we aren’t internationally known.”
Students considered that the new president should uphold Barnard’s time-honored traditions, improve upon residential and social life, and most of all, continue working to define the college’s position as a women’s liberal arts college in the 21st century.
Students also focused on the importance of fundraising. “We need a president who is a good fundraiser. It is a primary goal to raise money for the college,” Amy Chen, BC ’10, said.
The discussion later devolved into an expression of grievances about the much-debated Barnard-Columbia relationship and Barnard’s overall policies and procedures.
“I feel that students at the other colleges don’t understand what Barnard is,” Joyce Ng, BC ’11, said. “There is an unspoken resentment that you can’t express why you’re at this school. We need a president who can clarify Barnard’s identity.”
Students also vented about Barnard L-Course sign-up procedures, housing, and recognition of Greek life. The conversation even included a debate over universal swipe access.
Anne Coyle, one of two Spencer Stuart consultants, wrapped up the forum with information about the search, stressing that it is still early in the search so student opinions will be taken into serious consideration. According to Coyle, the firm has recently begun a first round of interviews with potential candidates.
“We’re still identifying people for this position,” Coyle said. “We’re here to listen to what it is that you’re looking for in a president, so that we can find where this person might be now.”
Spencer Stuart will meet with the Presidential Search Committee, a group comprised of Barnard trustees, alumnae, students, and parents, later this week to discuss the main topics of this week’s forums. The committee’s decision will be announced in early 2008.
“I’m not sure how significant this forum will be in the decision-making process,” Shodiya said. “But I feel better having been a part of this discussion.”
Members of the Barnard community are encouraged to visit the Presidential Search Web site at http://www.barnard.edu/preside... to submit nominations and voice opinions.